Average Wedding Venue Cost
Where you get married can be one of the biggest drivers of cost, as the price tag of the most expensive venues can be several thousand dollars more than the least expensive.
In fact, according to Wedding Forward, here’s the average cost of different wedding venues:
- Community or event center: $2,000 to $24,000
- Country or private club: $2,000 to $18,000
- Banquet hall: $2,000 to $23,000
- City buildings: $4,000 to $23,000
- Museum or art gallery: $4,000 to $11,000
- Brewery or winery: $5,000 to $10,000
- Hotel or resort: $5,000 to $74,000
- Barn: $6,000 to $13,000
- National or city park: $7,600 to $14,000
What Services Does A Wedding Planner’s Fee Include
The services a wedding planners cost includes vary depending on the type of professional youre hiring whether its a full-service, month-of, or day-of planner, or a planner who specializes in destination weddings. Here are some of the most common services that your wedding planner may include in his or her package:
Design And Styling Fees
Most wedding planners who also handle big-day design will include this service in their overall planning fee. Depending on their billing format, they may also tack on a percentage of the final design and décor budget. It’s important to know that the décor purchases and rentals will be charged separately.
You May Like: What Do People Wear To Weddings
What Is The Ideal Time To Rope In A Wedding Planner
Advisable is about 5 to 6 months before the wedding date, which is ideal. But planners are used to doing things on a crunch too- some of them have had couples coming in just 3 weeks before their wedding and they manage the show just fine!
Find the wedding planner of your choice and budget in the WMG Vendor Gallery.
*With inputs from F5 Weddings 4.9 .
Delhi NCR
Mumbai
Bangalore
Vendor Categories
Coordinators Stick To The Vision
Day-of wedding coordinators generally begin working with a couple about a month in advance. This gives them time to confirm everything with the vendors, work on the detailed schedule, timing, and floor plan, and most importantly, learn the vision the couple has for their wedding.
Weddings are extremely personal for each couple. Its the coordinators job to make sure that the couple gets exactly what they want and have paid for. This includes making sure all decorations are in line with the vision and that the aesthetic is correct. For example, if the couple is going for a minimalist wedding, a coordinators task may be to make sure that everything brought into the space adheres to that. While the coordinator isnt generally involved in the development of the vision, they are well versed in making sure that everything is in its proper place at the right time.
Don’t Miss: How To Get Cheap Flowers For Wedding
Why Do Wedding Coordinators Cost So Much
One of the most common misconceptions about wedding coordinators and planners is that they tend to be overpriced. As a wedding planner, it is difficult to pinpoint just one way I play such a vital role in your wedding day. No two couples are the same. Every couple has their own specific needs, resulting in many varying factors that have to be taken into consideration for each individual event.
Many couples wonder why the average cost for a wedding coordinator is $2,000 while a full service planner is typically $6,000 or more. In order to support oneself as a vendor, these price points are absolutely necessary.
Most couples immediately breakdown the amount they spend with their coordinator in an hourly rate for the wedding day plus maybe a couple hours of prep. So, $2,000/12 hours must = $166.66 per hour, right?
Not even close.
For calculations, we will work with our average of $2,000. A full time wedding coordinator will work anywhere from 15-20 weddings per year or more, so I will use 20 weddings per year as an average.
Time spent working on a wedding from beginning to end:
-1 hour in initial emails
-1 hour pre-booking consultation
-1 hour onboarding process- contractual paper work, introductions, etc.
-1 hour consultation
-5 hours answering questions throughout engagement via phone or email
-2 hours for venue walk through
-10 hours in emails and communications with client and client vendors in the final reconciliation process
-8 hours wedding day coordination
Is Getting A Wedding Planner Worth It
Planning a wedding is a daunting task that can take up hundreds of hours of your time. Relieving yourself of the work and stress involved by handing the wheel to a professional planner could be a good move, but it also comes at a price. On the flipside, wedding planners live and breathe the wedding industry. That means they have close ties to the venues and vendors in your local area. A good wedding planner can actually help you save money on those aspects.
The final decision rests in knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as your partners. Will the time investment and stress involved in planning your wedding take away from your enjoyment of the process? If so, going over your options could be a wise idea. If planning, organizing and delegating are your bread and butter, perhaps you could forgo the planner altogether. Or bring in a part-timer or coordinator to help you out in the final stretch.
Read Also: Can You Take Out A Loan For A Wedding
Questions You Should Ask
Be sure to confirm how many hours, at a minimum, they are willing ot commit to your wedding, and if they go over this allocated amount, what will they charge as an overtime fee?
Ask about previous clients they have worked with, and if possible, see if you can talk with the couple to see what they have to say about the services. It also doesnt hurt to know how many weddings they have worked with in the past. The more experience, as with any professionals, the more comfortable you can be with the selection.
Go with your gut and feel the vibe. While it isnt a question per se, youre going to want somebody as committed and excited as you are. If your gut points to yes, then its wise to continue. Find someone who is willing to listen.
See if they are strictly a day-of coordinator or if they offer packages which include much more than this. If youre budget is tight, a day-of coordinator could be a great option, especially if they are willing to do more than just help on the day of the event.
Advertising Disclosure:This content may include referral links. Please read our disclosure policy for more info.
Browse Wedding Costs By Category
Everything you need to know from the expected to the unexpected.
Catering
$27 vs. $40 is the average cost per person for buffet vs. plated service
46% of bus and limo services require at least 3 hours of rental time
Get key details, availability, and message directly to learn more and schedule tours.
On average, most couples in the US spend nearly $30,000 on their wedding ceremony and reception. However, this can vary widely depending on the vendors hired and location. WeddingWires Wedding Cost Guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of average wedding vendor costs by area, along with details on factors that can affect pricing, so you can go into wedding planning knowing what to expect and easily create a wedding budget you can stick to.
Recommended Reading: How To Make Wedding Centerpieces
The Wedding Coordinator Is Honest About Their Strengths And Weaknesses
Its one of the 10 signs youre a mentally strong person. And youll need someone mentally strong to handle all the demands of your wedding! Remember to keep some deal breakers in mind and believe whatever they tell you. Getting very honest with yourself about what you can or cannot deal with at this stage will help you ensure a strong partnership with your wedding planner.
Find a wedding venue for any cost!
Wedding Planner Cost Guide
Costs displayed in graph are based on spend from thousands of couples who recently reported pricing for this service within their WeddingWire review. Pricing varies based on factors including, but not limited to, vendors experience, level of expertise, event guest count, date, and geographic region.
Also Check: What’s A Micro Wedding
What Does A Venue Coordinator Do
Your venue coordinator can often become your most-emailed contact during your wedding planning . Their job is to be your venue liaison, and ensure the smooth running of your day– but only for things that fall under the remit of the venue.
While most venue coordinators are incredible at their jobs, and will go above and beyond, it’s important to remember that they work for the venue, not for you. Your wedding is their priority on the day of course, but they may be working on anywhere from 10 to 200+ weddings a year depending on the scale of the venue, and so they have something of a generic formula for how they make it all work.
If your venue does the catering, they’ll work with you on your menu, if your venue supplies the furniture, they’ll talk to you about your table lay-out. They won’t however make sure the cellist is in place for the ceremony, they’re not necessarily in charge of putting the floral urns in exactly the right place, and it’s not up to them to let you know, that you were supposed to start the speeches half an hour ago.
Styling & Planning by House of Hannah
When it comes to the wedding set-up itself, a venue will set the tables, but they may not place the name cards, they’ll provide the stage for the band, but they may not run the sound-check, they’ll let you know if you’re allowed to hang pom poms in the barn, but they may not be the ones doing it for you. You get the gist!
What Events Included In Wedding Planning Fees
Day-Of:
Day-of wedding planners dont stick with you from day 1, but what they do cover are the most important things, and could save you the most amount of stress and time.
- Reception
- Ceremony
- Rehearsal dinner
Your wedding planner will make sure that all of this is coordinated, on schedule, on budget, and make sure that all of the paperwork and fees are accounted for. Rehearsal dinners arent usually standard, you may have to pay extra for this.
Partial:
To keep your average price of a wedding planner from being subject to additional charges, youll have to keep an eye on your phone calls and emails. The downside to a Partial wedding planner service package is that they typically come with a fixed amount of those types of communication. Couples have a tendency to go overboard when they first hire a planner and use all of their calls in the first few months, and then have to choose between extra fees or no communication.
As long as you can pace yourself everything will be fantastic. Be mindful of how many hours are included in your package and choose from the following categories:
- Catering
- Rehearsal dinner
- Brunch
While making your choices try to determine where you need the most help, or where the biggest chance for things to go wrong lays.
Full Service:
Most professional planning tips will recommend that you contact them as soon after youre engaged as possible, and to pay attention to pricing models.
Read Also: How Much Should You Spend On A Wedding
Food And Beverage Costs
Buffet-style meal for guests or plated dinners for everyone? Guests with dietary needs? Open bar or drink tickets? Wedding planners likely already have some catering contacts in the industry they can recommend, depending on your needs. A wedding planner may also have some tips on how to save money on these costs, even down to the plates and cups. Some reception venues will only allow alcoholic drinks to be purchased through them with added costs for a bartender, etc.
Who Else Can You Hire To Help You On Your Wedding Day
While this is more popular in the UK or US than in Ireland, you can hire toastmasters, professional bridesmaids or wedding butlers to also assist you in your day. A toastmaster will act more like a host for the day, ensuring it runs smoothly, that everyone has what they need, as well as adding a bit of pomp and ceremony to the proceedings.
While a wedding butler or professional bridesmaid is a lot more low-key, and acts more like a personal assistant – they’ll run to the bar for you, go find safety pins if your bustle comes undone, or hold your bouquet while you’re getting your photos done. Both of these are good options if you’re having a large formal wedding, or if you’ve opted not to have a bridal party.
So now you know what to expect, and not expect from your venue coordinator, you can decide if you need to recruit any other wedding day helpers, or indeed a full service planner, a florist with styling skills, or a creative director who will style the lot to perfection! Our Wedding Book directory might be your next port of call!
More handy wedding planning reads:
Recommended Reading: How To Pick A Wedding Color Palette
The Cost Of A Planner Varies Based On The Services You Get And Where You Live
There isn’t a set cost for every wedding planner. Indeed, cost varies from planner to planner, though location and type of service help determine the price.
The national average cost of a wedding planner was $1,500 in 2019, according to a study conducted by The Knot, but where you live and how much help you want will determine the cost. The more you want a planner to handle, the more expensive it will be.
“For full service, you can expect a minimum charge of around $5,000, but that tends to go up depending on size and scope,” she said. “Often full-service rates will be calculated based on a percentage usually 20% of your wedding budget.”
If you’re just paying for a wedding month or day-of coordinator, the cost will be more like $1,800 to $2,000, according to Monus. And many planners will offer something in between and allow couples to customize the services so it fits their needs.
“I’ve developed a middle-range service that I call Wedding Consulting that offers a set amount of consulting or planning hours and wedding management my most popular offering for $2,800 with an option to add on consulting or planning time if needed,” Monus said.
