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Should you hire a wedding planner?

Recently, I've noticed a few posts from brides that felt like they were behind in their planning and didn't know where to start. Although it's pretty easy to feel this way when you see others ahead of their game, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're behind. One of my main reasons for planning early is becuase of my location (NYC). All the nice (and affordable) venues, photographers, etc tend to become booked quickly. For example, when I called to make an appointment with the photographer for our big day, I was told "Thank God, you weren't calling about 4/25 because all of our crew is booked for that date" and they have well over 10 photographers with an additional 10 videographers.

In saying that, I came across this article and thought it may help to determine whether or not you should hire a planner (not just the brides that feel they are behind, but those who tend to be feeling stressed and need a bit of guidance/assistance).

Hope it's helpful:

Hiring a Wedding Planner

Wedding planners are great for those of you who face a couple of quandaries. If you are the kind of bride-to-be who freaks out when she has to choose between lilies or tulips, a planner can be of great help. Some women (and their husbands) feel comfortable having a knowledgeable third party going over all the details, so they don’t worry they’ve made some drastic mistake on the big day. Still others, even if they’re the most ardent of planners, simply don’t have the time to take care of the details all by themselves. This is often the case when one of you (or both) has private matters. You may be moving, just starting a new job, or be a member of the armed forces.

The “other woman.”
There are a multitude of planners to suit your needs. Some consultants are one hundred percent there for you (think J.Lo in “The Wedding Planner” and you get the idea). Usually referred to as “full-time” planners, these women and men can find the spot, pick the flowers, even take care of spats between family members. As the bride, you go over all the details with your consultant. You can also find a planner who serves as a guide (the “daytime” consultant), one who simply helps out with the hard decisions, taking care of those tricky elements that you can’t, or don’t want to, deal with yourself. Daytime planners generally come in toward the end of the planning stage and go over last-minute details. All planners are experts at dealing with vendors, sites, last-minute glitches, and any unexpected emergencies.

For you control freaks out there, know that, should you decide on hiring a planner, you will have to ease up a bit. She can’t do her job to the best of her abilities if you’re second-guessing every decision she makes. Talk to your fiancé ahead of time about this issue: He might know better than you how willing you are to let someone else make the final cake choice. When you find a planner you like, be honest with her about how much you need to be involved, and how much you want to be left alone. If there’s a disagreement in the interview, know that it will only get worse during planning.

Of course this kind of personal touch, round-the-clock service isn’t cheap! Planners can add a good ten to fifteen percent to your budget, so choose wisely. As always, get referrals from friends. Two good contacts are the American Association of Bridal Consultants and June Wedding, Inc. Happy planning!