How much does it cost to hire a Luxury Wedding Planner

This no doubt is the number one question on your mind when it comes to hiring a luxury wedding planner like me. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve been asked that question; how much does it cost to hire a luxury wedding planner. My answer usually is how long is a piece of string? 😉

That’s probably not the answer you’re expecting but…, before we get into all that, let me start by saying that as a luxury wedding planner, of course I’m biased when it comes to hiring wedding planners to help you to plan your big day. However, (and I hope I don’t get shot down by my planner friends for this!), you don’t have to hire a luxury wedding planner to have a beautiful wedding.

But, as times get busier and life gets a little more fast paced and you find your time is being divided against all the many commitments you have, having someone alongside you to help you plan your wedding is in most cases a godsend especially when you are wedding planning from abroad so it is definitely an investment worth considering and certainly one worth making (if I say so myself! :))

To answer the question though, there are so many variables to consider when trying to figure out how much it costs to hire a luxury wedding planner; when and where you’re getting married, how much time to devote to running around for you e.g. going on site/venue visits, tastings etc and which of the services you require.

Most luxury wedding planners will charge between 10 -15% of your overall wedding budget for full planning with a minimum fee attached. I charge 12% of your overall budget with a starting minimum fee of £3k for my full wedding planning and design services.

Wedding design services are from £1.2k and my wedding day management is from £800. All are starting prices to give you an idea of costs and to help you to plan and budget accordingly. Of course the final figure will depend on your specific needs and total wedding budget (especially for full wedding planning). All costs are exclusive of expenses so do factor in about 5 to 10% for expenses when planning to hire a luxury wedding planner.

Other helpful pointers to consider when hiring a luxury wedding planner

In addition though to knowing how much it cost to hire a luxury wedding planner, there are other points to consider when hiring one. These pointers will help you to make the right choice.

So, if you were to hire me for example, you’d want to see that I’m passionate and excited about helping you to plan your day. You’d also want to see that I have a can do attitude and believe in doing things well as these are qualities that will translate well into your day.

You want to hire a planner who is a positive and safe pair of hands. Also, check that you like their style and can get along with them personally (we’ll be planning for at least 12 months so it’s important that we get along, right?)

Your wedding is still yours, so when hiring a luxury wedding planner like me, hire someone who won’t impose their own vision on you. Yes, I will come with ideas however, my intention is certainly not to impose them on you rather it is to work with you to bring your ideas and vision for your big day to life (I’ve heard many horror stories of how some planners take over a client’s wedding so I wanted to reassure you that that won’t be the case with me). Of course I will chip in with ideas but it won’t be from a place of trying to impose.

One last pointer from me, I recommend you meet your wedding planner before you book them. I like to meet my prospective clients in person if I can help it but that is not always possible especially for my overseas clients so we settle for skype calls, facetime or hangouts which are usually the next best alternative. 

I’d be happy to jump onto a skype or facetime call with you to discuss your wedding now that you have a better idea of how much it costs to hire a luxury wedding planner. Get in touch here, let’s talk!

Cynthia x

Header Image by Jay Emme Photography