How much does a UK wedding planner cost?

Myself and my team specialise in planning and delivering incredible weddings and events across Gloucestershire the Cotswolds, using a percentage based pricing model for our planning services.

Does a % based planner try and get you to spend more to benefit them?

Starting with the biggest worry about a percentage based wedding or event planner. The question above is not often asked to myself directly, but I’m pretty sure that it is a concern for many, and if I’m honest it did make my decision to settle on this harder.

I personally would never try and push my clients towards the highest priced suppliers; instead I treat my client’s budget as if it were my own money; being sensible with spend, advising you to invest in suppliers and items that will truly enhance the day, and of course keep within budget. Whatever the budget it is all about prioritising.

My clients have the final say on everything, with several options put forward. Always.

So, why do some charge flat rates and other percentages?

You may find that planners new into the industry offer fairly low flat rates to build their portfolios, but most established UK based wedding planners tend to work on a percentage basis ranging from 10-15% of your overall budget with minimum spends in place.

The minimum spend is reflective of the time required for the hundreds of unseen hours spent planning, site meetings, team wages, and the general costs of running a successful business.

Why we are percentage based

Over the years we have found that during a first discovery call it’s unlikely our clients are aware of what their dream wedding will cost, or involve. As the budget of a wedding creeps up and more elements are added; the scale of the event increases which means the on site planning team needs to be scaled up, and many more planning hours are added to manage the suppliers and logistics. The percentage based model means additional staffing and extra workload are covered without the need to re-quote along the way.

Lisa Jade Photography

A planner might not cost as much as your think…

On occasion we benefit from discounts due to our established relationships with suppliers, and we pass these directly onto you, therefore a planner might not be costing as much as you think.

Further savings are made by using our knowledge to spend only on what is necessary – many times before I have taken on plans and removed items that were absolutely not required, or over-ordered in a panic mindset.

What to ask a wedding planner before booking

There are many new wedding planners (some are pretty hot on social media and have a great feed with plenty of followers), but believe me you need to look beyond this. Ask what experience they have in planning and executing a wedding similar to yours and check their reviews on Google. Experience is key.

You deserve the very best wedding planner and team for your special day. Aside from buying a property your wedding is is likely to be the single biggest investment you make, so they need to be the perfect fit for you.

How to find out more

As a luxury planner, and your main point of contact throughout we take on a limited number of full planning clients a year to ensure we can dedicate the time required to planning your incredible celebration.

If you would love to know more about how we work, and check availability, please get in touch via our contact page . I would love to hear more about your plans and chat all things wedding!

Loads of love,

Rach x