Hiring a professional wedding planner can avoid stress as you prepare for the big day. Planners vary in how they manage weddings, which is why you may also encounter different price ranges. We're going to explain how much a wedding planner charges on average, along with what's included in the fees.
How Much Does a Wedding Planner Charge on Average?
On average, wedding planners may charge anywhere between $1,800 to $10,000. A top-tier full-service planner may cost around $5,000 to $10,000, whereas budget-friendly ones can range from $1,800 to $4,000. Planners can be expensive since they charge for their time and expertise to manage your special day.
As wedding planners, we pride ourselves on creating a memorable, luxurious wedding experience for couples. While this may come at a price, we ensure you'll have a magical and unforgettable wedding day. It's crucial that you understand what you'll be paying for to see the value of a planner.
Does the Type of Planner Affect How Much Wedding Planners Will Charge?
To know how much wedding planners charge on average, you must first see how the type of planner can influence costs.
- Full service: A full-service planner like Thomas Bui Lifestyle helps you plan from square one. This type of planner will handle everything, basically overseeing and managing every major and minor detail necessary, so you won't have to fret over anything.
- Partial: Partial planners will only handle certain tasks. They would still work on the major parts of wedding planning, although their services may come as a la carte services.
- Month-of: A month-of coordinator is a cheaper alternative to full-service and partial coordinators. Choosing this can help you save, although you may have limited wedding planning time.
What Is Included in a Wedding Planner's Fee?
Wedding planners may offer various services and levels of coordination to suit a couple's needs and budget. These service inclusions generally influence what's included in a wedding planner's fee. This is why some charge as low as $1,800, while others can go premium around $10,000.
Wedding Preparation
Wedding stress can take a toll on you physically and emotionally. You may experience a lack of focus, difficulty making decisions, and feeling overwhelmed during wedding preparation.
You can save yourself from unnecessary stress when you hire wedding event planners. You'll pay them for their expertise, professionalism, and calming outlook. These are among the vital parts and responsibilites that a planner will charge you for.
- Managing a wedding budget
- Creating your theme
- Booking a venue and suppliers
- Sending out invites
- Designating the wedding party
- Creating a wedding day timeline
- Managing the rehearsal
- On-the-day preparation
- Developing a rain contingency plan
- Managing expectations
- Post-wedding tasks
Timeline Management
A study shows that modern weddings consume 528 hours or 22 full days of planning. Couples even spend an average of 12 hours a week preparing, with four disagreements along the way.
You're basically paying for the expertise in managing the timeline from engagement leading up to the wedding day. Whether you have a full year or a few months left, wedding planners know how to maximize your timeline to ensure every detail will go according to plan.
Venue and Vendor Selection
Connecting to LGBTQ-inclusive vendors and service suppliers is a huge part of why wedding planners may charge anywhere between $1,800 to $10,000. Most planners have a vast network of connections in the wedding industry, giving you quick access to the best suppliers in your area.
Planners will do these tasks to bring your wedding vision to life.
- Assist in venue scouting and negotiations
- Assist in supplier sourcing and negotiations
- Assist in developing and negotiating menus
- Attend vendor meetings and interviews on your behalf.
- Manage pre-production and wedding day staff
RSVP and Guest List Management
Sending out invites impulsively and assuming 10% of your guests will not RSVP are among the common mistakes couples commit that can significantly affect wedding planning.
Part of what wedding planners are charging for is helping couples put together initial and final guest lists. In this way, you won't over-invite, and you can determine whether your guests will fit in the venue.
Planners can also help you pick the perfect time to send out invites so guests have enough time to prepare for your wedding.
Document Organization
You'll be surprised by how many documents you'll need to keep track of while planning a wedding. From vendor contracts to permits, quotations, and receipts, you may end up losing important papers.
Wedding event planners are master document organizers. They make sure to keep every piece of paperwork organized and easily accessible.
How Much Should I Set Aside for a Wedding Planner?
We recommend setting aside around 5% to 10% of your budget for a wedding planner. A planner will get involved in most of your plans and preparation, so this investment will save you money, time, and effort in the long run.
Related Questions
Do I Need to Tip a Wedding Event Planner?
While it's optional to tip wedding planners, you can still give a 10% to 20% tip, especially if your planners provided exceptional service beyond what you were expecting. Some planners already include gratuity in the contracts, so be sure to check this first.
Should I Negotiate With Wedding Planners?
It's not recommendable to negotiate the costs of a wedding planner. Most planners only charge what's appropriate for the necessary services. If the price exceeds your budget, you may consider hiring someone who can work with your budget, although you need to be careful about cheap yet inadequate service.
When Should You Pay a Wedding Planner?
While this depends on the vendor, most wedding event planners require that you pay them a downpayment before they work with you. Some would need full payment a few weeks before the wedding, while others may require an upfront payment.
Conclusion
A wedding planning service provider may charge around $1,800 to $10,000 on average. Planning a wedding isn't easy, particularly if you have lots of ideas in mind. Hiring a seasoned professional planner like Thomas Bui Lifestyle can save you money and let you focus on the beauty of your wedding day.
%2B-%2Bwhite%2B-%2Bsmall.png)
.svg)