As I have immersed myself in the Chicago wedding industry, one of my favorite parts of wedding days are the Chicago wedding planners that come with them.  Chicago weddings have a different breed of teamwork within them that I haven’t seen anywhere else.  The level of talent in this city and the amount of teamwork that goes into a wedding day is something that I find so inspiring, and it has been such a cool industry to learn from and actively be a part of! So now the question is do you need a wedding planner for your wedding? Let’s find out!

What is a Wedding Planner?

A wedding planner is a wedding vendor that works with you throughout your engagement to help you in all aspects of planning your wedding day.  Some of the most common tasks and responsibilities that wedding planners take on include but are not limited to, vetting vendors, communicating with vendors via email, managing your wedding planning timeline, creating a wedding day timeline, executing your vision, helping you source the items and people that are needed to make things happen, managing your wedding day budget, and being your go-to person as you plan every detail of your wedding. Wedding planners are typically one of the earliest wedding vendors that you book, and are with you throughout the entire planning process, on average working with you and your partner between 6-12 months.

What is the Difference Between a Wedding Planner and A Day of Coordinator

A wedding planner works with you from the start of your engagement through the day of the event.  Most Chicago wedding planners help you through all aspects of the planning process.  From vetting and searching for vendors and venues that fit the vision of your wedding day, to planning and organizing your family and friends, to then managing your entire wedding day making sure everyone is on time and working together to make your wedding day perfect.  A wedding planner’s roles do tend to vary by region and industry, so when looking for a wedding planner, be sure to ask a lot of questions to be sure you’re receiving the services you’re looking for in a planner. 

In contrast to a wedding planner who begins working with you up to a year prior to your wedding, a wedding day of coordinator works with you starting about a month or two out from your wedding day and helps with the coordination and layout of your wedding day exclusively. 

Why You Should Hire a Wedding Planner

For a long time having a wedding planner was a luxury within the wedding industry.  As of the last couple of years or so though, wedding planners and day of coordinators have become more of a staple for weddings of all sizes and budgets throughout the US.  Now after working with hundreds of couples at various different parts of their wedding planning processes, time and time again I have found that having a wedding planner or day of coordinator is the way to go.  Chicago weddings, especially those that tend to have a more robust wedding day schedule, have proved that having a wedding planner should be a priority.  Here are just some of my top reasons to hire a wedding planner.

Free Up Your Schedule

Planning a wedding is a very time-consuming process.  According to an article written by Martha Stewart weddings, the average couple with a 10-18 month engagement that plan a wedding day without a wedding planner will spend roughly between 200 and 300 hours planning their wedding day.  Obviously, this varies from couple to couple and depends on a couple’s vision for their wedding day. In general though just planning a party or small get-together for 20 of your closest friends is a lot of work, so you can only imagine what it’s like planning a wedding for 200 of your closest family and friends.  Regardless of the size and vibe of your wedding day, wedding planning is going to take up quite a bit of time in the months prior to your day. Why not hire a wedding planner to take some of the responsibilities off your plate?

Day of Coordination

When it comes to your wedding day, there will be an entire team of vendors and people that have never worked together before putting together an epic experience that is your wedding day.  Imagine a team of athletes, from all over the country coming together to play a game.  Your wedding planner becomes the team captain, coordinating and connecting all of the players on your team to play their first game together.  When you don’t have a wedding planner, you become the team captain, with a wedding planner, you become the team owner, while the planner manages all of the plays and calls the shots on the day of with your vision and morals in mind. As a bonus, you might also use vendors that your Chicago Wedding planner has worked with in the past making for an even more smooth wedding day!

Vetted Wedding Vendors

Most wedding planners have a list of Chicago vendors that they love working with within a variety of different budgets.  They know they produce great work and will save you a lot of time going through wedding vendors if you are unsure on certain vendors, or don’t have one in mind when it comes to your wedding day.  It will allow you to sleep at night knowing that you have an amazing vendor team ready to put together the most epic wedding day for you.

Wedding Planners Allow You and Your Family to Be Present On Your Wedding Day

Without a wedding planner, often times you end up having to rely on friends and family throughout your wedding day to keep everything moving.  Having a wedding planner to coordinate with your vendors, and food drop-offs, and be a go-to person for your family and friends throughout the day will allow everyone to relax and be present at your wedding.

Having a Wedding Planner Allows Your Vendors to Focus on What They Do Best

Without a wedding planner or day of coordinator, often times other vendors will have to step into the role from time to time to keep things moving.  Vendors such as your DJ or photographer end up having to step into the position of being a day of coordinator to keep your wedding day on schedule.  While we as vendors handle these situations well, it takes our attention away from documenting your beautiful day or getting the best read on the dance floor throughout your wedding night.  Having a wedding planner to coordinate the moving parts of your wedding day allows your other vendors to perform at their highest level on your wedding day which is what you hired them for.

Two of My Favorite Chicago Wedding Planners

Burst Weddings

This LGBTQ+ inclusive wedding planning team based on the north side of Chicago was so much fun to work with and was able to keep their couples at ease throughout their wedding day, which is what you hire a wedding planner for in the first place! They share many of the same values that I carry throughout JNA Visuals, and I will always send my couples their way if they’re looking for a wedding planner.

North West Weddings

North West Weddings is a Chicago-based wedding planner that literally lights up every room she enters. Alyssa and her wedding planning team are super accommodating to their clients and bring so much energy to each wedding day, keeping things organized and running smoothly so stress is the furthest thing from your mind on your wedding day

As a wedding vendor, I love working with both of these teams as they allow me to really zero in on my clients and document their day in a way that fits their vision. These Chicago wedding planners are seriously next level when it comes to being there for their clients and helping their team of vendors put together the perfect wedding day. If you’re looking for more vendors for your wedding day, I am always happy to help my couples in creating a team of vendors that fits their vision and helps them to plan their wedding day with ease. For more wedding planning resources and inspiration, head to my blog to check out some more of my latest posts!