A couple I worked with last spring told me they’d put off calling planners for three months because they couldn’t find straight answers about pricing. Every website said “contact us for a quote.” Every blog gave ranges so wide they were useless. $1,500 to $15,000 isn’t a range. It’s a shrug.
So they guessed. They budgeted $2,000 for planning help, which seemed reasonable based on nothing. Then they called five planners and discovered the average in their city was closer to $4,500 for the level of service they wanted.
That three-month delay cost them their first-choice planner, who had already booked their date.
If you’re trying to figure out what a wedding planner will actually cost before you start reaching out, this guide gives you real numbers. Not vague ranges. Actual pricing structures you can use to build a realistic budget.
The Three Types of Wedding Planner Services
Pricing depends heavily on what type of service you’re buying. Wedding planners typically offer three tiers, and each comes with a different price point.
- Full-service planning means the planner handles everything from engagement to honeymoon departure. They help you build your vision, create your budget, research and recommend vendors, coordinate all bookings, manage contracts, handle design and decor, run your rehearsal, and execute your wedding day. Full-service planners often attend multiple vendor meetings with you and serve as the primary point of contact for all your vendors leading up to the event.
- Partial planning (sometimes called “month-of plus” or “coordination with design”) means the planner comes in after you’ve made some decisions but before everything is locked down. They might help you find remaining vendors, review contracts, finalize your timeline, and manage the last 6 to 12 weeks of planning details. They run the rehearsal and wedding day just like full-service planners.
- Day-of coordination (sometimes called “month-of coordination”) means the planner takes over 4 to 8 weeks before your wedding to learn everything you’ve already planned, confirm vendors, create the timeline, run the rehearsal, and execute the wedding day. They don’t help you find or select vendors. They manage what you’ve already put in place.
A quick note on “day-of” naming: it’s a bit misleading. No professional coordinator shows up cold on your wedding day. The “day-of” label means their primary service is managing the day itself, but preparation always starts weeks earlier.
National Averages for Wedding Planner Costs
Let me give you the numbers I’ve gathered from talking with planners across different markets and reviewing industry surveys from 2024 and 2025.
- Full-service planning: $3,500 to $15,000+ depending on location and experience level. The national average sits around $5,500. In major metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco, full-service planners commonly charge $7,000 to $12,000. Luxury planners in these markets often exceed $15,000, sometimes reaching $25,000 or more for high-budget weddings.
- Partial planning: $2,000 to $6,000 with a national average around $3,200. This varies based on how much is included. A partial planning package that covers four months of assistance costs more than one that covers six weeks.
- Day-of coordination: $1,200 to $3,500 with a national average around $1,800. Even within day-of packages, prices vary based on the coordinator’s experience and how many hours of pre-wedding preparation are included.
These are averages. Your specific planner’s pricing depends on several factors seen below –
What Affects Wedding Planner Pricing
Your city location matters enormously. A full-service planner in rural Tennessee might charge $3,000. A similar planner in Manhattan might charge $10,000. Cost of living, market competition, and client expectations all influence regional pricing.
I worked for two years in a mid-sized Midwest city where full-service planning averaged $3,500. When I moved to Southern California, I found comparable planners charging $6,000 to $9,000. Same services, different markets.
Guest count plays a role because larger weddings require more coordination. A 50-person wedding at a restaurant has different logistics than a 250-person wedding with multiple venues, shuttles, and a complex vendor team.
Many planners build guest count into their packages. Some charge a flat fee regardless of size. Others add per-guest fees above certain thresholds. Ask how your headcount affects pricing before assuming you fall into the advertised package.
Wedding complexity includes factors like multiple event locations, destination elements, cultural traditions requiring special coordination, and elaborate design concepts. A straightforward ceremony and reception at one venue costs less to plan than a multi-day celebration with a welcome party, ceremony site, reception venue, and farewell brunch.
Planner experience correlates with pricing. A planner in their first two years of business often charges less than a planner with ten years and 200 weddings behind them. That doesn’t mean the newer planner is worse. Some newer planners are excellent. But experience generally commands higher fees.
Included services vary between planners even at the same price point. One $4,000 package might include unlimited vendor meetings and full design services. Another $4,000 package might cap vendor meetings at five and offer design consultations without execution. Compare what’s actually included, not just the bottom-line price.
Pricing Structures You’ll Encounter
Planners use several different pricing models. Understanding these helps you compare quotes accurately.
Flat fee pricing means you pay one amount for a defined scope of services. This is the most common structure for wedding planning. You know exactly what you’re paying upfront, assuming your wedding stays within the parameters discussed.
Percentage of budget pricing means the planner charges a percentage of your total wedding spend, typically 10% to 20%. For a $50,000 wedding, that’s $5,000 to $10,000. This model aligns the planner’s fee with your wedding’s scale but can feel uncomfortable because your costs directly affect their income.
I’ve seen this model work well for high-budget weddings where the percentage stays reasonable. I’ve seen it create tension when couples try to cut costs and the planner’s fee drops accordingly. Most planners I know have moved away from percentage pricing for this reason.
Hourly pricing exists but is relatively rare for full wedding planning. Some planners offer hourly consulting for couples who want guidance on specific questions without full coordination. Expect $75 to $200 per hour depending on the planner and market.
A la carte pricing lets you pick specific services rather than buying a package. Some planners offer this for couples who want vendor research help but not design, or design help but not day-of coordination. It provides flexibility but can become expensive if you end up adding services throughout your planning process.
What’s Typically Included (and What Costs Extra)
When you receive a quote from a wedding planner, make sure you understand exactly what falls inside and outside that fee.
Usually included in full-service packages:
- Initial consultation and vision development
- Budget creation and tracking
- Vendor research, referrals, and contract review
- Attendance at key vendor meetings (tastings, tours, etc.)
- Design concept development
- Timeline creation and management
- Rehearsal coordination
- Full wedding day management (8 to 12 hours typical)
Sometimes included, sometimes extra:
- RSVP tracking and guest list management
- Welcome bag assembly and delivery
- Hotel room block coordination
- Transportation logistics
- Design execution and setup (vs. just design concepts)
- Post-wedding tasks like dress preservation or gift delivery
Usually charged separately:
- Travel expenses for destination weddings
- Additional assistant coordinators on wedding day
- Floral and decor purchases (planner may mark up or charge design fee)
- Stationery and invitation suite design
Ask specifically about these gray areas. I once received a quote that seemed low until I realized the planner charged a separate “execution fee” for wedding day services on top of the planning fee. The total was 40% higher than the initial quote suggested.
Red Flags in Wedding Planner Pricing
Some pricing practices should make you pause.
Prices that seem dramatically below market might indicate inexperience, a bait-and-switch with add-ons, or a planner who undervalues their time and may burn out before your wedding. Ask why their pricing is so different from others you’ve spoken with.
Excessive payment front-loading where the planner wants 80% or more upfront protects them but leaves you with little leverage if things go sideways. Standard payment schedules split fees across booking, midpoint, and final payment. A 50% deposit with the remainder due 30 days before is typical.
Vague scope descriptions like “comprehensive planning services” without specific deliverables make it hard to know what you’re buying. Professional planners should clearly outline what’s included and what’s not.
Hidden vendor commissions aren’t inherently bad, but they should be disclosed. Some planners receive referral fees or commissions from vendors they recommend. This can create a conflict of interest if they’re recommending vendors based on commission rather than fit. Ask directly: “Do you receive commissions or referral fees from vendors you recommend?”
No contract is a major red flag. Any legitimate planner provides a detailed contract specifying services, payment schedule, cancellation terms, and expectations for both parties. If someone wants to work without a contract, walk away.
Is Hiring a Wedding Planner Worth the Cost?
I’m biased, but let me give you both sides.
Arguments for hiring a planner:
Time savings. Full-service planning for a medium-sized wedding takes 150 to 300 hours. If you work full-time and value your weekends, paying someone else to handle 80% of that work might be worth it.
Vendor relationships and knowledge. Experienced planners know which vendors perform well, which venues have hidden fees, and how to negotiate contracts. They’ve seen what can go wrong and know how to prevent it.
Stress management. Having someone else own the logistics lets you enjoy the engagement period more and feel calmer on the wedding day.
Potential cost savings. Good planners often save couples money through vendor negotiations, avoiding common budget traps, and steering away from expensive mistakes. I’ve seen planners save couples more than their fee through better vendor deals alone.
Arguments against hiring a planner:
Budget constraints. If you’re planning a $15,000 wedding and a planner costs $4,000, that’s a significant chunk of your total budget going to coordination rather than the wedding itself.
Control preferences. Some couples genuinely enjoy planning and want to make every decision themselves. A planner can feel like an unnecessary intermediary.
Smaller, simpler weddings. A 30-person wedding at a restaurant with minimal decor might not need professional coordination. The logistics are manageable for someone with basic organizational skills.
Strong personal networks. If your mom is a former event coordinator and your best friend manages a venue, you might have the support system already.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
When you meet with potential planners, ask these questions to understand their pricing in context:
What exactly is included in your fee?
How many hours of planning meetings can I expect?
Do you attend vendor appointments with us?
What’s your payment schedule?
How many weddings do you take per weekend or per month?
Do you personally coordinate on the wedding day, or do you send a team member?
What happens if something is added to our scope after we book you?
Are there any circumstances where additional fees would apply?
Do you receive commissions or referral fees from vendors?
What’s your cancellation and refund policy?
The answers will tell you whether the quoted price represents good value for your specific needs.
How to Budget for a Wedding Planner
My recommendation: allocate 8% to 12% of your total wedding budget to planning services. On a $40,000 wedding, that’s $3,200 to $4,800.
If that feels too high, consider partial planning or day-of coordination instead of full service. Getting professional help for the final weeks and the wedding day itself captures much of the benefit at a lower price point.
Whatever you budget, get quotes early in your planning process. Knowing what planners actually charge helps you make informed decisions about whether professional help fits your overall budget rather than discovering it too late.
The couple I mentioned at the beginning eventually found a great planner within their revised budget. They just wish they’d started researching costs three months earlier. Don’t make their mistake. Get real numbers now, adjust your expectations accordingly, and make the choice that’s right for your wedding and your finances.
