A firework exit, live music at the reception, catering staff you’ve never met or worked with before… Your wedding is going to be spectacular, and it’s a good thing you’ve got a wedding planner to coordinate it all!

Your wedding planner is the reason your dream wedding is pulled off without a hitch (or, without you knowing of any hitches, right?). The worst thing you can do is be unprepared by not soliciting their full client experience to ensure you have their help every step of the way.

I’ve had several years in the wedding industry and I’ve noted each and every time a bride was grateful for her wedding planner, and zero times she wished she hadn’t booked them as much as she did. A wedding planner is an investment you will NEVER regret, especially on the biggest day of your life!

Today I wanted to share all the ways that a wedding planner brings value to your wedding — which, of course, you already know, but just in case you needed a little extra convincing, I’m here to remind you that there is no such thing as too much involvement, assistance, or support from your wedding planner.

A wedding coordinator ensures the wedding experience can be a calm and meaningful one for you.

Imagine having to split your focus between special pre-ceremony love letters and then on to seating fiascos, then back to a special moment with your mother, and then your attention is required by the caterers who came early, and then it’s almost time for you to walk but you still haven’t worked out who has a seat at which table later.

Utilizing a wedding coordinator every step of the way, not just on the day of your wedding, ensure that everything is planned and ready for the big day so you can sit back and enjoy this period of transition in your relationship and look to your future marriage as a peaceful, joyous experience.

A wedding planner has the expertise and existing relationships to get you the best vendor experiences.

You may not have any clue what is typical for a wedding venue to include in their package, but your wedding planner does. A wedding planner takes on all that communication with every vendor and has the experience necessary to make sure things are all lined up to a T. They coordinate on your behalf so you’re not bogged down with emails and detailed questions. That’s the beauty of bringing on a wedding planner for every step of the way — they take your vision and make it a reality, ensuring that you can be present and focused on what you want to be on the day of your wedding.

A wedding coordinator results in better photography. No joke!

As I mentioned, the only regrets I’ve heard from my past brides regarding their wedding planner’s involvement have been wishes that they’d booked more support or retained their services for more than just the month of the wedding. And I’ll tell you a little secret — I have those same regrets when they don’t.

Due to my experience in the wedding industry and my close involvement with the bride and groom throughout their wedding planning journey as we’ve documented engagements, and formals, and all the photos on the day of the wedding, it has often fallen to me to play back-up wedding coordinator. Don’t get me wrong — I love and will take any opportunity I have to support my brides and ensure their weddings are what they dreamed of, but taking time away from my responsibilities as a wedding photographer impacts the resulting gallery.

A wedding planner makes your job easier by allowing you to focus on the peace and joy of the happiest day of your life, and your wedding planner will make my job more valuable as I’m able to document that happiness without distraction or extra tasks that pull me away from the detailed plan I come prepared with to capture every meaningful moment and significant detail of your day.

A final word to the wise: Don’t hire a friend or family member to be your wedding planner. While it seems initially like a great way to save some wedding funds or involve someone close to you who knows all the players, consider that they would like to be there for you on your wedding day but in a way that allows them to enjoy the festivities and interact with the other family members, but that’s hard to do if they’re also coordinating with vendors and running around to keep things perfect.

Whether you’re still trying to figure out how much you need a wedding planner for or just wondering if their top package is the best for you, I hope you end up booking as much support and attention from your wedding coordinator that they offer. If simply hiring them for the month of is a minimum, then I consider a full wedding planning experience almost a necessity!