Title: Planning For Your Dallas Wedding Word Count: 757 Summary: Many happy returns for the betrothed couple! Before you begin a lifetime together, all of the plans related to your wedding day must still be worked out. The sooner you begin the process, the less you will need to concern yourself with the details later. Keywords: wedding planning Article Body: Many happy returns for the betrothed couple! Before you begin a lifetime together, all of the plans related to your wedding day must still be worked out. The sooner you begin the process, the less you will need to concern yourself with the details later. Arranging plans for your wedding day can involve a multitude of tasks from selecting a ceremony location to making your honeymoon arrangements and everything in between. The average cost of a Dallas wedding averages $26,000 for 150 guests, with many couples exceeding that figure as special touches are added, guest lists mushroom and venues are upgraded. Regardless of your budget and stress level, you can control costs and enjoy your day rather than being saddled with tremendous debt and heartache through careful planning. One way to ensure this is to hire a wedding planner. What is a wedding planner and what do they do? Known as wedding planners, wedding consultants or wedding coordinators, professionals who plan and direct weddings for a living can be invaluable to busy brides and grooms trying to plan a wedding amidst their demanding careers and hectic everyday lives. Whatever the title, you want to hire a true professional – one who has had proper education and training and has been certified. You also would be wise to seek a consultant who has solid experience and is active in professional wedding industry organizations. Ask to see portfolios and request references. A good wedding planner will first assess the needs of her clients by asking vision-casting questions to determine important factors such as the style of wedding they desire, size of guest list and available budget. Once the vision is established, the consultant will help develop a game plan for the entire planning process, tailored specifically for the happy couple. Moving forward, the planner will work hand-in-hand with the bride in all of the planning details, keeping track of deadlines, payment schedules and budget adherence. If you choose to hire a wedding planner, it is most beneficial to have them involved from the beginning, when they can save you time and stress by helping you devise a focused plan and by guiding you to wedding vendors that have been pre-researched. Many brides feel they can plan the wedding solo, only to find themselves overwhelmed with all the details and later hire a wedding consultant halfway through the process. If a bride has the time and resources to do all of the legwork to plan her own wedding and is especially organized, she might just hire a wedding planner to orchestrate the rehearsal and wedding day. The planner can ensure that everything runs smoothly, coordinate the wedding party and vendors, relieve tensions, and allow those participating in the celebration to relax and enjoy themselves knowing that everything is being taken care of! You may decide to plan the entire wedding yourself or have a close friend or family member help, which is sometimes part of the fun of planning a wedding. However, it can also become a major headache especially if you or your faithful helpers do not have the expertise of proper training. An experienced wedding consultant has the training and experience to do the ground work, and make sure that your day is as perfect as you had envisioned it, while you relax and watch it play out before your eyes. How Can A Wedding Planner Save You Money? The biggest misconception about hiring a wedding planner is that it will add to your expenses. While it does cost money to hire a wedding planner, she will be able to save you money by recommending wedding vendors that will provide service within your budget, review your contracts to look for hidden costs and possible discounts, and help you avoid making costly mistakes. In most cases, a wedding planner will already have well-established relationships with vendors, such as photographers and florists, who are sometimes willing to be more flexible with a planner’s client because of the planner’s ability to bring them repeat business, which can help in reducing some of your costs. Here Comes the Bride! Once your wedding plans are in place you can fully enjoy the day without worrying about the details. A wedding planner can help you stay on track and relieve you of much of the minutiae related to planning your wedding. Before you know it, the bridal march will be playing and you will be at peace and enjoying your special day thanks to some wise planning on the part of you and your intended.