DIY Wedding Planning :: You Need a Roadmap

I have noticed that a great deal of brides are opting to plan their own wedding, perhaps because they see a professional wedding planner as a negotiable luxury and by this I mean that some of you may feel as if you can do without the services of a wedding planner. Please note that I fully disagree with the notion that we are a negotiable luxury.

On another note and a strong factor that I believe to be influencing more brides into planning is the current state of the economy. Let’s be honest, the economy sucks at the present time and many of you are either compromising certain aspects of your dream wedding, while others are having a longer engagement period and some of you may have postponed your wedding due to finances.

Are you a do-it-yourself bride planning to plan your own wedding?

If so, I would like to offer you some diy wedding planning tips this week. First I would like to say that wedding planning is both an art and a science and due to this fact, you need a roadmap if your wedding planning is to be a success.

Think about it, would you jump into a car and travel across the country to a destination you have never visited without a roadmap? Even more, would you aimlessly try to climb to the top of your careers without a roadmap to success? The same logic should be applied to planning your wedding. Otherwise, you are jumping into an unfamiliar territory and hence, you are asking for mishaps.

The best way to get pointed in the right direction is to actually consult with a wedding consultant. Most wedding planners offer hourly consultations and others actually offer a “getting started” service. A getting started planning session is often referred to as a one-time consultation. In this type of consultation, a wedding consultant will educate you about the planning process and equip with essentials to successfully plan your own wedding.

If you are thinking, “But, I purchased a planning book that tells me all about planning and checklists.” My response would be “That’s good! However by hiring a local professional wedding planner to get you started, you gain access to his or her knowledge and resources.”

Certainly, wedding planning books provide you with general how-to planning information and checklist. But, a local wedding planner has the inside scoop on local vendors and venues, knowledge about city ordinances for outdoor, tent, and beach weddings, the cost of having a wedding in your area, etc.

By hiring a wedding specialist to get you started on planning your own wedding, he or she can easily save you a lot time, headaches, and even money by referring you to only the finest vendors that are suitable for your event’s needs. Think about it! They have already done the leg work of researching the area’s best vendors, networked with them, and in many cases have previously worked with them.