Planning a wedding is a difficult task for most couples. An intelligent couple would hire a planner to make sure their big day goes off without a hitch. But how do I even start? How much do wedding planners usually charge?
Even while your planner will help you with the final budget, you can use these questions to start thinking about who to employ now.
Think about where you want to have the wedding, how many people you want to invite, how much time you have (without a planner, it’s estimated that it will take 200+ hours spread out over 12 months), and how much money you have.
These considerations will help you choose between a coordinator, a partial planner, and a complete planner.
Any planner is going to be more efficient than none. If you use a planner to make and keep to a budget, you can expect to save money.
They know how to save money, have established relationships with reliable suppliers, and can negotiate to get you the cheapest price possible without compromising on quality.
You’re interested in hiring them because of their knowledge, charisma, and ability to keep things cool under pressure. And you’ll want someone who exemplifies these qualities to preside over your once-in-a-lifetime wedding event.
Is it Essential to Hire a Wedding Planner?
A wedding coordinator may be worth the investment for many reasons.
- Assuming you don’t come into any unexpected fees, they will end up saving you money in the end.
- The real brides and grooms here are divided on whether it’s worth hiring one if you don’t mind spending the extra money or whether it’s easier to do everything yourself if you’re methodical and chill.
- They will typically have access to sample itineraries, suggestions for suitable locations, and established relationships with reliable service providers.
- Professional wedding planners can offer fresh perspectives and options that the bride and groom might not have considered.
- Professional event coordinators can take care of all the details for you. There is nothing you can do but relax and take pleasure in the ride.
How Much Does a Wedding Planner Cost?
Let’s get down to brass tacks and look at our survey results of newlywed females.
The average cost of hiring a wedding coordinator is $1,800. On the high end, you’re looking at over $4,000; on the low end, you’re looking at a few hundred dollars with minimum help.
You can find wedding planners who offer varying degrees of assistance to accommodate your needs and finances.
One way to cut costs is to hire a wedding planner solely for the big day.
A wedding day coordinator’s job is to keep the lines of communication open with all the people working on your big day, check that everything is set up correctly, and ease the flow from one portion of the party to the next.
They release you from remembering any tedious aspects of wedding planning on the big day.
What Is the Difference Between a Planner, a Consultant, and a Coordinator?
To have a successful wedding, you need a full-service planner or a task manager.
A destination wedding or a massive wedding with several activities and many moving elements requires a full-service wedding planner.
Hiring a partial planner or coordinator is ideal for the DIY couple that wants some direction and helps with the day-of details.
From the initial brainstorming session to the final farewell to your guests, a full-service wedding planner is there every step of the way.
Today, most people call a professional event coordinator a “wedding planner,” and the former job title of “wedding consultant” has mostly fallen by the wayside.
“American Association of Certified Wedding Planners Executive Director Micki Novak believes that the term “planner” is more accessible to engaged couples (AACWP).
“There is always a question about what someone can or will accomplish if they sell themselves as a consultant.” if you locate a “wedding consultant,” be wary of their claims “that interest you, inquire as to the scope of their offerings.
Ashley Paul, co-owner of C & A Event Planning, says, “a wedding coordinator is completely different from a wedding planner.” “Most people picture a “day-of” planner who oversees the wedding’s vendors and location on the big day.
The coordinator needs to start working with you at least a month before the wedding so that they may familiarize themselves with everyone involved, the logistics of the venue, and your expectations.”
Precisely What Does the Charge for a Wedding Planner Cover?
A full-service, month-of, or day-of planner and a planner specializing in destination weddings will all provide different services for different prices.
Your wedding planner’s package may consist of the following popular services:
#1) Correspondence
A wedding planner will spend about 30% of their time on email and phone calls with you and your providers.
Your wedding planner should be viewed as the “coach” of your vendor team; they should facilitate regular communication between your wedding professionals to guarantee a smooth and cohesive event.
#2) Choosing a Location and Vendor
Your wedding planner probably knows a lot of people in the business, so they can recommend reliable providers and venues that will bring your wedding vision to reality.
It is common for your planner to sit in on interviews and meetings with you and your suppliers.
#3) Organization
Preparing the necessary papers is a significant component of the wedding preparation process. Unfortunately, it is the case.
However, if you hire a wedding planner, they will ensure that your finances, contracts, timeframes, and so on are all well organized and can be accessed quickly.
#4) Wedding Planning
Making a wedding day schedule, assembling invitations, setting up a favor display, helping with the seating chart, and countless other seemingly minor jobs are all essential in ensuring that your big day goes off without a hitch.
#5) Preparation on an Actual Day
You and your wedding planner may not have much face time on the big day, which is fine.
Your wedding planner will get there hours before the ceremony and stay for hours afterward to ensure that everything goes off without a hitch and that you and your new husband can relax and enjoy the day.
#6) Post-Wedding Tasks
After the wedding, several things must be taken care of, including clean-up, breakdown, returning rental equipment, and tipping providers.
Price Ranges for a Variety of Wedding Planner Offerings
$2,000 – $10,000 (Full-Service)
All the details of the wedding are taken care of for the couple. A full-service wedding planner handles every detail of your wedding, from the proposal through the honeymoon. What a full-service wedding planner should do is outlined below.
$600 – $1,800 (Day-of Wedding Planner)
You should relax and have fun on your wedding day rather than stressing over every detail. That’s why it’s smart to hire a wedding coordinator.
They will ensure that your schedule is carried out as planned, that your guests are well taken care of, and that any problems that arise are resolved immediately.
Even if you can’t afford full service, planners strongly advise hiring a day-of coordinator.
$40 to $150+ Per Hour (Wedding Consulting)
Perhaps you’ve planned events before, or you have a solid group of friends and family members who can assist you with the wedding. A wedding consultant may be all you’ll need then.
Your wedding planner’s role is to smooth out any rough spots in your preparations, offer guidance on any crucial choices, and set you on the right track for a beautiful big day.
Prepare for your first wedding consultation by reading what to expect and bringing relevant materials, such as a wedding binder or mood board.
FAQs
Do you save money with a wedding planner?
They know how to make the most of your wedding dollar for dollar. They can bargain with suppliers to secure the lowest possible prices without sacrificing quality if they need to. In addition, they often receive trade discounts from the suppliers they maintain positive ties with.
How do wedding planners set prices?
You make money off of the couple’s total wedding expenditures. 10% is a standard introductory APR. My recommendation, if you’re starting and want to charge a proportion of the total budget, is, to begin with, 10%. In the high-end wedding industry, percentage-based pricing is the norm.
How do I price myself as an event planner?
Fees for event planners often range from 15% to 20% of the entire budget. Sometimes this is sufficient to cover a planner’s whole cost and source of profit, depending on the intricacy of the program and the length of time it takes to plan and execute an event.