Wedding planning guide
Planners
A good wedding planner or coordinator can be the difference between a stressful lead-up and actually enjoying your own engagement. Planners range from full-service (helping design and book everything) to month-of/day-of coordination (managing logistics once the big decisions are already made) — knowing which one you need is the first step.
What to budget
Planner pricing depends heavily on the level of service, so it's worth understanding the general tiers before you start budgeting:
- Full-service planning (helping from the start — vendor selection, design, budget management) is the most involved and typically the highest-priced tier.
- Partial planning (jumping in partway through, after some vendors are already booked) usually falls in the middle.
- Month-of or day-of coordination (managing logistics and the wedding-day timeline once you've done the planning yourself) is typically the most affordable tier.
- Some planners charge a flat fee, others a percentage of total wedding budget — ask which pricing model they use before comparing quotes.
Questions to ask a planners
- ?What level of service do you offer — full planning, partial planning, or month-of/day-of coordination?
- ?How many other weddings do you take on per weekend, and will you personally be there on our day?
- ?Do you have existing relationships with vendors in our area, and do you take referral fees from them?
- ?What does your day-of timeline and vendor management actually look like in practice?
- ?What happens if there's an emergency (yours or a vendor's) close to the wedding date?
Keep it all on the checklist
Whether or not you hire a planner, Wedlo's free wedding checklist helps you track every vendor and task in one place — add your planner to it once they're booked.
Start your free checklistFrequently asked questions
Do we really need a wedding planner?
It depends on your venue, timeline, and how much day-to-day project management you want to take on yourself. Many venues include a coordinator for the day itself, but that person is usually focused on the venue, not your overall vendor lineup — a dedicated planner or coordinator fills that gap.
What's the difference between a wedding planner and a venue coordinator?
A venue coordinator typically manages the venue's own logistics (setup, timing, staff) and works for the venue. A wedding planner or coordinator you hire independently works for you and manages your full vendor lineup and timeline, not just the venue's piece of it.
When should we hire a wedding planner?
For full-service planning, the earlier the better — ideally right after getting engaged. For month-of/day-of coordination, most couples book a few months before the wedding, once the bulk of vendors are already in place.
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