How to hire a wedding planner
A wedding planner manages vendors, budget and timeline — sold in tiers from full planning down to day-of coordination, which are very different services at very different prices.
What the job usually involves
- Full planning from engagement to the day.
- Partial planning, picking up a wedding already in progress.
- Day-of or month-of coordination.
- Vendor sourcing, contracts and management.
- Timeline, layout and rehearsal.
What to ask before you agree to anything
- Which tier is this, and exactly where does your involvement start?
- Do you take commission or kickbacks from vendors you recommend?
- How many weddings do you take on my date and that weekend?
- Who is actually present on the day — you or an associate?
- How do you handle the budget: do you track it, and how often do I see it?
Warning signs
- Undisclosed commissions from recommended vendors.
- Day-of coordination sold as though it includes planning.
- Multiple weddings on the same date without a named lead for yours.
- No written scope describing where their responsibility begins and ends.
Common questions
What is the difference between a wedding planner and a day-of coordinator?
A planner works with you for months — budget, vendors, design, contracts. A day-of coordinator arrives near the end to execute a plan you have already made. Day-of coordination is much cheaper because it is much less work, and confusing the two is the most common mismatch in expectations.
Do wedding planners take commission from vendors?
Some do. It is not automatically wrong, but it changes whose interest a recommendation serves. Ask directly, and expect a straight answer — a planner who is uncomfortable with the question has answered it.
Is a wedding planner worth the cost?
It depends on how much time you have, how complex the wedding is, and how many vendors are involved. Planners frequently save money through vendor knowledge and by preventing expensive mistakes, but that is not a guarantee and nobody can promise you a specific saving.
How does Region Beacon work for wedding planners?
You describe the job once. The first nearby business that takes it gets your details and contacts you; nobody else does. You deal with whoever you pick directly, and you pay them directly — Region Beacon never handles the money and takes no commission, so nothing is added to your price for using it.
How do I know if a wedding planner's quote is fair?
Get more than one. A single quote tells you what one business charges; three tell you what the job is worth where you live. Ask each for the same scope in writing, and treat a quote far below the others as probably missing something rather than a bargain.
Get quotes from wedding planners near you
Describe the job once and the first nearby business to take it contacts you. Only that one gets your details, no commission is added, and your details are not sold on to anyone.