Why Are Wedding Planners So Expensive?

Vendor fees are among the first things you'll need to consider when planning a wedding. As you search for the right wedding planner, you may notice that they vary in prices and packages, with some having premium rates. This article explains why wedding planners are so expensive.

Why Are Wedding Planners So Expensive?

Wedding planners tend to be expensive because you pay for their professional work and specialties, including years of experience and hard work. Planners, especially those that offer full-service planning, may do most or everything. Thus, you're paying for the time, effort, and stress you'll save, which makes planners worth the money.

We understand that saving up for your wedding takes time, so you must be careful with your expenses. It's normal to question vendor rates, and we want to help you see why planners may have expensive fees.

What Influences the Cost of Expensive Wedding Planner Fees?

A number of factors contribute to the rates of an expensive wedding planner. Despite that, you'll understand how these will eventually benefit your wedding day goals.

Credibility and Creativity

Credibility is a significant reason why some wedding planners are expensive. With years of relevant experience and several successful events, their reliability and integrity have earned them the right to charge more. They also have a name and image to take care of.

Furthermore, you're paying for their ability to craft a theme and program representing your wedding day visions. You'll see that despite managing several events over the years, your wedding day ideas will be one of a kind.

Time and Labor

Another big factor contributing to the high rates of wedding planners are their responsibilities, physical effort in planning and executing the event.

The head planner will delegate tasks to production assistants and stylists to accomplish each task. This saves you from doing every single thing yourself, especially those that require being physically present, taking phone calls, or answering emails.

Expertise in Vendor Selection and Coordination

Their expertise in vendor selection and coordination is a major reason why booking wedding planners tends to be costly. This will consume much of the planning process, and taking this part off your shoulders already makes up for the cost.

• Vendor selection: Most planners have partnerships with top-rated vendors and venues, like unique San Francisco wedding venues. Even if you don't choose their partners, they can recommend more options or help scrutinize your preferred suppliers.
• Vendor coordination: This is among the most time-consuming parts of wedding planning, especially with the back-and-forth correspondence. You're paying for the negotiation skills and the ability to keep everyone on schedule.

Business Expenses

Wedding planners also need to earn to pay for the operational costs of running a business.

• Business permits
• Taxes
• Utility bills
• Staff wages
• Liability and equipment insurance
• Computer software and business management software
• Office rent
• Marketing
• Transportation

How Much Do Wedding Planners Organize on Behalf of Couples?

A significant reason why hiring a wedding planner is expensive is because of their direct involvement in the planning process.

Initial Stage

The initial stage is where most of the planning takes place, which is why the downpayment for most planners is also expensive. Your planner will constantly communicate with you while dealing with other vendors.

• Meeting couples: Consultation with couples to get a feel of what they want for the wedding ceremony and reception. Here, we can finesse the styling concepts based on your visions and relay vital details to other relevant vendors.
• Booking vendors: Similar to venue hunting, we will serve as the contact person for booking the rest of the vendors. We'll also be the ones to scrutinize quotations.
• Budgeting and organizing documents: After booking vendors, there's the tedious task of documenting every downpayment. We see to it that we track your budget and manage payments on time.

Halfway Through and Weeks Prior

While having fun during your bridal shower or bachelor party, let your planners handle everything on your behalf. Continuous coordination ensures the vendors accomplish their tasks and get everything on schedule. Here are a few examples.

• Send out invitations
• Manage the guest list and RSVPs
• Upload your save-the-date photos and videos
• Attend vendor meetings
• Manage dress fitting for the entourage
• Finalize menu tasting and entertainment arrangements
• Arrange reception songs
• Double-check schedules, program flow, and other requirements
• Solve changes to seat plans due to late RSVPs
• Send out other relevant documents like contact sheets, gate passes, and production schedules
• Pay outstanding invoices
• Send out reminders

As you can see, you're paying for the time you save because you can accomplish such tasks even though you're not physically involved. Whether you're busy with work or other personal responsibilities, we ensure to tick off to-do lists and update you.

Wedding Day

Wedding planners may still have on-site duties on the day of your wedding. Some could also act as coordinators to ensure everything goes smoothly.

They will run through the day with the production staff and entourage to keep everyone on the same page.

Post-Wedding

Even though the wedding ceremony will end, it doesn't mean your planner's duties stop immediately. Your planner will likely have to return rental items, finalize invoices with vendors, and help send thank you cards.

Related Questions

What Percentage of the Wedding Budget Should Go to the Planner?

Depending on the type of planner, you may allocate about 5% to 10% of your budget to the wedding planner. You can go up to 15% as an allowance if you request additional services.

When Is the Best Time to Hire a Planner for Your Wedding?

It's best to hire a planner for your wedding about one to two months after getting engaged since wedding planning takes so long. Ideally, there's a six to 12-month gap before your wedding day. Aside from having enough time to prepare, some wedding planning services offer early bird rates or special packages. 

What Is Included in the Costs of Wedding Planners?

The rates of the wedding planner consist of their labor work, creative planning, and being the overall point person for the wedding preparation. However, this depends on the kind of planning service, whether you avail full-service, partial, month-of, or day-of planning.

Conclusion

Hiring a wedding planner can be expensive because you're paying for a professional's ability to accomplish wedding preparation tasks but it is worth it. With full-service wedding planners from Thomas Bui Lifestyle, you can have a memorable, luxurious wedding experience that will make your expenses worth it.