Featured Snippet Bait: An average (approximate) wedding planner cost is usually between $1,500 - $4,000. However, prices could vary depending on numerous factors. Continue reading to see essential details on the cost of and factors that influence the cost.
How Much Does a Wedding Planner Cost?
After the big “will you marry me?” question and saying yes, wedding preparations start off slowly. Some people may opt for a long engagement, and others can’t wait to be with the love of their life, so they speed up the process to the altar.
Irrespective of the length of your engagement, at some point, wedding plans will shift from your 13-year-old fantasies to real-life planning. This point is where the wedding planner cost comes into play. But, before thinking about things like price and all, it is crucial to determine the type of planner you will need in the first place.
What are the Types of Wedding Planners? The Difference Between a Planner and Coordinator
Many ladies have dreamt of their wedding day since they were old enough to know what a wedding is. Meanwhile, some others have expressed gross indifference to wedding ceremonies. Another perspective in wedding planning is when the couple’s parents get too excited and want to take charge of planning the event. Anyway, whether you are a pro D.I.Y couple or not, it is unwise to spend money on the wedding planner cost without proper evaluation of the type of planner you need.
A Wedding Planner
These people dedicate numerous hours to listening to a couple’s desires for their wedding and making it a reality. They sometimes include coordination as a package deal in their services or charge for it separately. They speak with you from day one of planning to gauge how far you’ve gone and your plans for things like:
- Colors
- Themes
- Order of Ceremony
- Meals
- Venue
- Budget
- Choices and more
Wedding Coordinators
They are more involved in the planning centered around your wedding day. They will usually collect the details you and your wedding planner put together and make them happen on your big day. Some of them offer help with events like wedding showers and rehearsal dinners.
Many people think of a day-of wedding coordinator when they hear about wedding coordinators. However, they need to be on board with some details for some time to avoid complications from failed expectations. Some types of wedding coordinators are:
Venue Coordinators
If you are having your wedding ceremony in some large venues, they sometimes include a coordinator in the package. However, it’s vital to confirm what the package consists of before you neglect the idea of a wedding planner or coordinator entirely. Also, remember they care more about the venue than you.
Hourly Coordinators
With hourly coordination, you get to choose the times you work together. They are accommodating for people that don’t get enough time off for wedding planning. Hourly rates are usually around an average range of $75-$275 per hour.
Now that we are aware of the types of wedding planners, we can move on to determine the wedding planner pricing template.
How Much Does a Wedding Planner Make Per Wedding? The Pricing Template
The answer to the question “how much does a wedding planner makes?” depends on numerous factors we will review soon. In an interview with Refinery 29, a professional wedding planner disclosed that she could earn anything from $1,300 to $13,000 per wedding.
Anyway, regularly, the average wedding planner cost is about $1,800 for some packages. Some high-end events will cost about $4,000. When you require minimal assistance, you could pay a couple of hundred dollars. The average cost of a day-of wedding coordinator will be calculated hourly usually or be included in the venue package.
Some questions (concerning cost) you should ask prospective planners before accepting a contract are:
- Do they offer extra services, and what are the required charges for those services?
- How do they charge? Do they require a flat fee? Is it an hourly service charge? Or do they charge a percentage of your total wedding cost?
- Do you need to consider other expenses and permits?
- Will they get you a wedding license among their paid services?
Wedding Planner Pricing Template: Wedding Planning Packages And Prices
Wedding planning packages and prices vary per wedding planner. Here are some sample wedding planner packages. Some examples of the packages you can get are:
- A package that gives special attention to the couple
- Packages that ensure you have a stress-free wedding ceremony after planning all the details yourself.
- Some packages offer destination weddings.
- Venue choice and acquisition
- Extra details
A typical wedding planner pricing template will vary depending on the type of pricing.
An All-Inclusive Fee
This fee includes every detail to the last “T.” Here you share your goals with the wedding planner and pay them to bring them to reality. The template may be general without unique labels.
Flat Fee
The template will have customized details based on the type of wedding. Some planners break down the flat fee into segments and collect a percentage of the cost at different planning points.
Flat Fee and Blended Percentage
This type of pricing is expected in the planning industry. It requires a charge for design and a planning retainer fee along with a production fee.
See more about the wedding planner pricing template here: https://youtu.be/jEINnaZG51c.
After paying the wedding planner cost, you can expect services like:
- Assistance with locating a venue and other negotiations involved
- Help with printing and designing.
- Sourcing vendors and other negotiations
- Managing your guest list and RSVP
- Making contingency plans
- Managing your timeline
- Decorations, flowers, catering, and menu suggestions and development
- Recommendations for rentals
- Wedding staffing and more
Factors That Affect The Price of Wedding Planners
The primary determinant of how much you pay your wedding planner is the planner and the nature of the event you want. Their level of expertise will affect their regular rates. Additionally, the time they come on board and the total amount of work they have to do will significantly affect the price you pay to procure them. Some unforeseen expenses may come up eventually, and increase the amount you have to pay may increase. Some of these factors also depend on the type of contract you have with your planner.
Roles of a Wedding Planner
What does a wedding planner do to earn so much per wedding? Wedding planners do a whole lot more than most people observe during the wedding process. Like we mentioned earlier, some of them have packages that will determine the exact role a wedding planner will play at your wedding.
However, irrespective of the package or contract, these are the typical roles of wedding planners.
Making Wedding Plans
Wedding planners help couples ensure they stay within their timeline. They typically help couples from the beginning to end with interviewing, order placements, vendor hiring, and other details related to your wedding before the big day.
Save Your Time
Ideally, wedding planners help you save the time you would naturally need to spend on research and other details. Instead of leaving you to research on your own, they make a list of preferred wedding service providers and advice you on more information that will help you save time and energy.
Cost Reduction
Any industry is better known by frequent customers. The same rule applies to the wedding industry. There’s no way a person without proper expertise can figure it all out, even if you have had multiple weddings in your lifetime.
On the flip side, wedding planners have the bonus of planning several weddings in a month or a time. This number means they are well connected and know where you can get discounts and negotiate in your favor.
They can answer questions like:
- How much does a wedding cost?
- How to manage payment schedules
- What is the cost of wedding photography?
- How to make budget cuts without sacrificing the beauty of your occasion and more
Making Your Visions a Reality
Its not uncommon to have dreams and expectations for or wedding that we cannot entirely transform into reality. They allow you to develop a preferred theme or draw one up with you and make it a reality. They also help you with advice on some details to ensure a form of uniformity.
Details Management
Having a wedding planner during the preparation process is extremely helpful, especially when you have one with a keen eye for details. They help you manage those little details that show up impromptu during the entire process. Ultimately, they organize the burdensome little information that will stress you out otherwise. They cover details like:
- Seating charts
- RSVP management
- Guest information, travel details, and more
Document Organization
There are many contracts, contacts, bills, and more during weddings that could quickly become confusing. Your wedding planner can help you organize these documents so that you stay on track with your team.
Day-of Wedding Preparation
Wedding planners ensure that the transition from planning to the wedding day is as seamless as possible. They will usually coordinate the organization of decorations and other details in the venue of the wedding. If your wedding planner is also your coordinator, then you are in luck since you would not need to repeat any detail or transfer information.
One of the many specialties of wedding planners is their ability to manage crowds in a seemingly seamless manner. Therefore, they will ensure a proper flow of guests during your event, from rehearsals, the ceremony and reception. Some wedding planners also ensure that the venue is cleaned up after the event.
Is a Wedding Planner Worth It?
Sincerely speaking, a wedding planner is a blessing. I have watched many wedding processes where couples could not afford a planner and tried to wing things. They were stressed out and could not focus on the program because of the many details that were amiss.
In truth, its possible that this disorganization was only because of the extent of the couple’s commitment to their wedding process or other factors. Whatever the reason, being able to decide how much time you want to spend planning your wedding and still show up looking pretty on your big day is a joy.
Although many people believe in personalized planning or cannot afford wedding planners, they are worth every penny you pay them. Weddings are incredibly pricey, and spending money on coordinators may seem like an unwise thing to do. But they let you focus on the emotional side of things while working passionately to make your big day special for you.
The best part is that wedding planners are usually independent freelancers, so tips aren’t necessary. But some people decide to tip them because of the great help they prove to be with the entire occasion. Anyway, what do you do if you don’t want to hire a wedding planner for whatever reason?
What Alternatives Can You Use?
If you feel like getting a wedding planner isn’t for you, or you cannot afford one, it’s best to get (at least) or assign a wedding coordinator. If you have a wedding coordinator, you can focus on the wedding event and enjoy every detail of your wedding. The best alternative to wedding planners is usually coordinators or consultants. However, there is another alternative that works almost as well as planners (if not better).
Your Community
Your community can be family or dear friends. They are essentially huge assets to low budget weddings. Trying to run your wedding like an island may help you ensure every detail is in place the way you like it but may make it impossible to savor every moment of your wedding.
With family and friends, you can assign various tasks to numerous people who will do their small roles in ensuring the program runs seamlessly. The only catch is to ensure that they are entirely on board with you and are willing to help. Many times, community members are super hyped about helping you plan your wedding, so its not usually hard to get them to help.
Final Thoughts
Weddings are an expensive ordeal, and wedding planners’ price tends to increase the expected price of weddings. But, eventually, for all the things they do, wedding planners are worth it.
If you have further inquiries about a wedding planner’s cost and how to find one, you can leave a comment below. Additionally, if you have any suggestions for my next post or specific content you wish to see, let me know in the comments.
Lastly, wedding planners can be expensive to hire and could cost anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the size of your wedding and their level of expertise. However, one promise I can make with full certainty is that the excellent ones are worth all the expense.