I have huge respect for wedding planners. No luxury wedding should ever be without one, and I honestly believe planners are worth their weight in gold. The cost of hiring a wedding planner will vary based on experience, style and approach. We’ve done a little research into how much wedding planners cost – with help from luxury UK and destination wedding planner Elegante by Michelle J. Read on for an honest look at wedding planner prices and helpful tips in finding the best wedding planner for you.
Avington Park wedding by Elegante by Michelle J | Pippa Mackenzie Photography | Paula Rooney Floral Design
Wedding planners often cost 10-15% of your wedding spend
This depends on experience and skill, and the most in demand wedding planners are likely to be the ones who charge the most.
Some wedding planners will have set fees for different packages (e.g. full planning, or on-the-day coordination).
In Europe more than the UK, planners may take commissions from your suppliers, meaning you’ll pay your wedding planner less, but be tied to their recommended suppliers (florists, hire items, photography, catering etc.)
Wedding planners’ experience and skill set are priceless
It should be recognised that you are paying an expert for something you don’t have the knowledge or experience to take on yourself. Just as you wouldn’t fix your own washing machine, fill your own teeth or even photograph your own wedding, it is inadvisable to try and handle the entire planning journey yourselves.
The cost of a wedding planner reflects not just the hours of work that goes into planning a wedding – anything from 100 – 250 hours is common. Planner fees account for the amazing supplier relationships they’ve built over their careers, and their in depth knowledge of venue sourcing, timelines and logistics.
Avington Park wedding by Elegante by Michelle J | Pippa Mackenzie Photography | Paula Rooney Floral Design
Planning a large or luxury wedding without a planner would take you far longer: knowing where to hire everything from chairs to glassware, how to work with a florist and caterer and so on is a mountainous learning curve!
Understanding the percentage spend pricing structure for wedding planners
Michelle explains that wedding budgets tend to increase the more guests are invited. Bigger weddings cost more – and that’s down to:
- catering and venue hire costs per head
- styling and decor to fill a larger space
- the practicalities of inviting more guests, coordinating responses etc
A percentage fee for your wedding planner means their costs scale up with the amount of work involved: more guests, more complexity, more time spent on planning your wedding.
A note on fixed costs for wedding planner services
A wedding planner charging a fixed fee for their services will stipulate exactly what is included in their package(s) – number of hours being top of that list. If you book someone based on a smaller wedding which then escalates in size (as can often happen), you might need their help with more aspects of your day. That’s fine if they can upgrade your package to add more time and work, but if they’re fully booked with other weddings it can leave you in a bit of a fix.
Choosing a wedding planner based on price alone is unwise
This applies to any wedding supplier, from your outfits to your photographer and especially your wedding planner. You will be spending a lot of time in their company, so it’s really important you both get along with your wedding planner.
Look at previous weddings they’ve planned, to see if their styling approach matches your vision for your day. Are they pure luxury, a little boho, classic and timelessly elegant, or chic and modern?
Ask questions: does your planner speak openly and warmly to answer your concerns about the big questions, and any little worries you have? I’ve always loved Michelle’s approach to wedding planning, that her style is more a hug, not a handshake… as one of our top wedding planners she is instantly welcoming and super approachable.
Check out the suppliers they work with regularly. From wedding stationery to destination florists and favourite photographers, every supplier will have their dream team for different wedding locations and styles. Does their aesthetic fit your dream wedding vibe?
A last word: wedding stress, and fairy godmother wedding planners!
Guides for Brides offers excellent advice about the costs of not hiring a wedding planner: if you’re planning your entire wedding yourselves (or even worse, by yourself) you’ll sacrifice quality time you could be spending together, and run the risk of overwhelm, stress and anxiety. If you already have a full time job, it’s worth acknowledging that wedding planning is another one.
Perhaps you stumbled across this article because you were about to choose a wedding planner based on cost. I hope I’ve helped you to see this decision in a new light! Understanding what a wedding planner is worth, for the time and stress they’ll save you, and for the effortless beauty they’ll bring to your wedding, will help you choose your perfect wedding planner for their experience, expertise and for the marvellous human being that they are!
“We cannot recommend Michelle highly enough! If you want an unforgettable wedding with zero stress and everything going to plan – be sure to work with Michelle!! Simply put she is just the best in the business, has a great network of suppliers and works tirelessly to ensure your wedding doesn’t just go smoothly, but reaches levels of excellence you don’t even expect. We couldn’t have wanted for more!” ~ Claudia & Dan (their breathtaking Avington Park wedding is on Wedding Chicks here)
Inspired by Elegante by Michelle J
Planning a wedding is exciting and can be utterly overwhelming at times. There’s a reason why wedding planners exist: bringing beautiful occasions to life takes endless hours of hard work and meticulous event management. I’ve always had a huge admiration for those wonderful humans who make planning weddings their career.
All images are by Paulo Santos Photography. You’ll love this Luxe Winter Jewish wedding inspiration, planned and styled by Elegante by Michelle J!
One of our lovely wedding planner members, luxury and destination wedding planner Michelle J, has launched a new, lighter version of her full wedding planning service, which she’s called Elegante Piccolo.
Elegante Piccolo is like having a fairy godmother for your wedding. Rather than a full wedding planning service, Elegante Piccolo works on a consultancy basis: you have access to Michelle’s team of talented wedding planners to help you with the finer details of your wedding plans.
Perhaps you’ve started planning, booked some of your suppliers and realised that your to do list is spiralling into something you could use a little help with?
Maybe all of your checklists and spreadsheets for budgets and plans don’t feel as organised as they should be, and you’re beginning to feel the stress of planning a wedding?
Or you’d love to have someone to run things for you on the big day, and you could really use a little expert input with your plans… but luxury wedding planner prices are out of your reach?
If this sounds all too familiar, do get in touch with the friendly team at Elegante by Michelle J. If they’re available for your wedding date, they’ll arrange a consultation to go over your plans with you.
Michelle’s team of truly fabulous wedding planners will draw up a detailed action plan for you, introduce you to suppliers for any services you haven’t already booked, and help you decide what aspects of your wedding planning you’d like to tackle, so they can look after any aspects you’d like expert help with.
Working with Elegante Piccolo, you’ll have a final meeting at your venue a month before your wedding, to walk through all of your plans. And the magic happens here: you’ll hand over everything to Michelle’s capable team, who’ll be there for you on the day to oversee all the setup, look after your suppliers and make sure your best day ever goes like clockwork.
Michelle J’s Elegante Piccolo service starts from £2500.
For every booking made, £100 will be donated to Vow for Girls, the amazing charity working to end child marriage.
If you’re interested in the Elegante Piccolo service, check if your wedding date is available. You can enquire on the Elegante by Michelle J website, or give the team a call – you’ll find contact details at https://elegantebymichellej.com/wedding-planner-contact/
Elegante by Michelle J is an English Wedding member
Web: https://elegantebymichellej.com