Posted by
I have a confession: I've been “planning our wedding” for almost a year now, and I've only JUST started getting shit done… four months away from the wedding date. I have another confession: I did the same thing for my first wedding.
What happens when a wedding blogger gets engaged?
Big fucking news, y'all: I'm fucking engaged! So what happens when a wedding blogger gets engaged? Let's find out together with Wedding Planning Wednesdays. We... Read more
And I tried so hard not to procrastinate this time! I knew we'd be getting married in the height of wedding season. I knew by getting an early start we'd get the pick of the litter with vendors. I knew that it would get super-stressful the more it got closer to the wedding. And yet, I still ended up here.
Fortunately I'm not in Full Panic Mode, because I did the number one thing I advise everyone to do: I got a wedding planner. I hired LA wedding planner Holly from Events by Holly Gray (aka. the planner behind The Cutest Wedding Ever pictured above!)
And let me tell you, if you're a procrastinator like I am, it's the best best best thing in the fucking world. Having a wedding planner is heavenly. And here's why…
“I got you-s” every time you need one
Alright, yes, your bridal party can also do this. (And mine totally has.) But very few people can back up their “I got you-s” with actual data and info and experience-based logistics that show exactly why you needn't freak out. This Vulcan loves a logic-based “I got you.” It soothes the last-minute panicked soul.
Full access to a world you never knew existed
Did you know that wedding planners and vendors have a secret community where they all help each other out? For example, I was struggling to find a florist who was familiar with being “offbeat,” within budget, and willing to travel a bit (we're getting married in the middle of nowhere). So Holly basically sounded the LA Wedding Planner Horn of Gondor and a florist appeared out of nowhere with the exact kind of thing I was looking for and willing to travel. WUT!? (“It was said in legend that if the Horn was blown anywhere within the bounds of ancient Gondor, its call would not pass unheeded.”)
Money savings in ways you wouldn't expect
Oh yes, it's four months away, and, until this weekend, I didn't have a dress. But I had a lot of back-up dress ideas. I was about to throw money at the problem with an over-priced dress I didn't love, but, you know, it was the best I had found so far.
How my wedding planner saved me so much money that she paid for herself, and then some
One day I had plans to meet with a caterer and a photographer and my planner tagged along, and brought with her a second photographer... Read more
I showed Holly the dress saying, “I think I'm just gonna do it.” She looked at me and asked, “Do you love that dress? Ignoring the cool details that you want, do you love that actual dress.” No. No I did not. I thought it was cool, but it wasn't special to me. And she was like, “Girl, don't spend that kind of money on a dress you don't LOVE.” And that was it, I let it go. And thousands of dollars stayed in our bank (and in our budget). She then sent me in the direction of another dress designer, and I'm getting exactly what I want for way less than I expected. (More on that later, y'all!) She's also saved us money on renting an expensive Game of Thrones photo booth with her genius DIY idea.
Turns out wedding planners just have all this outside-of-the-box knowledge that EVEN WORKING ON A WEDDING BLOG doesn't give you.
You only have to do the fun things
I love to hunt for cool ideas. I love to create DIY table numbers that combine Game of Thrones and food puns. I love to scheme up meals with food vendors. I do NOT love to talk contracts and money. I do NOT love figuring out exactly how the table numbers will get displayed. I do NOT love to run logistics on the cool ideas. Once I'm done having fun, I pass that shit off to Holly, and she takes it from there. Fuck yeah. Team work.
Which leaves room for…
More cushion for your procrastination
By now, you and I both know that on the day of the wedding, this procrastinator will be scrambling to do and finish or accomplish a LOT of stuff I've been putting off. And I'll have time! Because I'll also have Holly and her team working to pull of all other stuff we've already arranged. Which frees me up to freak out about my own pet projects, while the regularly scheduled program is going on in the background… without me. (By the way… if Holly can pull off “the cutest wedding ever,” and she can pull off my “most disjointed wedding ever,” she can totally help you plan yours!)
Other fellow Vulcans and procrastinators: What are the surprising ways YOUR wedding planner saved you from your own self?
About the Author: Megan Finley Horowitz
When Megan's not writing, traveling, and sleeping, she's eating like the fate of the world depends on it. (You're welcome, world!) You can snoop into her personal life over on her website The Dash and Dine!
Really a lot of fun! Colorful!
I did not have a wedding planner and I don’t regret it because while I am a procrastinator I am also a control freak. There is no way I would’ve been comfortable with letting someone else handle contracts, or contacting vendors, or anything of the business end of it. I was cool letting people help with DIY projects (and even that gave me anxiety on occasion), but the big stuff was all me. I admire you for being able to let go and trust someone else 🙂