How Much does a Wedding Planner Cost?
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This post is all about paying for a wedding planner
Here we go! Lets get this wedding planning started. If you are thinking of a wedding planner, you will need to know what to expect when it come to costs. Planning a wedding has a lot of moving parts and it is good to have a professional guiding you through the process.
Keep in mind that what a wedding planner charges is based on their experience, education, overhead, labor and their niche. Also keep in mind what the local wedding market would include.
In this blog post we will go over the different ways wedding planners could charge and the pros and cons of each method. After reading this you will have a better idea of the expectations and costs of a wedding planner.
How much does a wedding planner cost?
While most wedding planners will give a customized quote for their services, be prepared to have at least $1500 aside for your wedding planner, as some do require a minimum fee.
There are 4 ways that wedding planners could charge for their services. They could have a fixed fee, take percentage of the wedding budget, charge hourly or create packages.
There are no shortcuts or hacks for paying your wedding planner because it all depends on your needs. You will find that one method of payment may be better for you than another. If that is the case, then you will have to find wedding planners that offer that payment process.
1. Flat or Fixed Fee
A fixed rate is when the wedding planner charges a specific amount no matter what. This option is usually for couples planning a larger wedding and usually on a bigger budget.
An example of this is a planner putting on their website that for everything from start to finish will cost $5000. That means it doesn’t matter what your budget is or how large or small your wedding will be.
The pros of this a fixed rate wedding planner is that you know exactly what your will be going to pay from the beginning. The con of this is that the fixed rate may be too high for your budget.
2. Percentage of Wedding Budget
This is when the wedding planner charges a percentage based on what the couple is spending for their entire wedding. For example, if the wedding planner charges 10% of the overall wedding budget and you want to spend $40,000, then the wedding planner costs would be $4,000.
The wedding planner will probably have a minimum fee. For example, let’s say the wedding planners minimum fee us $1500, and they charge 10% of our wedding budget. That means that your will need to have at least $15,000 budget.
The pros of this is that it is simple for you and your space to calculate to the cost for the wedding planner. The con is that if you have a tight budget, taking a percentage of your overall budget may be too expensive.
So let’s go back to the $1500 minimum scenario. Let’s say you just want the wedding planner the day of the wedding, then you will still have to pay $1500. This means that the wedding planner requires your budget be at least $15,000.
3. Hourly Rate
That means your wedding planner will have a set hourly rate and you will pay them depending on the number of hours they have worked. Most wedding planners use this for certain circumstances. This could be charged for overtime and consultations.
For example, your wedding planner provides 8 hours (fixed rate) of coordination on your wedding day, but you want them to day for 12 hours of coverage. Then they will charge hourly for the 4 extra hours.
Another example is if you are planning your wedding yourself, you may want to consult with a professional in order to create a plan. The wedding planner would charge you hourly.
4. Packages
This form of pricing is one of the most popular and what you are more likely to see for wedding planner costs. Typically the wedding planner will have 2-4 packages. that cover different levels of services that start at different price points.
For example, a wedding professional could offer 2 mail packages; partial planning package and a complete wedding package. They are very dependent on what your needs are.
The pros of this Style of wedding planning costs is that it is easy to understand and is less overwhelming.The con is that They may not be cater to all of your wedding planning needs.
For example, you may want help with the want the partial wedding planning package, but you may also need a wedding planner there for other things like the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner may not be covered in the partial package but in the complete planning package.
Conclusion
So How much wedding planners cost depends on your need for your wedding. But remember whether you want the full services or just a couple of hours of help, know that you will need a minimum fee which is typically $1,500 to get things going.
Wedding photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com{Related: Wedding Reception Timeline}
