When you have a wedding to plan, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of details that need to be looked into. The frantic pace of events leading up to the actual day can easily strain the nerves of the most stoic bride, setting the stage for some spectacular meltdown moments. The days leading up to the wedding can be exciting, and some brides miss out on the high spirits of those pre nuptial days because they are too busy stressing over last minute wedding details.

Hiring a wedding planner can provide the bride to be with the time and energy she needs to enjoy the actual planning of the wedding. The services of a wedding planner or wedding co coordinator don't come cheap. In many cases, they can charge between 10 and 20 percent of the total cost of the wedding. Before you consider hiring one, take a look at just a few of the wedding related tasks you will be required to perform.

It's easy to get swept up in the notion that a wedding is all about a beautiful dress, some great food, music and the cake. There's a lot more to it than that. There are invitations to design and print out, and wedding locations to scout.

You'll need to decide on memorable wedding favors for guests, gifts for the bridesmaids and maid of honor, and tuxedos for the ring bearer. If you want the bridesmaids to be dressed according to your tastes, there's the little matter of designing those dresses too. Besides these, you'll have to scour your city for the most reputable vendors for wedding supplies, and draw up contracts with them on placing your orders. You'll need to arrange accommodations for all the out of town guests that are expected, and scout for locations for the perfect wedding. All these details have to be micro managed if you want to avoid any last minute snafus. Besides the zillion things that need to be taken care of, you'll also need to make sure you stay within your budget.

A wedding planner can free up your time leading up to the big day so you can enjoy yourself more.

• She's likely to have contacts in the business which means she'll be able to find the best vendors and garner some discounts.

• Wedding planners are used to working on budgets - it's part of their job. On your own, you're more likely to let your budget escalate.

• Weddings require precision and attention to detail to be executed seamlessly. The arrival of the bride has to be timed perfectly, and there's wedding protocol and etiquette to follow. All these seemingly minor details can be overlooked leading to some embarrassing bloopers on the big day.

If you do have your heart set on a wedding planner, but despair at the cost, you don't have to. Many planners these days offer their services at specific phases of the wedding planning, or you can hire them for just a few services like scouting for locations or wedding favor shopping. This will help you avail of her professional expertise in a few select matters without leaving your wallet much lighter.