If you and your partner are ready to tie the knot, you can either handle it yourselves or hire a wedding planner.

That’s not an easy decision to make. But to help you understand which option is right for you, we’ll explore the pros and cons of both below.

 

Pros of hiring a wedding planner

 

 

Reputable wedding planners have years of experience

 

When you hire an experienced wedding planner with a strong reputation, you can enjoy total peace of mind that they’ll be able to take on almost anything. They should have the expertise and insight to anticipate problems well in advance, and help you navigate the more complex areas of wedding planning.

Otherwise, you and your partner are essentially on your own. You’ll have no industry professional to turn to with questions or concerns.

 

You can hand the stress off to someone else

 

Planning a wedding can be hugely stressful, especially a big ceremony followed by an even bigger reception with dozens (possibly hundreds) of guests. There’s a lot to consider, from the food and the evening’s entertainment to the seating arrangements.

All that can make you both so stressed that you lose sight of why you’re putting in so much effort in the first place.

But if you hire a seasoned wedding planner, you can leave a lot of the hard work to a professional instead. That gives you more free time and energy to focus on the fun aspects of getting married.

 

Seasoned wedding planners have valuable industry connections

 

When you plan your own wedding, you’re likely to have a lot of venues and people to contact. You might need to deal with caterers, hotels, car hire companies, local wedding bands, and more. But actually getting through to the venues, individuals, and businesses you want to include in your big day can be difficult if they’re in high demand. They may have a backlog of requests and be inundated with new ones daily.

Fortunately, an experienced wedding planner is likely to have forged strong industry connections over the years. They may be able to contact in-demand venues and service providers directly, or through their colleagues. That can help them put together your dream wedding with fewer compromises.

 

Wedding planners will help your wedding stay focused and organized

 

Planning any wedding yourself, no matter how big or small, is a challenge. You have so many plates to keep spinning at the same time. It can be hard to keep track of what you have and haven’t done yet.

If you have too much to handle, you could overlook important tasks on your checklist or forget about them altogether. Buying wedding rings, advising guests on the best local hotels, discussing your cake with a local bakery, exploring honeymoon ideas — the list goes on and on.

But with help from a wedding planner, organizing your big day is much easier. They’ll understand which tasks to prioritize, how to solve problems, and how to keep things running smoothly on the day. 

 

You can avoid potentially expensive mistakes

 

Everyone makes mistakes, even when planning weddings. Some can be small (e.g. you order wedding rings in the wrong size), but others can be big. You could invite more guests than you have space for, or plan an outdoor ceremony without checking the weather forecast first.

In some cases, mistakes can be expensive. You may need to switch venues late in the process, for instance, and lose your deposit. That could be thousands of dollars, which is a sizable chunk of most budgets.

Regardless of their size or cost, any mistakes can have a negative impact on your wedding. But if you hire a wedding planner, they can minimize your risk of making bad decisions in the first place. They’ll be able to guide you and offer practical advice based on years of experience.

 

Cons of hiring a wedding planner

 

 

You’re not in total control

 

Working with a wedding planner means relinquishing some control over your big day. They won’t make any big decisions without consulting you, but they will take charge of various aspects on your behalf. You’ll still be responsible for choosing your wedding rings, writing your wedding vows, and other essential details, though.

You may be happy to give up full control of your wedding to make the process easier and smoother. On the other hand, the idea of handing over so much of the planning to someone else could make you anxious.

Consider how you really feel about letting a wedding planner take the reins. If in doubt, speak to one or two to get an idea of what you can expect. That may help put you at ease.

 

Wedding planners can be costly

 

The price of hiring a wedding planner varies, but it’s typically thousands of dollars. That may account for a large portion of your budget and leave you with less money for other crucial areas (such as buying your wedding rings).

 

Choosing the wrong wedding planner can be worse than going it alone

 

Practice due diligence before you hire a wedding planner. If you rush into a decision, you could choose the wrong person for you.

They may have completely different ideas about what will work and what won’t, and try to push you into a direction you’re uncomfortable with. That could make you feel as if your big day isn’t truly yours.

 

Pros of a DIY wedding

 

 

You can create the wedding you really want

 

When you’re in charge of your wedding, you can plan the day you’ve always dreamed of without intervention (unless it’s from certain members of your family). That gives you the flexibility and freedom to get creative.

Love Doctor Who and want to base your whole wedding around that? You can! Prefer to get married dressed as Batman and Catwoman? That’s doable too!

A wedding planner won’t necessarily stop you from trying to do either, but they could try to dissuade you if they don’t take themed weddings seriously.

 

Your friends and family can help you plan your dream day

 

You can enlist friends and family to help you with a DIY wedding, especially those who have planned their own. They may love to assist with choosing wedding rings, negotiating with venues, planning seating arrangements, and more.

Just don’t ask too much of your loved ones in the run up to your wedding, though. Otherwise, they may feel as if they’re doing more of the work than you are. Only ask friends and relatives to do what you’d be willing to take on for someone else.

 

You’ll have more money to put towards your wedding

 

When you choose to plan your wedding by yourself, you won’t need to factor a wedding planner’s fees into your budgeting. That will give you more money to play with.

For example, you should have extra funds to spend on your wedding rings, possibly enough to go for something particularly extravagant. That’s ideal if you’re both attracted to high-end wedding rings with intricate detailing, diamonds, and personalized engravings. It’s likely that you’ll still have to use some restraint, though, unless money is of no object.

 

Cons of a DIY wedding

 

 

You don’t have the same experience and contacts as a professional wedding planner

 

This is the biggest disadvantage of planning your own wedding: you lack a professional’s hands-on experience and industry contacts. That can make the entire planning process harder and more stressful.

 

It can be more stressful than working with a wedding planner

 

If the prospect of hiring a wedding planner and discussing the most intricate elements of the day with them makes you feel stressed, you should know that the DIY approach can be highly stressful too. In fact, it can be much tougher without a professional by your side, coordinating the day for you.

 

A DIY wedding demands more time and effort

 

Planning your own wedding can be exhausting, time consuming, and disrupt your usual routine.

There’s a lot to consider, much more than just picking your venue and wedding rings. On top of working and handling everyday responsibilities (e.g. kids, household chores), planning a DIY wedding may demand more of you than you’re willing to give.

But if you leave that to an experienced wedding planner, they’ll handle a lot of the hard work for you.

 

Conclusion

 

 

Choosing between a DIY wedding and hiring a wedding planner isn’t easy. There are major advantages and disadvantages to both.

As a couple, you and your partner should weigh up the pros and cons carefully before you decide. Think about how picking either option will affect your wedding. Would you rather give up some control in exchange for less stress? Are you willing to sacrifice part of your budget to bring in a professional?

Whatever you decide, focus on planning a beautiful day you’ll both remember for the rest of your lives.

And wedding rings play a huge part in helping you cherish those memories. At Madani, we have a diverse range of women’s and men’s wedding rings — browse our collection now.