Hiring a wedding planner is a thought that will go through most couples minds when they start to plan their special day. Most think wedding planners are only a privilege that only the rich can afford but think again. Here are 10 reasons why you should reconsider. 

#1 You deserve to have everything perfect on your big day.
It takes a lot of time and effort into planning and pulling together you wedding perfectly, and by hiring a wedding planner who has organised a wedding hundreds of times and with practise comes perfection. Wedding planners also know the right people to talk to, how to get you the best prices and also be able to check your contracts are all proper and correct. This will ensure that detail of your day runs perfectly. 

#2 Your not the best at sticking to budgets.
Think of your wedding planner as a financial advisor who deals with weddings. They know how much things should cost, what percentage of your budget should be spent on each part of the event and also when payment should be made in order to secure services or products. 

#3 Your wedding planning should be enjoyable not stressful 
Wedding planning should be enjoyable. You shouldn't have to be running around turning into a bridezilla and not able to think,eat or sleep about anything other than your wedding! A wedding planners job is to look after everything and make it as stress free as possible so all you have to worry about is taking care of yourself and enjoying your engagement period. 

#4 You dont want to spend time searching for suppliers and working out who is trustworthy. 
Knowing who to trust and who will make your wedding perfect is a daunting task. There are so many wedding suppliers out there you may not know where to start. Once you find a great wedding planner however the rest is simple. They will be able to guide you in the right direction and use suppliers they have used before and trust and know how to get their best prices and quality from them.

#5 You dont want to worry about forgetting to plan or pay for something
Wedding check lists can be pages and pages long, no wonder you might be worrying about forgetting to pay for something. A good wedding planner know what needs to be done like the back of their hand. They will keep track of deadlines and payment dates so you wont need to worry about something not turning up. 

#6 You both work and you dont want wedding planning to take over your life 
Wedding planning can take up a lot of time. But hiring a wedding planner is like having your own personal assistant whose sole responsibility is your wedding. 

#7 You have a great venue coordinator but they dont take care of any of the other details 
Having a great venue coordinator is a wonderful thing but keep in mind that arranging the venue is as far as their services stretch. Wedding planners are able to help with budgets, mediate family disputes, help you with flowers, dress shopping, take you to meet suppliers and anything else you may wish! 

#8 You need help making your vision a reality 
If you know exactly what you want or you have no idea, a wedding planner can help bring your vision to life. Whether its through mood boards, flicking through magazines together or simply having a conversation. Wedding planners know the latest trends in the industry and will make your vision a reality.

#9 Your struggling to meet the demands of your family and friends.
Does your family have their own ideas of what your wedding should be like? Many brides have to deal with a swarm of requests and ideas from family and friends into what 'they think' is best for your wedding. This can obviously be very stressful! A wedding planner will be able to deal with these expectations and show them available options on their ideas. 

#10 Your planning a wedding somewhere other than where you live.

Planning a destination is hard especially when you've never met your suppliers and are trying to imagine a space you've never been too. By hiring a wedding planner with experience of planning abroad they may have a trick or two for getting the job done the way you want it!

XO

6 ways to save money on a summer wedding.

Im kicking of the Summer Series with a way to save money without cutting corners on your summer wedding because who dosent love a bargain! 

When you start planning a wedding, the first thing to go through your mind is 'How much is it going to cost!?' 

Well lucky for you I have got 6 little steps that can help you cut the cost of your summer wedding for those of you who are on a budget!

1. Have the ceremony or reception outside.

The venue is the priciest part of planning a wedding and can eat up to 50% of your overall budget! Whereas an  outdoor wedding you can enjoy the weather and at a fraction of a venue cost. If your budget is very tight even a reception at a family or friends home can be just a beautiful. Although make sure you reserve a church as a free backup plan! There are many different alternatives if an outdoor wedding isnt for you, research your local area and see if any venue or local spaces are doing package deals or offers. 

2. Shop for a used wedding dress. 

Some may feel like wearing someone else's wedding dress is a curse. However seeing as it would have only been worn once before it is likely to be in pristine condition and could save you hundreds if not thousands of £££! There is also companies online where people sell their designer wedding gowns, and another alternative is looking in high street stores for a dress. Both H&M and Zara have just brought out their own versions of wedding dresses at a fraction of a cost of bridal stores. 

3. Opt for fake flowers and arrange them yourself.

Many craft shops have beautiful collections of fake flowers that you can turn into bouquets very easy! You can also add your own personal touches and still save a lot of cash. As an added bonus these flowers will also be easier to save after the wedding, or they can be used to decorate your new home together and look fresh for years.

4. Serve light foods at your reception rather than a meal 

Having a wedding in the early afternoon dosent call for a massive buffet of food. Finger foods or canapés is plenty if your planning your wedding on a budget. Save money on catering by having family and friends help you out with the food and putting the buffet table together. They can each make 1-2 things and then you will have more than enough to satisfy you guests!

5. Keep guests to a minimum 

The smaller the wedding the cheaper it will be overall. There will be less mouths to feed, you can book a smaller location meaing there will be less sace to decorate. Make sure you have everyone you want there but dont feel like you need to invite family youve never met or dont even like! Remember its your day!

and finally.....

6. Try and get someone you know to do the photography

Photography is an expensive part of the day but it is something no one wants to go without. Total wedding packages nowadays start at around £1000! However its now not uncommon for a least one person you know to have a nice camera and some decent photog skills. Or even a someone wanting to be a photographer looking for some experience. Allow them to capture the moments of the wedding and that way they help you out, save you money and they get some great experience!

I hope this post has helped some of you out! If you have any other money saving ideas feel free to share them below! 

Enjoy!

xo 

Link to original article: http://premeditatedleftovers.com/naturally-frugal-living/6-ways-save-money-summer-wedding/