Its not you, wedding planning is hard. According to The Knot Real Weddings Study (2026) “On average, couples hire around 13 vendors to bring their day to life”. Thats hundreds of micro decisions that need to be made for your day to even run…let alone run smoothly.
I recently sat down with Simone Sant-Ghuran a Certified Wedding Planner (CWP) in Trinidad & Tobago, the brains behind TrinidadWeddings.com and creator of The TW Wed-Zine, to talk about what wedding planners actually do… because Instagram makes it look easy, but in reality it feels like another job. She’s been kind enough to give us the full breakdown (for free!).
What Simone told us ↓
“A main part of the job is acting as a guardian for the couple — protecting them from stress and difficult conversations.”
“Couples are making expensive decisions while balancing work, family expectations and even peer pressure — and they often lean on their planner for objectivity, reassurance, and as a confidante.”
“Do I want to be the person coordinating timing, people and solving problems while I’m also trying to be present, emotional and photographed in real-time?”
If you had to explain your job beyond “helping plan a wedding,” what do you actually spend most of your time doing?
“Think of the job like an “orchestra conductor” – someone bringing all the moving parts together in harmony. The bulk of the job is actually project management – co-ordination of timelines and logistics, health and safety management and constant, clear communication with all the “stakeholders” of the wedding – couples, their families, vendors and the venue. Problem-solving skills are also key, since sometimes adjustments need to be made “on the fly” and backup solutions need to be arranged. Another major part of the job is emotional management. Couples are making expensive decisions while balancing work, family expectations and even peer pressure and they often (and should!) lean on their Planner for objectivity, reassurance and as a confidante, who can guide them through the overwhelm.”
What would you say to a bride who feels like she “should be able to handle it herself”?
“I’d ask her how she wants to experience her wedding? As a bride or as an event manager? Those are two very different realities and roles! Some brides may be capable of DIY-ing the planning themselves but there is often a heavy cost involved – emotionally, mentally and physically. Many DIY brides bear the burden of it all and end up feeling burnt out and unsupported. Even the most organised people can buckle under the pressure because of the sheer volume of decision-making and might I add – all of these decisions affect each other! Asking for help from a Planner does not mean a bride is failing – it actually is the reverse, it gets you the support you need to be present and “in the moment” on your wedding day instead of fire-fighting problems, getting into family disagreements and worrying.”
When someone decides not to hire a planner, what do they usually end up taking on themselves?
“When couples decide not to hire a Planner, they usually end up taking on far more than they initially expected. Most couples have not had prior experience with wedding planning, so this is new territory for them and so with this lack of experience, they now have to take on researching and vetting vendors, comparing quotes, analysing contracts, tracking payments and deadlines, building the wedding timeline, coordinating deliveries, managing setup times, answering vendor questions, sorting out logistics, troubleshooting last-minute problems and communicating with everyone involved. The worst though, is on the wedding day itself, the couple ends up with the “mental weight” that a Planner normally absorbs. So, they now have to ensure vendors have arrived on time and execute as they should, answer calls and messages, fix guest issues like seating, solve any delays and manage family complaints! Think about how a stressed or aggravated bride or groom looks in photographs and you’ll definitely know the ones who have decided NOT to hire a Planner!”
What options are there for couples who don’t want a full service Wedding Planner in Trinidad & Tobago?
“Instead of a full-service Planner, couples can also opt for a wedding consultation or wedding coaching which can help them with budget concerns or planning, vendor choices, contract review, help with templates and checklists and realistic timeline development. Couples can also choose to go the route of using a Planner for “partial-planning” (for certain tasks) or can decide to book “month-of” co-ordination – where a Wedding Co-ordinator works with you for the month before your wedding.”
If you could give one piece of honest advice to a bride trying to decide if she needs a planner, what would it be?
“It’s not a matter of whether you can “plan” or whether you like “planning” – what you need to ask yourself is: “Do I want to be the person coordinating timing, people and solving problems while I’m also trying to be present, emotional and photographed in real-time?” Do you want to be in decision-making mode when timelines shift, people need direction, someone did not do what you asked them to, vendors need cues or deal with decisions that can’t wait? The day goes by in a blur and it’s so much better to let someone hold that structure for you, so that you have peace and joy on your special day!”
Thank you Simone for giving us a peek into your wedding planning brain! You can find Simone’s full interview here where she goes into even finer detail on what she handles behind the scenes that most DIY brides never think about. If you’re in need of a Wedding Planner in Trinidad & Tobago you can find her on socials and her website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hi, I’m Day Gordon – a wedding photographer in Trinidad & Tobago servicing the Caribbean, New Jersey, and South Florida. I’m forever chasing golden sun and big smiles.
Tying the knot soon? Check out my work and reach out to learn more.
