More and more brides these days are trying to cut costs for their wedding day by hiring a “friend” or “family member” who knows how to make a cake, take photography, do flowers or create videos.  I am sure you have heard this before…. or are you one of these brides?

As a wedding professional, yes, I said professional– this is not a hobby, not something I do every now and then, this is what I do week in and week out. Here’s a question:  Would you hire a friend to invest your money in the stock market because he/she has “had some experience,”  I think not, so why would you trust a hobbyist to handle the biggest day of your life?  The point I am trying to make is that I have heard countless horror stories of how these so-called helpers actually turn out to be hindrances on your most special day.  Who wants a wedding cake that is toppling over because Aunt Suzy didn’t properly place dowels through the tiers, or who wants their photos to be ruined because they  let an amateur capture their day?

Your wedding is just too important to put into the hands of people who don’t do this for a living.  Here’s a little bullet point list of why you should hire a professional when it comes to your wedding:

• No room for mistakes. A professional has a reputation that is at stake, he/she is there to make all of your requests come to reality.  Having an official contract and expectations… because you are paying them, holds people accountable for their services.  If a friend or a family member is providing a service, they may cut corners or do things inexpensively because they know you on a personal level, not business level.

• Experience, experience, experience. As I mentioned before, a true wedding professional does weddings throughout the year, and knows how to deal and prevent bad circumstances from happening.  There have been many times where I as a florist have been asked to help to fix a problem other than flowers on a wedding day because somewhere along the lines a professional was not hired.

• It’s not a personal relationship, it’s business. Sometimes mixing family and friends into business dealings can create for some unneeded tension and unfortunately burned bridges. Telling your future mother-in-law that her contribution of hand-made invitations is not your style is much harder than just hiring a professional to create exactly what you are looking for.

• Professionals have connections. Getting in touch with the right professionals can have many added benefits.  As for my business, I am often asked for advice when it comes to colors, decor, ideas, and other vendor referrals in addition to flowers.  My clients see the added benefit of “picking my brain” to solve problems because they know that I do, attend, and see weddings all the time.  There is more than just the service of floral designs that I offer for my clients.

• Is it worth the time? When it is all said and done, is it worth the time and risk invested in doing it yourself?  Will your family and friends really enjoy your day while they are stuck working?  For myself, I have found that hiring a professional can be well worth the dollar sign, rather than trying to figure out how to do things, and ending up with sub-par results.

What it ultimately and unfortunately comes down to is price for these brides.  Now, I am not saying that you have to spend a fortune to have a wedding with no hiccups, but you are definitely going to pay for a professional with professional services.  For the biggest day of your life, I don’t see why anyone would chance hiring someone without experience and having doubt, rather than hiring someone who’s dedicated to surpassing your expectations.  So, before you set your mind on saving a few extra dollars by hiring a “friend” or “family member,” consider what could go wrong, why you might want to hire a professional, and what you truly want for your wedding day.  Happily Ever After!