Event & Wedding Planners

Wedding planners prices depend on so many cost factors - the area in which the event will be held, the type of planning help you need (see above), the design time required for starters (are you going for an elaborate theme will require a lot of time to research and execute) and the years of experience the planner (and team) bring to the table. The number of vendors you use could play a role. Are you going to have an ice sculpture, photo booth, and fireworks, or keep things very simple? Will the planner need additional staff? Even the lead time given to plan the wedding could impact the price; if they need to work overtime to make your day magical, their costs will certainly increase.

Need help searching for the perfect wedding or event planner? Easily find wedding and event planners in any city in the US in our directory.

Hiring a planner can relieve stress, save you a considerable amount of time, keep you from making “rookie” mistakes and allow you to focus on your partner, family, and friends. There are essentially four types of planners. Full-service planners - They can do it all. Any wedding planner job is to bring your vision to life and do all the background work - securing and negotiating with vendors, managing the budget, creating room layouts (placement of dance floors, head table, cake table, etc) and seating charts, creating an event timeline for your rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, wedding and even day-after-wedding guest activities like a brunch or outing. Your event planner can schedule and accompany you on venue tours, cake and catering tastings, and more. They can also handle sending out invitations and managing the RSVPs. They’re involved in every decision and detail. Day-of-wedding coordinators - These wedding planners take charge of all the details on the day of the wedding (and rehearsal if desired). They are there to make sure it all goes smoothly - (the vendor set-up gets done, the ceremony comes off without a hitch, the reception unfolds seamlessly, the bridal party gets announced, the couple does their first dance, the cake gets cut, dinner starts on time, etc). Your wedding planner will help you truly relax and troubleshoot all the things that can go wrong (ceremony musician doesn’t show up, the room gets too hot, guests are starving because dinner is late, etc). Event planners often have a preferred vendor list that they love to work with and that can save you some time in finding vendors on your own but you’re still handling the negotiations, payments, etc. Wedding Consultants - They bridge the gap between full-service and wedding day coordination. They allow you to pick and choose which parts to handle. Want to design your own wedding but dread the seating chart? Have a handle on most vendors but really aren’t sure whether you’ll be better off with a band or DJ? You can have them on-site to coordinate your big day or not. You’re paying for their knowledge and guidance but you’re taking the reins on managing the wedding events and vendors. Destination wedding planners - Getting married on a beach or in a mountain chalet in Switzerland sounds romantic and exotic but getting from step A to step Z can be a joy-killer and take a tremendous amount of time. These wedding planners are not just travel agents; they are the people who either live there or have contacts on the ground securing locations and vendors, handling guest transportation, etc. They are knowledgeable about things like COVID restrictions, required travel documents, the best time for guests to arrive to combat jet lag, etc. They can plan guest activities, tours, and accommodations in the days leading up and the days following your wedding.

There is nothing like having an expert around who has the experience to handle anything whatsoever (Uncle Lou has one too many, a bridesmaid dress doesn’t fit, the DJ shows up without the photo booth, the food is cold, etc). The last thing you want is stress and tasks that take you away from your guests on your special day. This is why hiring a wedding or event planner is such a good idea. They will help you plan out your special day without any hiccups so that you can have a stress-free day!