A few things are true when it comes to the evolution of weddings over the decades:
- Families are spending more money
- Expectations have become higher
- Inspiration is more accessible than ever via social media
- Weddings have become complex and highly involved events
The “traditional” wedding has grown from a simple day-time wedding at a local hall, to destination weekends with upwards of 150 guests and multi-day events. There is no denying that due to social media and economic growth, expectations for weddings are not the same as they were when our grandparents and parents were married.
Enter: the wedding planner.
Because these events have evolved and become more logistically complex, paired with the fact that couples are busier than ever with demanding careers and schedules, hiring a wedding planner has become less of an uncommon luxury and trending more toward a norm.
And it makes good sense. A wedding is a major investment of your time and money, and without prior professional experience, couples leave a lot up to chance by not partnering with a planner.
However, it’s critical to not hire any wedding planner, but the right wedding planner. This decision can make or break your experience and your bottom line.
But how do you know which wedding planner and service is right for you? Let’s break it down.
Determining Your Service Need
First and foremost, you will want to consider your desire for services and what your ideal partnership with a planner looks like. It’s important to be very real with yourself and not underestimate the amount of time that planning a wedding takes (hint: it’s hundreds of hours!).
What does an ideal relationship with your planner look like to you? Do you want regular meetings, hands-on assistance with budgeting, finding your venue, and matching you with vendors? Or, are you eager to DIY the majority of your plans?
When considering your service need, it’s very important to remember that you don’t know what you don’t know when it comes to planning a major, personal event like a wedding. You may think you need a certain approach, but as you chat with wedding planners and do your research, you may find that those needs evolve.
Stay open minded and open to being educated about the types of services available to you. It’s OK to not know everything right out the gate! After all this, is the first time you’re planning a wedding.
Establishing a Target Budget
What are you hoping to spend on your wedding in total?
While it’s very important to establish and communicate both an ideal budget for your overall wedding and wedding planning services – know that it’s possible that one or both figures may not match up with your expectations in the very beginning. And that’s very normal.
There will inevitably be some education and conversations to be had with the planners you speak with. Again, stay curious and open-minded at this very early stage! Ask lots of questions.
When reaching out to planners, it’s important to openly share your expectations surrounding costs. Now is not the time to be shy and hold your cards to your chest.
I’d encourage you to remain open minded to speak with some planners who offer what you need in terms of style and experience, even if you experience initial sticker shock. Chances are, these professionals know exactly what it will take to plan your dream wedding and will save you money in the long-run, vs. a more budget-conscious option with less proven experience.
Let’s look at an example: you may initially set an overall wedding budget of $100K and budget $10K for a full service wedding planner. But in doing some research, you’re finding that you’re most drawn to planners who charge a fee of $20K. It’s important to not write off these planners as “unaffordable” just yet.
The reason being, your wedding budget of $100K may not be realistic for the vision that you’re describing to them. In this case, you may already be speaking with the best person to execute your vision and keep you as much on-budget as possible. While hiring the $10K planner may seem like the logical move at first, it’s possible that they may not have the experience to execute the event that you’re dreaming of. They may try to sell you on the idea that your $100K wedding vision is possible, when it isn’t. This will only lead to mismanagement of budget and expectations in the long-run.
So, what can you generally expect in New England in terms of pricing and services?
It’s important to acknowledge that like any industry and service, there will be exceptions to the below and providers who come in both below and above the ranges we’re sharing below.
For those who charge below the ranges shared here, they could be considered below-market for a variety of reasons, including fewer years of experience or operating part-time. For those who charge above these ranges, they likely service a more luxury-level clientele, take a limited roster of clients each year, and are in high demand.
Month-Of Coordination: $2,500 – $4,500 I Typically includes 1-2 coordinators on the day-of, plus timeline and vendor coordination support in the final month. While this service still exists, many planners no longer offer it due to the pressures of time constraints and limited involvement. If you opt for day-of coordination, it is truly for those who want the minimal level of support. Many planners have transitioned to offering Wedding Management instead, see below!
Wedding Management: $5,500 – $7,500 + I Typically includes 2 or more coordinators on the day-of, plus timeline and vendor coordination support in the final 2-3 months. This approach is much more realistic, as many vendors will begin to focus on your wedding in the final months and it’s most beneficial to have your coordinator involved for things like RSVP, seating, final vendor meetings, and more. This level of support is much more realistic, given how much is at stake when a coordinator steps in to manage something that the couple has planned. It is a tremendous amount of work. Couples can view this level of support in parallel with the sort of investment they’d make in their wedding photographer.
Partial Planning: $8,500 – $12,500 + I Typically includes 2-3 or more coordinators on the day-of, plus support in the design and coordination phases, typically the last 6-8 months. Partial planning is still offered by some planners, but is viewed by many as a complicated service because the lines of project management are blurred. It is generally expected that you have found your venue and date, hired all of your major vendors, have a handle on your budget, and a general sense for your design vision. A partial planning approach will help usher you the rest of the way in terms of execution. If you’re considering a partial approach, it’s important to understand what you will be responsible for vs. what the planner is responsible for.
Full Service: $17,500 – $25,000 ++ I Typically includes 3-4 or more coordinators on the day-of, plus comprehensive support every phase of planning. Full service can begin as early as helping you find a venue, or as late as coming in part-way through your vendor search. “Full service” refers more to the approach of planning, rather than the stage that they enter the process with you. A full service planner is a hand-on project manager who is responsible for overseeing your budget, vision, and every aspect of event preparation. This style of service is the greatest investment, but yields the most benefits in terms of cost and time savings. It’s of particular importance to note that a full service planner’s investment is going to feel proportional to the scope of your wedding’s entire production costs. For example, a $15K planner may be most appropriate for weddings with budgets up to $100K, while a $30K planner may be appropriate for weddings with budgets up to $200K.
When weighing budget vs. experience with potential planners – think of it like buying a car. There are $5,000 and $80,000 cars available to test drive, and everything in between – they all are designed to get you from A to B. But what will the experience of the drive feel like? What are the features? Will there be higher costs for maintenance along the way? Will it break down part-way through your cross-country roadtrip?
Investing in the right planner for your desired experience and vision is like finding the car that’s going to provide you with the smoothest ride possible.
Flat Fee vs. Percentage
In addition to the ranges above, you may also find that some planners incorporate a percentage-based model into their fee. This often means that they charge a percentage, typically 12 – 18%, of where you land with your total wedding spend.
Wait, what?! Doesn’t this mean that the wedding planner has incentive to encourage their clients to spend more so that they make more?
This myth couldn’t be further from the truth.
The reality of wedding planning is: the amount of time and staffing required by a planner is directly tied to the scope of contracts that they’re responsible for managing. Designing and overseeing a $50K floral installation looks very different than a $10K drop-off. Managing 250 guests on-site requires a different level of staffing than 100. When you opt for a larger bridal party or extend your reception into overtime, it all affects our team. And the list goes on.
If wedding planners were running around charging percentage and irresponsibly blowing their clients budgets, they wouldn’t have 5 star testimonial or stay in business for very long.
Many planners will charge a minimum fee, which covers their baseline costs in terms of time and labor, no matter the scope and scale of your event. The percentage ensures that their project management fee remains proportional to what it is they’re responsible for managing.
A good example of percentage-based pricing is a planner who charges a $20K minimum fee or 18% of your spend, whichever is greater. Let’s say your wedding ends up costing you $150K (before the planner’s fee). Your final cost with the planner will be $27K, representing 15% of your overall wedding spend. If your wedding spend were to remain at $110,000 or below, you would pay your minimum of $20K. The difference being, your planner is responsible for managing $40K more worth of vendor services. This is a big difference, and a percentage model ensures they’re being compensated for that additional time and attention to detail.
By nature, it is a wedding planner’s responsibility to adhere to your desired budget. Typically when budgets grow, it’s due to a change in guest count, location, vision or expectations. It’s a planner’s duty to educate you on what’s possible and show you your options, within your comfort levels of spending. Ultimately, your wedding spend is in your hands.
A wedding planner who charges a percentage-based fee is going to be proportionally invested in what your wedding requires, regardless of the direction it takes. It’s a straightforward and transparent way of charging, without any surprise fees later down the line.
The Value of Experience
Next, you’ll want to pay close attention to a planner’s experience and expertise. But… how?
Look for someone who has planned weddings similar to your vision in scope and style. Does their portfolio feature weddings at private estates, or historic venues? Do their designs trend more minimalist, or maximalist? How long have they been working full-time in the industry? How long have they been running a business? If you are chatting with a planner who has 5 years experience and one who has 15, you’ll likely feel like you’re comparing apples to oranges.
It’s also important to consider the value of a planner’s network of vendors and connections. The more established the planner, the stronger their network. Relationships and trust are what will make your wedding day a success, not discounts. Vendor are far more likely to call in a favor for a trusted planning partner vs. a client without a planner. Why? We hold the long-term relationship.
Communication
Communication is key when working with a wedding planner. You want to make sure that you can easily communicate your vision and ideas to them, and that they make you feel heard, understood, and educated on your options. During your initial consultations, pay close attention to how well you connect with each planner and whether a sense of trust is easily established from the start.
Further to that, pay close attention to their communication frequency and style. How quickly are they responding to your emails? Do they prefer to communicate by email, text, or phone? It’s important to ensure that their communication style matches your own, and that you feel a genuine connection with them. After all, you will spend more time with your wedding planner than any other vendor.
Trust Your Gut
Lastly, trust your instincts when choosing a wedding planner. If something doesn’t feel right or if you don’t click with a particular planner, it’s okay to keep looking.
My final word of encouragement is to invest in the planner that you feel the greatest sense of trust and connection with. Trust is everything when it comes to planning an event as complex and personal as a wedding.
Finding the right wedding planner for you will take some patience and due diligence, but the reward of gaining back your time and peace of mind is truly invaluable.
Like This Post? Share It!
