Budgeting for a Wedding Planner

The cost to hire a wedding planner varies greatly – it all depends on the level of services that you and your groom will require. 

For a few hundred dollars, for instance, you can hire a bridal consultant who will take care of a very specific number of wedding-related tasks. 

For several thousand dollars, a wedding planner can help you with every single wedding planning detail.  

There are also day-of coordinators, which are less expensive than either of the two options outlined above. A day-of coordinator is typically on hand only at the wedding ceremony and reception, to communicate with vendors, troubleshoot and assist with any outstanding issues. 

Only you and your fiancé can determine your exact needs in a wedding planner. If you are both leading demanding schedules revolving around your careers, or are otherwise not able to plan your wedding, a bridal consultant may well be worth the extra expense.  

And if you think you can’t afford this service but truly feel that you will benefit from a professional planner, take a closer look at your wedding budget. Perhaps you can remove certain items and replace them with a wedding planner?

Lastly consider this:

• A professional wedding planner can save you money by negotiating with vendors.

• Wedding planners typically have relationships with certain vendors, who can offer discounts and packages available only to them.

• An experienced wedding planner can guide you through specific choices and recommend vendors who are within your budget.

• Contracts can be tricky to the inexperienced eye. A qualified wedding planner will be familiar with legalese and ask all the right questions.

• You will almost certainly save yourselves a great deal of time and effort by working with a wedding planner. She will have done most of the research already, or if not, she can save you the legwork and do it for you!