How Much Does a Wedding Planner Cost?

The number 1 service on most couples’ wedding wishlist? A wedding planner! When you’re on a tight budget, hiring someone to plan your event might feel frivolous. But in many cases, a wedding planner doesn’t cost as much as you might think! There’s no hard-and-fast rule for how much a wedding planner will run you. There are lot of variables to consider, and hese factors will affect just how much a planning service will run you. A complete top-to-bottom wedding planner—usually hired very early on in the planning schedule—averages at around $3,000 but for more luxury planners the price can be anywhere between $4,500 to $12,000. If those numbers scare you, don't worry! We'll outline the different variables in cost below to help you figure out just how much your wedding planner will likely cost.

It depends on your budget.

Most of the time, the bigger your budget, the more extravagant your wedding. And more extravagance means more planning will be required — that’s why lots of planners charge a certain percentage of your total wedding budget. You can expect to spend 10 to 20 percent of your budget for your planner. Since the average wedding budget is around $31,000, you’re likely looking at about $3,000.

It depends on where your wedding is.

There’s no getting around the fact that a swanky soiree in Manhattan is going to cost you way more than a hometown party in a rural state. Following that 10 to 20 percent rule, you’ll pay more if you’re getting married in a high-demand area.

It depends on your level of service.

Planners offer all different levels of service — you can hire someone to be 100 percent responsible for every aspect of the wedding, you could hire just a day-of-coordinator, or select a level of service somewhere in between. Of course, the more you ask of the planner, the more they’ll charge you.

It depends on the type of service you choose.

Traditionally, you’d have to find a local wedding planner and meet in person several times. That’s no longer your only option! Online wedding planning services like our wedding planning checklist can help keep you on track with all your wedding to-do's and it's totally free.