Cons

We’ll start with the cons to give you a realistic view that will help you decide whether or not to go it alone, or to hire a professional.

1. If you like to be in control, you’d likely just be wasting your money

Event planners are experienced and organised, taking care of every little detail. You hire one so that you don’t have to worry about the endless types of decisions that can go into a simple table layout. This means they likely won’t run all the little things past you. After all, they were hired to save you time. They will take your big ideas and run with it, only involving you when absolutely necessary and for final sign-off on the outcome. If you need to be in control or involved in the finer details, then you might consider just taking care of all of it yourself. Provided you have that kind of time, of course.

2. They don’t come free, or cheap

If you’re looking to plan your event on a budget, then hiring a planner is probably not an option. They tend to save you money due to their industry connections and relationships, but where you make a saving you’ll likely counter that with their service cost.

3. They can introduce unnecessary spending

Event planners are full of great ideas due to their industry knowledge. This can be wonderful because they might inspire an element of your event that you’d love, but would never have thought of yourself. On the other hand, you wouldn’t have the extra expense if you didn’t know about it in the first place.

Pros

1. They have friends in all the right places

A good event planner will have connections all over the place. One with great interpersonal skills will likely get better discounts from the vendors they work with than other event planners. This is why choosing the right event planner is important. It’s the difference between saving 10% on your venue or saving 20%. Either way, they’ll get access to discounts you likely wouldn’t if you were to go it alone.

2. They know things you don’t

If you’re dreaming of a country manor surrounded by a mote to host your 60th birthday party, but don’t know where to find one, an event planner may just be your best bet. If they don’t already know where to find what you’re looking for, they have the time to research and investigate it. Event planners rely on your satisfaction, so they will leave no stone unturned to make your dream a reality.

3. If something goes wrong, they are on hand to fix it

A good event planner will have contingencies in place for all the major elements of your event. If your caterer fails to deliver, your event planner will have one on standby, or know where to find one at short notice. If it starts raining, your planner will have already pre-empted that when finalising the venue. Ensuring it can cater to all weather types, or hiring extra equipment such as gazebos for emergency cover.

4. They can save you time, and eliminate stress

Timing, coordination and attention to detail are everything when it comes to your event. Ensuring everything goes smoothly takes time, patience, perseverance and exceptional organisation skills. When one little piece unravels, it could derail the whole event because everything is interlinked. The music cannot start at 8 if the food isn’t served by 7 for example. Much like dominoes, one little glitch can have a chain reaction. What if you forget to order canapes? And did you even consider where your guests might park or how they’d get to your venue? There is lots to think about and do, and it’s stressful. This is why event planning is a business.