To Plan or Not to Plan – That is the Question

So, the time has finally arrived. You and your partner have decided to tie the knot. Before deciding who should plan and organize your marriage ceremony and wedding celebration, one of the most critical things is for both parties to be on the same page about what the events represent and symbolize. Having a joint definition will help you establish a joint vision of how you want the day(s) to unfold and how to best go about arrangements.

Most people would love to have a wedding planner take the stress of planning their wedding off their hands – especially if the celebration is to be quite elaborate. Others like to keep the event intimate with every detail taken care of by the couple itself. And, well, let’s be honest. There is the third scenario: you would like to have an elaborate celebration but can’t afford a wedding planner, so you’re left doing it yourself. Truth be told, the last was the category we fell into.

While my partner and I seemed to be on the same page, knowing him a little better now than I did then, I’m sure he would have passed on numerous elements, but chose to humour me and my desires, knowing that I was the stereotypical girl who had dreamed of meeting her Prince Charming and having a most elegant wedding. Having learned from the experience, this is why a unified understanding and vision is quite important. In order for us to have the wedding I dreamed of, we ended up doing pretty much all of the planning and organizing ourselves. I was lucky I had a tremendously patient fiancé and very “hands-off” relatives, but it doesn`t surprise me that some couples end up breaking off the engagement during the planning phase.

Here is our list of advantages and disadvantages to planning your own wedding:

Advantages of Planning Your Own Wedding

You can take full credit for the event.
You have full ownership of everything.
You add a personal touch to everything.
You get to know each other (and each others’ families) better.
You can assemble a good, solid team that can assist and decrease the stress.
You can explore your individual and joint creativity.
You can produce a very unique, unconventional event.
You can assemble wedding checklists to help keep you on track.
You can save money.
You may overpay a professional for things you could have done yourself.

Disadvantages of Planning Your Own Wedding

You may blame each other for mishaps.
You may not have time to do everything yourself.
You may not have the flawless event you had hoped for because you relied on others.
You and your families can get on each other’s nerves.
You may not have as many resources as professional planners .
You may have to deal with glitches and crises yourself on the day of the ceremony/celebration
You may have to deal with not only yourself and getting ready, but also managing the behind-the-scene glitches.
You may miss out on organizing something if you haven’t had it on your list.
You may not get the quality that you would like.
You may go over budget, unaware of the overall costs.

That having been said, if you are set on having a professional do your planning and organizing, but can’t afford it, maybe you need to scale down your celebration or put it off until finances allow.
But if you prefer to plan your wedding yourself, make yourself a favor and make the process easier by using wedding checklists.

You can also have a look at our Recommended Wedding Suppliers to find some of the best wedding vendors in quality and price from the comfort of your home.