The question that sparks the most passion is – how much does a wedding cost? In reality, there’s no definite answer, just like you can’t precisely say how much a house costs. How much does a wedding planner cost? Answering that is as complicated as saying how much a structural engineer costs. I compare it to the construction field because pricing there is more understandable to people. Everything starts with the client’s budget and what they are willing to invest in making their dream day come true.
Often, people are afraid to reveal their actual budget, fearing it might be too small or that service providers will take advantage of the information and raise prices. In fact, the opposite experiences are more common, but I also understand that one bad experience can make people cautious.
Who is a weeding planner?
Almost every bride who has planned her wedding feels a bit like a wedding planner. Although the structure of weddings may be similar, each wedding day is unique because the combination of the couple and guests is always different. A good wedding planner senses the couple’s personal style, knows how to find the perfect balance between their wishes and practical possibilities, and takes on all the work hours that the couple would otherwise spend themselves. A professional spends about 250–300 hours organizing an average wedding, and for larger-scale events, such as destination weddings, even up to 600 hours.
The ideal answer to the question of how much a wedding planner costs would be 0 €, because when calculating the couple’s own invested hours and mistakes made out of ignorance, it is often cheaper overall to hire a professional. Unfortunately, clients only realize this after the event, since most people get married for the first time and don’t grasp how much time wedding planning actually takes. In addition, there is the stress on the wedding day itself — we all know what it means to host a large birthday party at home… multiply that experience at least fifty times.
The photo shows Celebrate Group’s wedding planners Merily and Taago together with the bridal couple. Photo by Annika Metsla.
Where to find opportunities to save?
- Wedding venue and ceremony close to each other. Having the ceremony and the wedding reception venue close to each other helps save on catering costs, transportation, and even decorations, as everything needed can be delivered from one place and more quickly.
- Renting decorations. Even if you don’t hire a wedding planner, it’s worth using a decorator’s help. You can find everything you need for rent, and buying should be considered as a last resort, since cheaply ordered items often don’t meet quality standards. For example, a couple ordered a soda light chain, but when it arrived, each chain had a different tone – cool, warm, purplish, blue. Unfortunately, they couldn’t use them at the wedding and still had to rent the product along with installation.
- The next point may surprise you, but a good and professional caterer is definitely a way to save. A quality catering service helps optimize the budget and ensures a high-quality food experience. They have experience in sourcing ingredients more affordably and accurately estimating quantities to avoid food waste.
- Excessive detail and “nice-to-have” elements can significantly increase the budget. Every small addition (such as tags, tiny gifts, or other small items that often go unnoticed) ultimately adds to the total cost. Although individually 50 € may not seem like much compared to the larger amounts, all these small extras can add up to a considerable sum overall.
- Hiring a bartender. Although self-service may seem cheaper, it often turns out to be more expensive — a bartender can serve drinks in optimal quantities, providing quality beverages and reducing waste.
- Choosing the wedding venue. Organizing the wedding near your home reduces additional costs for accommodation, catering, and transportation.
- Wedding attire from second-hand stores. You can also smartly save on the wedding dress by exploring the wonderful selections in second-hand shops. Often, you can find dresses at affordable prices that can be tailored later by a seamstress. Especially unique and special dresses can be found in vintage shops—imagine wearing a 1930s wedding dress, timeless in style and still trendy today.
- Timing. The wedding celebration can be made more affordable and offer more options by planning it during the off-season or at the beginning of the week. Nowadays, Thursdays have become almost as popular as weekends, but prices may be lower early in the week. In Estonia, the quieter months for events are March and April, often offering favorable conditions—so why not celebrate love in the freshness of spring? By the way, this is when lilacs and lily of the valley are in full bloom and at their best prices because they have just reached their prime in the Netherlands.
Tent wedding at Alatskivi castle. Photo: Stina Kase
In the end, the budget is the issue that requires the most thoughtful consideration and discussion between the couple and the wedding planner. Together, they shape it according to wishes and needs, finding the best solutions that reflect both the couple’s possibilities and their dreams. Organizing a wedding day is never very cheap because it involves many dedicated people and services. Considering that today it’s hard to find a café serving coffee for under 3 euros, it makes sense to plan the budget starting from that simple observation.
Ideally, a wedding happens only once in a lifetime. In over 12 years, I haven’t encountered a single couple who regretted “spending” that much on their wedding. This event can never be restaged or moments brought back. With this in mind, based on my experience, I say that quality photography and videography should never be compromised or skimped on. You can’t repeat the event or recreate the session later.
We have made a budget breakdown showing how much is generally spent or should be spent on each item.
