When's the last time you planned a wedding?  My guess is never and even if this is not your first wedding, it's not something you do everyday.  When I was a wedding planner, Brides seemed to fall into three categories, they knew they wanted a planner from the very beginning or they waited until something had gone terribly wrong, or the closer the wedding date, 90 days or less, they realized they needed someone they day of and Aunt Elaine wasn't going to make the cut.

I don't advise waiting until one of the three occurs because you're either so stressed out, you'll hire anyone to "fix" it or you've waited until the last minute and you can't find a reputable planner who is available.  

When it comes to weddings, being proactive is extremely important and so I'm going to share 5 ways you know it's time to hire a planner.

3 Ways You Know You Need a Wedding Planner

#1: You Have No Idea Where to Start

There are some amazing wedding websites that are very helpful, but there is nothing like the expertise of a wedding planner.  This is his or her job day in and day out.  Planners know all that need to be done and the other 100 things you never thought about.  Yes, there are the obvious decisions to make, date, venue, wedding party, but what about all of the other items?  Such as the plan B you need to have when a sudden thunderstorm appears 3 hours before your wedding?  Hiring a planner is an investment, yes, but you can't really put a price tag on your peace of mind.

#2: You Spend Every Spare Moment Planning Your Wedding

Your engagement is a fun and exciting time.  But, what happens is that planning takes over.  It takes over every single spare moment you have.  You listen to wedding planning podcasts on the way to work.  You spend your lunch time is spent looking for wedding vendors, after work you're at tastings.  On the weekends you're looking for wedding dresses and bridal party gifts.  See what's happening?  Your wedding is taking over.  

Wedding Planners have partnerships with other wedding vendors.  Wedding Planners know what to do and how to plan.  Wedding Planners will save you countless hours of research because they've done the work to build the relationships.  They know the best of the best, which I know is what you want for your wedding.

#3: You Don't Know What's Going to Happen the day of Your Wedding

Are you able to be in two or three places at one time?  A Wedding Planners and their staff are able to because there is more than one of them.  When you're getting your hair and makeup done, who is making sure that the reception is set up the way it should be?  Who is making sure that vendors are fulfilling their contracts?  

When I was a Wedding Planner, myself and staff were able to handle of this and more because we were a team.  I stayed with the Bride from the beginning of the day and my Reception Coordinator was a the reception venue managing all that needed to be done.

We had timelines and diagrams that all could follow so that everyone knew what needed to be done so that my Bride's vision came to life.

We all need help at some time with something and your wedding is no different.  There are many moving parts when it comes to planning a wedding and having a professional can make the world of difference when it come to having an enjoyable time while you plan your wedding and being stressed while planning your wedding.