The short answer: no, you don't NEED a wedding planner. You NEED food, water, and air. But you will survive without a wedding planner. Should you have a wedding planner? That's a totally different question.
Every bride asks herself the question "do I need a wedding planner?" at one point or another. Maybe you just got engaged and realize you don't even know where to begin; or maybe you are three months out and are up to your eye balls in invitations, seating charts, and table numbers. At whatever point the question strikes you, there are a lot of factors involved in determining the answer.
I will never tell someone he/she "needs" a wedding planner. Why? Because I didn't have one, and I survived. Granted, I was raised around weddings and had more knowledge on the topic than the typical person. Also, my grandmother acted as a pseudo-consultant during the occasional phone call. But even without that background, today's tools (books, blogs, apps, etc.) would have gotten me through. I WILL tell people they "should have" a wedding planner if the following factors apply:
1. You want to have a quality and personalized event but you just don't have the time to dedicate to planning it between work, school, kids, a social life, family, other obligations, etc.
2. You want to avoid making mistakes and actually get off on the right foot immediately. You can dedicate the time, but you'll be dedicating more than you have to without taking all of the necessary steps.
3. You are so stressed out over planning this large event and you feel the pressure from your family and friends to make it perfect, and you just can't even handle it anymore.
4. You straight up just don't want to do what it takes to pull it off and would much rather someone else do most of the work. This is not a crime!
5. You think you have planned the perfect event but you don't want to have to worry about anything on your actual wedding day. You would rather have a secret wedding ninja in place to make sure everything is perfect while you relax and have fun.
One or more of these situations may apply to you! Fact: wedding planning can be stressful. Fact: weddings are uniquely complicated and involved events. But in the end, it is your choice as to whether or not you "should have" a wedding planner. And when you decide, give me a call!