A wedding planner is a professional who assists with the design, planning and management of a client's wedding.

Weddings are significant events in people's lives and as such, couples are often willing to spend considerable sums of money to ensure their wedding is organized as perfectly as possible.

Professional wedding planners exist throughout the world, most notably in the USA, UK and Western Europe. There are various wedding planning courses available to those who wish to pursue the career.

Planners generally charge either a percentage (10-15%) of total the wedding cost, (which can range between $20,000 to $2 million in relatively affluent communities in USA) or a flat fee. In USA the fees typically range between $1500 to $5000 depending on the services provided. In the UK, fees range from £1,500 to around £7-10,000, depending on the planner's experience.

Wedding planners are often used by couples who work long hours and have little spare time available for sourcing and managing wedding venues and wedding suppliers.

Planners are also popular with couples planning a destination wedding, where the documentation and paperwork can be complicated. Any country where a wedding is held requires different procedures depending on the nationality of each the bride and the groom. For instance, US citizens marrying in Italy require a Nulla Osta (affidavit sworn in front of the US consulate in Italy), plus an Atto Notorio (sworn in front of the Italian consulate in the US or at a court in Italy), and legalization of off of the above. Some countries instead, have agreements and the couple can get their No Impediment forms from their local registrar and have it translated by the consulate in the country of the wedding. A local Wedding Planner takes care and guides through all the different procedures for each different case.


The services of a wedding planner can include:

  • Interviewing the couple and the parents to identify their needs.
  • Budget preparatio
  • Planning detailed checklist (from about a year in advance to a few days after the wedding)
  • Attendee list preparation
  • Identification of event venues (hotels, wedding manor etc.)
  • Identifying and hiring of wedding professionals and service providers (caterers, photographers, videographers, beautician, florists, bakers etc.), and preparation and execution of contracts.
  • Coordination of deliveries/services on the wedding day.
  • Have a back-up plan in the event of a disaster.
  • Assist and prepare legal documentation and translations - especially for destination weddings

 Resources can be found in various books and publications and on websites that can allow a couple or a family to do the planning on their own. Many planners also run their own blogs to help provide inspiration and creativity.