‘Do I need a wedding planner?’ If you’re just starting to plan your wedding, this question is likely to be top of mind right now.

It can be a little confusing to get a straight answer on this one, especially online, and even in real life. Some of your friends may swear by the services of a wedding planner, while others may be all about that DIY life. Baby boomer-era parents may also be a little confused about the whole thing – surely you can plan your own wedding?

Let’s take a deep breath and a step back. The short answer to this question is no. You do not need a wedding planner. However, you may want a wedding planner. It all comes down to what you’re envisioning for your wedding and what’s going on in your life right now.

Let’s start with a look at what exactly a wedding planner does.

What is a wedding planner exactly? 

A wedding planner is an individual who is hired by a couple who is in the process of planning their nuptial celebration to help them put the whole event together. It is important to note that there is a difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator.

Essentially, it comes down to how much time the person in question spends on your wedding and how involved they are in the process. Wedding coordinators are often only involved in the later stages and on the day itself – making sure that everything runs smoothly after you’ve put everything in place yourself.

On the other hand, a wedding planner is normally involved from the very beginning – helping couples to secure venues, vendors, etc.

Now, let’s see if you need a wedding planner, shall we? Here’s our fool-proof quiz to give you the answer you’ve been looking for:

THE QUIZ! How to know if you really need a wedding planner

Take some time to work through the questions below. Grab a notepad and keep track of your score as you go along. Tally it up at the end.

  1. Are you currently under quite a bit of pressure at work or do you have a lot of responsibilities at home? Yes: [1] No: [0]
  2. Do you know a fair amount of wedding vendors (e.g. photographers, florists, makeup artists, etc.)? Yes: [0] No: [1] 
  3. Do you have a good idea of what fair industry rates are when it comes to wedding-related services? Yes: [0] No: [1] 
  4. Are you any good at deciphering vendor contacts?  Yes: [0] No: [1] 
  5. Do you love to haggle for a good price? Yes: [0] No: [1] 
  6. Are you good at admin? Yes: [0] No: [1] 
  7. Does your email inbox have more than 10 unread and/or replied-to emails in it at any given time? Yes: [1] No: [0]
  8. Are you good at budgeting? Yes: [0] No: [1] 
  9. Is your wallet/handbag filled with unsorted invoices that you still need to file for tax purposes at some point? Yes: [1] No: [0]
  10. Do you know your way around a wine list? Yes: [0] No: [1] 
  11. Do you have a solid idea of what you want for your wedding in terms of food? Yes: [0] No: [1] 
  12. If a wedding vendor had to cancel on you in the month before your wedding, would you be able to remain calm and find a workable solution? Yes: [0] No: [1] 
  13. Or would you hit an emotional speed wobble and have a terrible time? Yes: [1] No: [0]
  14. Do you feel like you can deal with a whole lot of communication from your venue leading up to the wedding? Like on the daily? Yes: [0] No: [1] 
  15. Do you see yourself as a very capable multitasker? Yes: [0] No: [1] 
  16. Or do you get quite stressed when there are more than five things on your to-do list? Yes: [1] No: [0]
  17. Are you happy to deal with questions and queries from friends and family members on your Big Day?
  18. Or would you prefer to be left to relax on the day before you walk down the aisle? Yes: [1] No: [0]
  19. Would you feel comfortable handing over big wedding chores to someone who has been proven very capable at the hand of excellent references? Yes: [1] No: [0]
  20. Or do you get very nervous when you hand over responsibilities? Yes: [0] No: [1] 

If your score adds up to 10 or more, we recommend that you enlist the services of a wedding planner to make things go more smoothly leading up to your wedding. If your score is 10 or lower, you will probably prefer the DIY route.

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Now you know! If it turns out that you do need a wedding planner, feel free to reach out to the Hazendal event team. When you host your wedding at our premises, our service offering includes a certain level of wedding-planning support. Get in touch to learn more!