Wedding and Event Planning FAQ's... Part 1

We had such a great time in North Carolina, that I'm having a hard time getting back into the swing of things here at home!

Although I wish I could stay away in vacation land forever, I have SO many fun and exciting projects waiting for me!

I'm going to be doing a little series over the next week to answer some wedding and event planning questions.

I'm going to start out with a question and answer sheet:

DO YOU NEED AN EVENT PLANNER?

Many couples or hosts never even consider hiring a wedding and event planner, not realizing that having outside help can save you time, aggravation, and even money. Here's an easy checklist to find out if you need a planner:

__ You're way behind on your checklist and schedule.
__ You both work full-time jobs that will prevent you from meeting with vendors on 
       weekdays.
__ You don't have other outside help such as an involved mother-of-the-bride, helpful
      bridesmaids, or knowledgeable friends.
__ You don't know many people who can give you reliable vendor recommendations.
__ You are having a destination wedding.
__ There are personality conflicts between the couple, their parents, and/or other people
__ You're excited to be married, but just thinking about wedding planning fills you with
       dread.
__ You're having a very short engagement.
__ You can envision your wedding, you have no idea how to make your dreams come true.
__ You can't even envision your wedding.
__ You're feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
__ Even after you've read the *ahem* excellent advice from all your wedding planning  
       books, you still wish that you had someone to give you advice and leadership.
__ You are not sure about the timing and scheduling of when to send out your save the  
       dates and wedding invitations.
__ You are not sure of how to correctly address wedding invitations, bridal shower
       iinvitations, thank you cards, etc.
__ You don't know who will be the person responsible for making sure that all your rental
       items, cake, favors, linens, flowers and the works will be set up and ready for your   
       wedding or event.


If you've checked off one or more of the above options, you should at least investigate hiring a wedding and event planner. If you're looking to save money, this may be an expense that you can avoid. But keep in mind that because of inside connections and experience that allows them to avoid common mistake, hiring a wedding and event planner might be the most cost-effective move in the end.