When we’re younger, long before serious boyfriends and college degrees, a lot of us begin to plan our weddings. We brainstorm how the day will go, using our Barbies as props and cut outs from magazines to imagine how the inside of our wedding venue will look. We think we know what we want and we think, when the day finally comes, we’ll be able to execute it as easy as one, two, three.

 

So when the day finally comes, and the love of your life has popped the question, and your ring finger is gleaming with a diamond the size of a full grown pimple, you will find yourself asking the question: can I plan my own wedding, like I did when I was younger, or do I need to shell out the hard cash for a wedding planner?

 

The first thing to consider is how much time you have available. Planning a wedding is a giant time sucker and will often feel like you’re taking on a part-time job. If time is on your side, then you can consider planning your own wedding. But you should also consider what type of planner you are. Are you organized? Detail-oriented? Patient? Willing to coordinate and negotiate with vendors? If you don’t think you can handle some of these things, you may want to enlist the help of a wedding planner, especially if you need fresh ideas or someone to keep you focused on a set timeline for planning your wedding.

 

The other thing you can consider, if you’re looking for help but don’t need a full-blown planner, is to hire a day-of coordinator. That way, you can have someone help you handle the details and the vendors on your wedding day.