Re: Event Planners?
i think it depends on the kind of bride you are. if you are highly organised, can deal with stress, and most importantly, have the time, to plan your wedding, i think you should be fine.
if you feel like its overwhelming, need help setting a budget and sticking to it, think there are too many decisions to make, you're not sure about where to look for vendors, how to negotiate with them, and more importantly, are getting super stressed, then you should look for a planner.
some brides can do the planning up until the actual day and then understandably, might need help on the actual event days, then you can hire day-of planners. they will look after all the details, make sure vendors are paid on time, make sure everyone knows where to be when, and make and follow the day's itinerary, amongst other things.
usually full-time planners charge 10% of the overall budget, and day-of planners usually charge between $800 upwards depending on the scale of your wedding, how much work is involved, and how many events they are coordinating.
for me, i didn't hire a planner as i had a very clear idea of what i wanted and how i wanted it to go down. ever since then, i've planned a second wedding for a close friend of mine from scratch, and am now working on my third. in all 3 cases, i managed/am managing everything from budgeting to finding/auditioning/hiring vendors to negotiating contracts to planning & overseeing decor, and of course, handling family. its not easy, but i find it a healthy challenge and enjoy it :)
to find a planner, i would really suggest following up on referrals, meeting multiple planners, making sure they understand what you want and are willing to listen to your ideas while at the same time proposing alternatives and solutions to any issues you might have. they should also be thinking of things that you might not necessarily have thought of- like helping to write speeches, making a schedule for the day, getting to know your vendors, etc.
the biggest thing is that their personality should click with yours. once you ask a full-time planner to step in, they will be there with you for a few months, at the very least, and there needs to be open communication and trust between you guys. so if you get an uneasy feeling or think that they're not listening to you, i'd recommend you not hire them. it will save you a lot of stress and worry later on.