When you sit down and start to think about your wedding budget, you may quickly become overwhelmed by all the various venues, vendors, and fees you’ll need to juggle to ensure that your wedding day goes off without a hitch. It may lead you to think that maybe — just maybe — hiring a wedding planner could be a worthwhile investment to help you keep all the details organized and see where you can save.
Wedding planning is definitely not for the faint of heart, and a professional wedding planner can help make the process smooth sailing. So, is a wedding planner worth it?
There’s a lot you’ll need to know before you decide if a wedding planner will be worthwhile for your big day, such as:
- Do you need a wedding planner?
- How much will a wedding planner cost?
- How can you save money on a wedding planner?
- How do you pick the best wedding plannerfor your needs?
Luckily, we have all the details. Here’s what you need to know.
What You Will Learn
- Are Wedding Planners Worth It? Here’s What You’ll Pay
- Factors That Influence How Much You’ll Pay for a Wedding Planner
- What You’ll Get from a Full-Time Planner
- What You’ll Get from a Wedding Coordinator
- What You’ll Get from a Destination Wedding Planner
- Should I Get a Wedding Planner? Picking the Best Fit
- How Can You Save Money on the Wedding Planning Process?
- Do I Need a Wedding Planner FAQs
- One Wedding Cost That’ll Always Be Worth It: Investing in Wedding Insurance
Are Wedding Planners Worth It? Here’s What You’ll Pay
According to The Knot’s 2025 Real Weddings Study, the average wedding costs around $33,000. The same study found that couples who hire a wedding planner spend about 4% of their budget on fees. That means if you’re spending the average $33,000 on a wedding, you’ll pay about $1,320 for a wedding planner.
That said, wedding planner fees can greatly vary depending on various factors.
Factors That Influence How Much You’ll Pay for a Wedding Planner
Beyond the national average, other factors come into play when determining the final cost for this service. You could pay thousands of dollars more than the average for a wedding planner if you go the most expensive route possible. Conversely, you could save money on the average wedding planning costs with the right decisions.
Some of the factors that will influence your final wedding planning cost may include:
- If you’re having a destination wedding
- Your planners’ experience within the wedding industry
- Whether you hire a full-service wedding planner or a day-of coordinator
However, you can use this knowledge to your advantage when deciding do you need wedding planner services and what level you may need.
What You’ll Get from a Full-Time Planner
If you choose to work with a wedding planner that offers full planning services, their work will begin as soon as you hire them — which could be as soon as you propose or accept a proposal.
The wedding planner will provide multiple consultations leading up to your wedding, helping you every step of the way. On the day of the event, they’ll manage the ceremony and reception so that they go perfectly, leaving you to focus solely on the celebration.
Services a full-time wedding planner might provide include:
If you pay for full services throughout the wedding planning process, you’ll be able to hand over your wish list to a professional with the right contacts and know-how to bring it to life. However, as the saying goes, you’ll get what you pay for, so be prepared to spend more than the average $1,300-ish for this level of service.
What You’ll Get from a Wedding Coordinator
If you consider yourself pretty organized, or even if you’d like to be very hands-on in the wedding planning process, you might opt for paying for wedding coordination only rather than actual planning.
A wedding coordinator typically only gets involved with the planning process a few months before the wedding. They’re coming in with their event coordination prowess to ensure the actual day-of event occurs properly, but they will leave all the planning up to you. This professional will learn about everything you have in the works, put together a wedding day timeline, and then arrive on-site to ensure everything is followed.
What You’ll Get from a Destination Wedding Planner
A destination wedding planner’s role is a bit different and more specific. They’re crucial as the eyes and ears on the ground in your remote wedding location, standing in for you when you can’t be physically present to tour a venue, for example.
Destination wedding planners can sometimes be very affordable if you’re planning a destination wedding at a resort or similar property. In these cases, your wedding planner is often included in the price of your overall package.
Yet it is important to note that with many of these packages, your overall wedding options are limited (such as the vendors you can use, décor options, etc.), so the planner won’t be doing as much heavy lifting as they might otherwise.
Should I Get a Wedding Planner? Picking the Best Fit
For some couples, a wedding planner is absolutely worth the cost. For others, they can pull off their wedding all on their own.
Before deciding on whether or not you should hire a wedding planner, ask yourself the following questions:
- Can you afford a wedding planner?If there’s no budget for it, it’s okay. A planner is not essential.
- Is my wedding large or small? Complicated or simple?The larger and more complicated the big day, the more you will probably value a planner’s help.
- Are you organized or scattered? Do you love schedules and timelines or hate them?If you’re the former in both cases, you may prefer to handle things yourself. Otherwise, you may need a planner to ensure you dot all your i’s and cross your t’s.
If you choose not to work with a wedding planner, that is okay, too. The Knot study linked above noted that fewer than 10% of couples work with a wedding planner. In other words, most couples plan their own weddings with great success!
How Can You Save Money on the Wedding Planning Process?
If you decide to hire a wedding planner, you can save a bit of cash by making simple decisions to reduce the amount you spend on this service. Here are some tips:
- Consider hiring a wedding coordinator instead of a full-time planner.
- Look at wedding planners who are less experienced but still highly rated.
- Book as soon as possible to get the best rates possible.
- Ask about package deals if you work with the planner’s partnered vendors or venues.
Most importantly, if you think you might want a wedding planner, shop around and look at local prices before deciding whether or not you need this service.
Do I Need a Wedding Planner FAQs
How Much Do Wedding Planners Cost?
As far as national averages are concerned, you’ll likely spend about 4% of your wedding budget on a wedding planner.
Do Most Couples Use a Wedding Planner?
Not at all! According to The Knot, only 10% of couples acquired this service. The large majority of couples plan their weddings themselves.
Is a Wedding Planner Worth It?
For some couples, a wedding planner is definitely worth it to help guide them through the planning process, manage the many elements of wedding planning, and ensure their big day goes smoothly. However, others may prefer or even enjoy handling the planning process on their own. And some may spend for a month of wedding coordinator services just to ensure the big day is well orchestrated.
Should You Tip a Wedding Planner?
Yes, you should plan to tip all of your wedding vendors, including your wedding planner. The amount should be around 15–20% of their total fee.
What Does a Wedding Planner Not Do?
While a wedding planner can handle most of the wedding planning tasks on your behalf, they cannot do certain things, such as decide who’s on the guest list, register for your wedding gifts, or directly pay vendors.
One Wedding Cost That’ll Always Be Worth It: Investing in Wedding Insurance
Wedding insurance provides peace of mind, protecting you from monetary loss due to cancellations, vendor issues, and day-of mishaps. Policies from BriteCo offer comprehensive liability and cancellation coverage, so you’re protected no matter what happens.
Learn more about BriteCo’s wedding insurance and get a quick, free quote now.
Also Check:
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How Much Is a Wedding License?
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Wedding Jewelry Trends for 2026
How to Choose a Wedding Venue
Change of Heart Insurance for Weddings
Things You Need to Have When Planning Your Wedding
Affordable Wedding Insurance: More Coverage, Less Cost!
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