How Much Does a Wedding Planner Cost?

If you’re considering hiring a wedding planner, wondering whether a wedding coordinator would suit you better or just aren’t sure where to begin (or how much to set aside), we’ve got your ultimate guide to wedding planner costs. 

Whether you’ve mapped out the wedding of your dreams or aren’t sure where to begin, there’s no doubt that wedding planning, as exciting as it is, can also prove pretty stressful. From managing guest lists to sourcing suppliers and drilling down on the details, planning a wedding can feel like a full time job.

Happily, it is in fact just that for professional wedding planners. Equipped with invaluable expertise, covetable contact books, creativity aplenty and troubleshooting skills to rival any diplomat, a wedding planner can make the day you’ve envisioned not only come to life but go ahead without a hitch. 

Rest assured that bringing in the experts isn’t just the reserve of the rich and famous – there are wedding planning options to suit a wide range of budgets, and you may well find that hiring a wedding planner saves you money in the long run. Before you commit, here’s what to expect when hiring a wedding planner, both in the UK and further afield. 

How Much Does a Wedding Planner Cost in the UK?

Tichea Brade, expert wedding planner and founder of Carmela Weddings & Events, gives us a rough answer to the question 'how much does a wedding planner cost in the UK': “A good rule of thumb is to set aside a minimum of 12.5% of your overall budget. That said, costs depend on the type of planner you are looking to work with and the services you are looking for.

"For instance, I charge a minimum of £5,000 for full planning. Please bear in mind that all planners are unique and offer different services, different experiences and different price points.”

If you know from the off that your budget won’t stretch to cover a wedding planner cost, Nina Beer, wedding coordinator and founder of Occasion Queens, explains that an on-the-day wedding coordinator could be a more affordable option:

“Typically, planners are more expensive as they tend to quote based on the scope of work required to support you throughout your whole wedding planning journey. Coordinators, on the other hand, usually have a fixed day rate or package for you to choose from. This can of course be adapted to suit your needs.”

Nina advises a thorough assessment of your needs, expectations and budget prior to enlisting a pro. “Be honest and know that you will get a certain level of expertise depending on what you can afford. For example, you will need to pay more for a larger team across multiple venues, while you'll pay less if you’re hiring a planner or coordinator who is new to the industry.”

What’s The Difference Between a Wedding Planner and a Wedding Coordinator?

Ashleigh Li, founder and creative director of Pink Palms Weddings & Events, highlights the key distinctions between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator:

Wedding Planner

“A wedding planner will work with you to organise your celebrations from the very beginning – their expertise and connections will help you to plan and design all aspects of your wedding. A wedding planner can help you to find a venue and suppliers, solve logistical issues, manage all of your wedding admin and shape your wedding so that it feels personal to you.

“The majority of a planner's work is done before the wedding day, and they also attend on the day itself to coordinate your wedding. Your planner will work on your wedding each month from the moment that you book with them - so as you can imagine, it's a more expensive service but it's a beautiful experience from start to finish.”

Remember that when it comes to hiring your wedding planner, there are two different coverage options you can go for: full wedding planning and partial wedding planning. 

If you would like the services of a wedding planner to guide you through the full wedding planning process, then full wedding planning and design is the way to go. These dedicated professionals will help you with every detail, big and small, of your day. 

Some UK wedding planners also offer partial wedding planning services, meaning that they will join your journey further down the line, normally after your venue and some key suppliers have been booked. They will then help you with sourcing any remaining suppliers, managing vendor relationships and being the main point of contact from then on. 

This is a bespoke service and is ideal for anyone needing help with the smaller details of their day. 

Wedding Coordinator

Nina explains: “A wedding coordinator will jump in on the day (or sometimes a few weeks before) and ensure that your wedding runs as efficiently and smoothly as possible. Issues come up at every event and it's lovely to have someone dedicated to setting up and running your wedding without you having to worry about it!

“Coordinators don't actually plan your wedding so the majority of their work is done on the wedding day itself and they will generally work for you for anywhere between 10–20 hours in total.”

In terms of duties, Nina explains that a coordinator “will manage all of the moving parts of your day, keep everything to time, ensure that everything looks exactly as you wanted it, usher your guests and liaise with all your suppliers so that all of the plans that you’ve put in place come together perfectly.” 

Venue Wedding Planners and Coordinators 

If you’ve booked a venue with an in-house wedding planner or coordinator, Ashleigh highlights that their services will differ to those of an independent coordinator or planner. “Venue coordinators and planners are amazing at what they do, but it's important to acknowledge that the job description is very different to wedding planners and coordinators who run their own businesses.

“Planners and coordinators who work for venues run weddings from a venue's perspective – they are not planning your wedding (they won't help you choose flowers, for example). They manage your venue booking and are your point of contact for venue related questions. They may have a recommended supplier list that can be helpful, but all of the research is down to you.”

When is The Best Time to Hire a Wedding Planner?

“The best time to hire a wedding planner is right at the beginning of your journey,” says Tichea. “You might think this is too early because you haven’t had a chance to think about the day, the location, the venue, the guest or even your dress but a planner can suggest so many starting points and hidden gems.

"Hiring the right planner for you can also help you to avoid disappointment further down the line, especially now that many venues and suppliers have more limited availability than previously due to the pandemic. If you have a tight deadline, feel overwhelmed or just don’t have the spare time to plan your wedding, I would also definitely hire a wedding planner as soon as possible.”

“If you haven’t started thinking about your wedding yet, I would suggest taking a look around on social media and saving the styles and suppliers that you like. Then, match your style with the wedding planner that aligns best with your design aesthetics, values and ethos.” 

Ashleigh agrees that getting in early can save you stress and help you to use your wedding budget wisely: “As a wedding designer, I get panicked calls from couples who have booked the majority of their suppliers only to realise that they don't really go with their vision. Even then, I don't have a magic wand and it pays to figure out what you're trying to create early on.

"Each supplier has their own aesthetic and particular skill, so do your research and find out what type of floral design or photography you love and roll with it. Lots of planners and coordinators offer power hours or consultation calls too, which can be a more cost effective way to access help without the commitment of planning the entire wedding”. 

If you’re looking to hire a wedding coordinator, timing is less of an issue according to Nina: “There isn’t necessarily a perfect time to hire a coordinator – we can help to make things easier for you at any point. Sometimes we’re the first supplier that a couple hires and sometimes we’re the last, it just depends on how each couple feels about taking on the beast that is wedding planning!”

“We love to be involved from the beginning so that we can see everything come together and get to know our couples well but at the same time a last-minute brief keeps us on our toes and takes away all the stress that a couple are usually feeling by that point! For us, the cost doesn’t change depending on when we are booked, we give all our couples the same experience and dedication.”

Can a Wedding Planner Save Us Money?

It depends on your starting budget, but Tichea thinks that this is an unsung benefit of hiring a wedding planner. “Wedding planners can not only save you money but they can also save you so much time – planning a wedding typically takes up to 250 hours!

“Hiring a planner can help you to understand what style of wedding you and your partner want and having that knowledge first and foremost will help you when it comes to booking your venue and getting the best deal for you. 

“That way you can save hundreds of pounds on décor items such as props, flowers and installations. We can also help with the financial side of things by ensuring that you get the most out of your wedding budget by helping you to understand where your funds should be allocated to get the most impact.”

Ashleigh notes that “the sole reason for working with a planner shouldn’t be to try to save money – it should be to optimise the wedding planning experience and get the most from it.” That being said, introducing you to the most ‘bang for your buck’ ideas is a key skill of any expert wedding planner.

“Our biggest role is to use our experience to guide you towards what's worth investing in, and move you away from what isn't. Often we'll guide couples away from something that they think is a great idea, yet from our experience organising hundreds of weddings we know it isn't practical and is likely to be a waste of money.

"Wedding planners have incredible connections too, and occasionally they can negotiate on their clients’ behalf.”

My Wedding Planner Charges Commission – What Does This Mean?

Spotted commission in the small print? Tichea clears this one up: “Some wedding planners charge a commission which means that if they recommend a supplier and that supplier gets booked by you, the planner will get a financial kickback. So, if a wedding planner charges commission it doesn’t mean it will affect your budget – it’s a separate agreement between the wedding planner and suppliers.”

“If anything is unclear or if you’re concerned, the best thing to do is to bring it up with your wedding planner. Ask questions, tell your planner your concerns about a possible price increase and then see if you can arrange a flat fee with your wedding planner.”

What Isn’t Included in a Wedding Planning Service?

This is another ‘check the Ts & Cs’ situation as each wedding planners’ offerings will differ, but the priority of a good wedding planner will be to offer finesse and flexibility. 

That said, there are certain tasks and duties that go beyond the remit of wedding planning that are handy to know before you dive in. It's important to bear in mind that your wedding planner will ensure that you have the appropriate vendors for your wedding style and budget, but they can't act as an extra photographer, decorator, waiter or part of your wedding party. 

Your planner is there to oversee suppliers on the day and ensure that your vision is carried out and perfectly executed - not to fill in gaps for additional services!

How Much Do Wedding Planners Cost in Italy?

For any couples deciding to say 'I do' at a destination wedding, having a wedding in Italy has always been a favourite choice. It's easy to see why - the food, wine, scenery, history and culture speak for themselves!

Having your wedding in Italy means that you'll need to approach your wedding planning process slightly differently. It's also important to remember that the answer to the question 'How much does a wedding planner cost?' may vary depending on the country you're holding your wedding in. 

Monica Russo, owner of Italian wedding planning service Dandelion Celebrations, shed some light on this: "Both in the UK and in Italy there are wedding planners for different budgets, offering a range of options from ad hoc services such as venue scouting to full wedding planning.

"Every couple is different so it's important to determine the level of support you need to ensure the service you're presented with aligns to your expectations. There are also different ways of pricing so understanding this and what the service includes is essential.

"In the UK and most international planners will either charge a percentage of the budget or a fixed fee depending on the service offered; it's however fairly common in Italy for planners to have a comparatively lower planning fees and to charge suppliers they recommend a referral fee or commission (typically around 10%).

"This is agreed between the supplier and the planner, added to each supplier's quote and paid for by the couple.

"Just like most other suppliers the cost of a wedding planner in Italy can vary significantly depending on the level of support you need. A full service wedding planner will typically be somewhere between 10-15% of the budget. Minimum fees can vary depending on the level of experience and service provided but you should expect to pay a minimum that's anywhere between £4,000 and £10,000+."

How Much Do Indian Wedding Planners Cost? 

As Monica and Tichea have underlined, most wedding planners recommend dedicating a select percentage of your wedding budget towards hiring a planner in order to accommodate your needs. The same tips apply when it comes to Indian weddings; however, as Indian and Asian weddings typically are larger celebrations with larger budgets, this can mean putting more money towards a planner. 

Priti Raichura of Priti Raichura Events says, "Indian wedding planners can cost anything from £3,500 - £10,000 for really elaborate weddings."

Priti also highlights the benefits of hiring an Indian wedding planner: "We have lots of suppliers that can help bring Indian weddings together. We also offer discounted rates with suppliers and we are there to help guide our suppliers with what is a good buy or a good supplier.

"We are there to help support our couples throughout the whole process and there on the day of their wedding to ensure it all runs smoothly."

Knee-deep in wedding planning? Our ultimate wedding planning checklist will streamline the process.