Why Wedding Planners/Coordinators are needed....

From my Real Simple Weddings book and The Wedding Book: The Big Book For Your Big Day by Mindy Weiss

Engaged
The word engaged implies that you are busy, occupied, employed.
There are a lot of things to do before you can say “I do.” First and foremost you have to establish an idea of what you would like your wedding day to entail, and then look at the time frame you have. You also can’t forget to take into consideration who’s helping you pay and plan for this special occasion. You must understand that realistic expectations are very important! Also involve your fiancé in these beginning stages because it’s a day about two people and you’ll be surprised that they actually do have an opinion- might even have a great idea or two! All these “to dos” shouldn’t be a painful process! So another big thing to decide is how these tasks are going to be accomplished and if it’s even possible for you to do some/all of them by yourself. If you have any hesitation, it is best to at least look into having a consultation with a wedding planner.

Tying the Knot
The word Knot can mean “something hard to solve” or “a cluster of persons or things.”
This is an exciting time but definitely a stressful one too. The main thing to keep in mind is that it’s about you and your fiancé- it’s your big day! I know many brides, as well as their mothers want to do all the planning themselves, but sometimes planning can take over your life. Brides with busy schedules and demanding jobs can have things end up becoming overwhelming instead of enjoyable. Brides who do not live in the same town as their mothers are really at a disadvantage when it comes to planning a wedding of their dreams. Sometimes mothers are too busy to help out and more realistically they can be overly involved! A wedding planner/coordinator can be a serious lifesaver, especially during the weekend of the wedding. They can play many roles, whether they need to become the mediator, final decision maker, or your therapist!

Years ago, wedding planners were only used by wealthy families, but weddings have evolved into more of an extravagant event and the need for someone to manage it has increased. Planners/coordinators may cause additional costs to ones’ budget, but they can also save you costs. They can find better deals because they are use to dealing with certain vendors frequently. The vendor sees you as a onetime deal, but they see a wedding planner as a repeat customer that will continue to provide new business. Planners can think of creative ways to have a wedding within a certain budget as well as unique locations for your rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception. Furthermore, they can save you from costly mistakes because they know the business, understand what rates are reasonable, and know when you are getting off track of the schedule. A planner will make everything come together on your wedding day so you will be able to enjoy your day to its fullest!


Article from Martha Stewart Wedding about hiring a wedding planner:
http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/hiring-a-wedding-planner


Tips:
Real Simple has some great checklists and tools on their website
http://browse.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/weddings/index.html?archive=Checklist
http://browse.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/weddings/index.html?archive=Tool

Martha Stewart Wedding does as well
http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/planning?rsc=planning_planning