Should I Hire a Wedding Planner? Your Most Popular Questions Answered!

In our seven years of experience in the wedding industry, one of the most popular questions brides and grooms ask us is whether or not they should hire a wedding planner. And, once we start to ask questions such as whether they’ll be doing a first look, which family members will be involved in the formal photos, and details about their reception itinerary, it becomes clear whether a wedding planner or day-of coordinator will be helpful for that particular couple. 

Hiring a great wedding planner isn’t a reflection on how “good” or “bad” you’re doing at planning your wedding day - it’s a reflection of whether or not the guidance of an industry professional will be helpful for you. Good wedding planners offer referrals and, like with us, exclusive discounts with some vendors; they have a great understanding of how your day should flow based on your personality and needs; and they have insight about how to achieve your goals in terms of details, decor, and involvement of friends and family. 

Today we’re sharing a conversation with the excellent wedding planner Laura Scott of Tula Events, and sharing some of the most asked questions we’ve heard from brides and grooms planning their day. Please note that the photos below are by New Vintage Media and do not necessarily reflect weddings coordinated by Tula Events.

How would a bride know if she should choose a wedding planner to help coordinate her day? (Versus doing it herself)?

There are many different reasons why my clients decide to hire a wedding planner. Here are is a list of the most common reasons:

1. They are just too busy with work, school or other commitments.
2. They both live out of town or one person in the relationship may be living else where and they need a local expert to do the vendor search for them.
3. They have a short engagement and therefore have a short amount of time to plan the wedding.
4. They have trouble making decisions and feel overwhelmed with all the choices out there.
5. They may have ideas of what they like but they don't know how to put it all together to get the vision they want to achieve.

A couple may also hire a wedding planner just to coordinate the wedding day, either with Month of Coordination or Day of Coordination. The main reason is so they can enjoy the day and not worry. They know that all the details are taken care of by a  professional.

What are the top 3 most important things to look for in a good wedding planner?

1. That they are organized and keep you on track
2. That they are good listeners and can help you execute what you are hoping to achieve
3. That they are good at budgeting your money and keeping track of your spending

How do you work with a couple to fully understand the vibe / feel of their wedding day?

I have questionnaires that I have couples fill out together so I get a sense of who they are and what they are looking for. I get to know the couple and learn about their relationship, their professions, their hobbies and interests together as a couple and as individuals. 

I come to their home for monthly meetings so I get a sense of their decorating style. I ask my couples to start a Pinterest wedding board so that I can see the things they love and hope to have at their wedding. I then create inspiration boards for my clients, which gives them a sense of how the wedding will look but how it will also feel. I write out a description that corresponds to that inspiration board which explains how the wedding day will unfold for them and their guests. We then narrow in on the things they love and create a final inspiration board that we use going forward to secure a venue, vendors and decor.

In your opinion, What is the most important aspect to a wedding day to have planned and executed in great detail?


The logistics and timing are the most important parts of the wedding day. Making sure that an Itinerary is set in place and that all vendors are comfortable with that Itinerary. For example, if the florist shows up first to a reception venue and the tables are not in their proper place or set with linen then the flowers can not be put on the tables. Or if the speeches are all group together before the main course and if those speeches run later than expected the main course will be over cooked or cold. When all the vendors are coordinating together on their same time line and working as a team the day runs more smoothly.

Can you give a profile of a typical couple that might be well suited to work with a wedding planner?

I think a common misconception is that you have to have a lot of money to work with a wedding planner. I have planned weddings with very large budgets and very modest budgets but its when couples want more than their budget allows that there ends up being an issue. A wedding planner should create a budget in the beginning of the planning stages, so that couple knows exactly what they are going to spend for the entire wedding. If we are given an amount to work with and later are told that they budget has to come down or that expensive items need to be added it can be difficult to adjust the budget with what is left over.

I would say that a couple well suited to work with a wedding planner is someone who is realistic about their budget and has made sure the budget they have set in place is what they can afford. And its also important that clients be open and honest the whole way through the planning process.

What makes your wedding planning services unique?

What makes Tula Event's planning services unique is that we really try to incorporate the couples personalities and interests in their wedding. I think its important for the the clients to be represented as a couple but also as individuals. Many times the Groom's tastes and ideas get lost in the shuffle. I think its important to make the Groom feel like he had a hand in the planning process.

For example, I had a Groom who loved baseball and worked in Sales for the Toronto Blue Jays. So for the guest book we had 2 baseball jerseys framed with the couples new last name and their wedding date on the back and asked guests to "sign their autograph". We also had the seating cards sitting in slots carved out on baseball bats. The guests loved it!

I had another Groom who was an published author so we added some literary touches. We had a typewriter on the receiving table. We also used beautiful books under the centerpieces to add height and used scrabble pieces to spell out the table number. Not only did this reflect the Groom's interests but also the family's love for board games.

At Tula Events we strive to plan thoughtful and beautiful weddings for couples and their guests.