How Much Money Do Wedding Planners Make

How Do Wedding Planners Help Clients Save

Wedding experts bring their expertise to wedding planning in a way that goes above and beyond what a couple making their own plans would be able to do.

They know where the gotcha clauses are in contracts and where lack of experience increases costs, i.e., more hors doeuvres choices than necessary and more bites per person than necessary when a full meal is included afterward, said Marley Majcher, CEO of The Party Goddess, a full-service event planning and catering company.

In addition to knowing how to read contracts to the advantage of their client, wedding planners can make expert suggestions such as having a signature drink alongside beer and wine instead of an open bar and planning the wedding on Sunday instead of Saturday night, according to Majcher. These suggestions cut costs without guests noticing.

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What Are The Biggest Expenses For A Wedding

Well, there are accommodation costs, transportation costs, actual event cost, event insurance if needed, wedding producer, and an expensive wedding cake if need. Oh my… I don’t even know where to start!

There is also guest count, guest transportation, vendor contracts, rental items, event designer, extra services. Therefore, at times a cost of wedding planner is totally worth it if you are a full-time working professional.

When it comes to wedding planning, the biggest expenses are often the first to come to mind. From the cost of the venue to the price of the invitations, there are many factors that can add up quickly. Here is a breakdown of some of the most common wedding expenses:

The cost of the venue is often one of the biggest expenses for a wedding. Depending on the location, it can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.

Another big expense is catering. The average cost for food and drinks at a wedding can be quite expensive, especially if you want a sit-down meal.

Another big expense is photography and video services. Wedding photographers can charge anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 for their services. And videographers typically charge even more than photographers.

Another major expense is flowers. The most important part of the wedding, a wedding ceremony and reception, can turn out to be quite expensive. If you dont want to plan it yourself, or if you are not sure how to do it yourself, you should hire an expert.

Does A Wedding Planner Save You Any Money

It may sound counterintuitive, but spending money on a wedding planner can absolutely save you money! Not only will a planner ensure that you stick to your wedding budgets and help you avoid overspending, he or she can also hook you up with wedding vendors who are within your price rangeand perhaps use his/her connections to get you discounts on certain products or services.

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Do I Need Specific Skills And Qualifications

There are no particular qualifications required to become a wedding planner – it’s much more important to gain experience. You won’t be hired to plan somebody’s wedding if you don’t have a history of successfully organising events.

You may be able to get some experience by planning your own wedding or those of friends and family. Another option is to search for local wedding planners and ask them for work experience or opportunities to shadow them.

While not essential, an academic background in hospitality and event management will help you develop the right skillset. Find out about event management courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level. If you choose the university route, get involved in societies and clubs and be proactive in organising their events.

For specific tutoring in wedding planning, short and online courses are available through organisations such as:

If you intend to be self-employed, look for courses that include modules on setting up and running a business. Learn more about self-employment.

You’ll need to have these key skills if you want to be a successful wedding planner:

How Much Money Do Wedding Event Planners Make

The average earnings of a wedding planner per hour in the US are roughly around $22. Salaries can also start at under $13 per hour, but wedding planners can charge as much as $40 per hour over time.

Its worth noting some wedding planners may also offer packages instead of working at an hourly rate. For this setup, expect a starting price of under $8,000 for the full service or partial planning at only under $3,000.

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What Does A Wedding Planner Actually Do

Among the madness of a wedding, the one person couples getting married should rely on entirely is the wedding planner extraordinaire and that could be you!

Every wedding planner is different and offers various planning services, but all planners should save their clients time by taking control of events throughout this stressful period.

Most planners will help save their clients money by assisting them in creating and sticking to a given budget.

What Does A Wedding Planner Do

Theyve usually got money-saving strategies, a network of trusted vendors, and theyll negotiate to get their clients the best deals yet without sacrificing any quality.

Because as a wedding planner, youre being hired for your expertise, style, calming attitude, as well as your business acumen.

And for those once-in-a-lifetime wedding celebrations, as the chosen wedding planner, you have to be the person who embodies all of these things and more.

Because hiring a great wedding planner is like buying peace of mind for one of the most important days in a couples life their dream wedding and so, for most people who are planning their big day, hiring a wedding planner is a significant investment, emotionally and financially, as mistakes with that essential wedding ceremony and reception can blow their budget and cost them more than mere money

Youll be expected to help and give advice every step of the way!

How Do Wedding Planners Make Money

With the average wedding costing over $35,000, couples are looking to save money where they can and get the most bang for their buck.

Although it seems paradoxical, a good wedding planner can help cut wedding costs by leveraging their contacts and networks.

Wedding planners make money by charging a set fee for their services .

They may also receive kick-backs or commissions for promoting specific vendors. This is frowned upon by many wedding planning organizations as they believe it to be unethical and means you may promote one vendor over another.

Bear in mind, however, that travel agents make all of their money from commissions earned by recommending certain tour operators and hotels so this business model is completely normal in some industries.

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Typical Income And Benefits For A Wedding Planner

According to Payscale.com, the annual salary for a wedding planner who has been in business between 1-4 years ranges from $18,873-$60,133.

Here are salary ranges you can expect as a wedding planner:

Working part-time: $5,000-$15,000

Working full-time in a rural area: $25,000-$75,000

Working full-time in a major city: $55,000-$150,000+

Typically, skilled planners with five to nine years experience will see a rise in compensation for their skills.

For wedding planners who work for an event management company, employee benefits frequently include sick time, paid vacation, access to company-sponsored retirement accounts, and health care plans.

Your wedding planner salary will depend on your experience, education, location, and how well you market yourself. When you become a wedding planner, you may book 6 weddings your first year and charge $1,500 per wedding. That would be a gross income of $9,000 which you would likely reinvest back into the business to upgrade your website and search engine optimization, pay for advertising, hire a wedding business coach, upgrade your computer, invest in a promotional video, or attend a wedding planner conference. The following year, you would raise your rates and ideally book more weddings since you have more experience, a portfolio, references from past clients, a better website, and you have a higher level planning and/or design skills than your first year.

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Be An Employee Or An Entrepreneur In This Exciting Field To Help Couples Enjoy Their Big Day

Become a wedding planner.

When you think of how to become a wedding planner, you might imagine learning to create a world of glamor, romance, champagneand a metric ton of white tulle. But while wedding planning is ultimately all about beautiful days and happy couples, it requires a detail-oriented and highly organized person to pull it off.

If you love working with vendors to bring brides and grooms visions to lifewhich, yes, may include ordering enough tulle to fill a small apartmentwedding planning can be fun, rewarding, and lucrative. Heres all you need to know about becoming a wedding planner.

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Wedding Planner Vs Wedding Coordinator

Hiring a wedding planner, wedding coordinator or both depends on your level of comfort throughout the planning process. Those with a passion for DIY and hands-on planning, for example, may prefer to skip the planner and only utilize a coordinator. Knowing the difference is a good starting point when finding the right planner for you.

Wedding planners often dedicate a couple hundred hours to guiding your wedding design choices, vendor hiring, contract negotiation and building a budget. They consult with each couple as they navigate their wedding ceremony and reception theme. Many planners will either offer coordination efforts within their contracts or include them as an extra service.

Wedding coordinators gather all the details planned by the couple and their planner in order to set them in motion on and around the wedding day. They act as the point person for vendors and guests that have questions during the final stages of the process. Some coordinators will also offer assistance on the events surrounding the big day itself, such as rehearsal dinners, wedding showers and Sunday brunches.

Is There A Demand For Wedding Planners

Wedding Planner Career Path According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, wedding planning employment is projected to grow 10 percent from 2016 to 2026. This is faster than the average for all occupations. Our online Wedding Planning Course will teach you all the skills necessary to become a successful wedding planner.

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Independent Wedding Planner Salary

If you are self-employed in the wedding industry working as a wedding planner, your salary would be based on the number of clients you have and your average invoice per client. Looking for the Top Wedding Planner in Melbourne? Look no further and check out our ultimate list of Wedding Planners here.

The Wedding Planner Offers A Free Consultation

They should also come to the client consultation having done their research prior to the appointment, wearing professional attire, and ready to ask you some foundational questions. When you offer up your opinions and ideas, the wedding planner should also offer up some value in the form of recommendations or ways to improve on your vision.

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Should Wedding Planners Work For A Company Or Go Freelance

The answer to this question totally depends on you, your preferences and your experience level.

If youve worked in event planning or project management, or have prior experience running your own business, you might be good to go freelance.

On the other hand, if youre a fresh college grad or dont have experience managing events, it might be smart to join a company first.

If you do choose to go freelance, here are a few tips:

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Wedding coordinators gather all the details planned by the couple and their planner in order to set them in motion on and around the wedding day. They act as the point person for vendors and guests that have questions during the final stages of the process. Some coordinators will also offer assistance on the events surrounding the big day itself, such as rehearsal dinners, wedding showers and Sunday brunches.

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So How Much Money Can A Wedding Planner Actually Make

Although the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average salary for a wedding planner in the U.S. in 2004 was $44,260, there is an opportunity for a higher salary the longer you stay in the industry. Wedding planners who have been working regularly for at least 5 years and have been building their client base report pulling in anywhere from 70 to 90 thousand dollars a year, while those who have been working for 10 years regularly gross $100,000 annually. This makes sense when you think about it for a little bit, almost all aspects of the wedding industry survive completely on word of mouth.

The salary of a wedding planner can range significantly, from a standard salary for newly minted wedding planners to mid-six figures for the highly experienced and business savvy ones. From analyzing all of the examples the main issue seems to be dedication, only 20% of wedding planners have more than 10 years experience while 59% have less than 4 years experience. From these numbers its easy to deduce that most people who start working as a wedding planner do not have the tenacity to continue working as a wedding planner past a few years.

How To Become A Wedding Planner From Home

If you love everything about weddings and are looking for a flexible job that you can do a few days a week, you might want to become a wedding planner from home.

Given that you can easily do wedding planning as a side job while working full-time, it is great for stay at home moms who can work on the weekends or anyone with a Monday to Friday job that would like to make some extra money.

According to The Knot, around 27% of couples hire a wedding planner or coordinator to help with their big day, making wedding planners in demand nationwide.

The best thing about being a wedding planner is that you can choose to work as little or as much as you like and can make up $1000 for a days work at the top end.

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