Congratulations to all of those couples out there who got engaged over the Christmas/ New Year break! We’ve heard from many of you about getting started on your wedding planning and I’ve been so delighted to hear your wonderful stories! As you may know, Pink Frosting not only has a hugely successful online wedding store, we started out as a wedding planning company in Canberra which has been featured in just about all the national wedding mags including Cosmo Bride, Real Weddings and Bride to Be. We still work with many amazing couples to make their wedding dreams come true in Sydney, Canberra and the south coast of NSW.

It’s been a while since I wrote about wedding planning services. While everyone is excited and fresh with wedding ideas and plans, it’s a good time to talk about why you would use a wedding planner, rather than doing it yourself. Here are my top 10 reasons for using a wedding planner (and believe me, I was so happy I used one myself for my own big day - thanks again Clare from Divinity Weddings Byron Bay!):

1. They will probably save you money. Yes, believe it or not, because wedding planners have ties with the best vendors in town, they can not only recommend the best, they can probably save you money too because they are a repeat client where you will probably only be booking once in a lifetime with reception venues etc.

2. They know the best and will recommend the best. A good wedding planner will save you time by recommending the best vendors to create the magical day you dream about.

3. They are organised people. A good wedding planner will ensure that everything is planned out to perfection, so you don’t need to worry about when your deposits are required!

4. They are creative people. A good wedding planner is also a very creative person. They can help you turn your dreams into a reality with beautiful decorations, stationery and theming. With their excellent eye for detail and creative flair, they can help you get the most beautiful day for your budget.

5. They have been there and done that! A good wedding planner will be able to let you know what works and what doesn’t, giving you guidance to create the best day possible.

6. They can help with family dramas. I’ve worked with lots of couples who need assistance with their families. A wedding is a big day for everyone involved, not just the bride and groom and sometimes having someone intimately involved in the process but from the outside, can really save on the family squabbles.

7. They’re perfect to use if you have a destination wedding in mind. If you are planning a wedding in Byron Bay, the Whitsundays or Tassie, a local wedding planner will be able to provide you with the contacts you need in the local area.

8. There is so much to wedding planning that most people don’t even know about until they try and do it themselves… such as placement of the tables, when to send out the invitations, percentage break-down of budget, where to spend and where to save, who pays for what, how to find a celebrant… the list goes on. A good wedding planner will be able to work through all of these issues with you, saving you precious time and energy.

9. They will be able to let you know how to get the best wedding for your budget. Whether it’s a small $10,000 budget or an enormous $200,000 budget, your wedding planner will know how to get the best bang for your buck and can recommend where to spend and where to save.

10. They will most certainly save you stress on your big day. Sit back and relax on your big day. You don’t want to worry about whether the florist has turned up on time or whether the marquee is sitting in the right place… let your wedding planner sort these issues out for you and you won’t even need to know there were problems!

So, I always recommend that couples work with a planner, particularly as they will probably save the cost of their services in one vendor negotiation for you. If you’re interested in working with the Pink Frosting team, please give me a buzz on 0429 624 633 or email me: kathryn@pinkfrosting.com.au.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn