Best laid plans
Whatever size of wedding you're having, all the organisation can be very hard work. Fiona Nicolson finds out just what wedding co-ordinators can offer.

Getting married is one of the happiest and most exciting times of your life and planning the details should be fun. But whether you've opted for a small, intimate wedding or a larger, more formal occasion, organising the whole event can actually turn out to be quite daunting.

There's so much to think about and so many decisions to be made that you can easily find yourself distracted and stressed, instead of enjoying the journey towards your special day. That's why more and more brides are choosing to hire a wedding planner, to help them transform their dreams into reality.

WHY DO YOU NEED A WEDDING PLANNER?
Calling in a professional can have huge benefits. As well as helping to take the strain out of organising everything, by handling the paperwork and phone calls for you, a wedding planner can also save you money.

For one thing, they know exactly how much everything should cost and can work with you to fix and stick to a budget, which in itself can take a load off your mind. Not only that, but they also know who the best and most reliable suppliers are, and they can negotiate good deals on your behalf. And as if that were not enough, there's also every chance that a wedding planner will come up with some great ideas that you might not otherwise have thought of. They have lots of information at their fingertips from working in the wedding industry on a daily basis so they know what works and what doesn't, what's in and what's out. However, the main benefit of a wedding planner is that they will ensure the arrangements for the big day run smoothly, so you can relax and enjoy it all, without worrying about the details.

WHAT WILL IT COST?
The cost of hiring a wedding planner will mainly depend on the size of the wedding and the amount of organisation involved - some companies charge a percentage of the overall cost of the wedding. Prices do vary from one company to another, but they tend to start at around £550, going up to £1000 and beyond. It may not be cheap to hire the services of a wedding planner, but it should be money well spent. After all, what price can be placed on peace of mind for the most special day of your life?