Understanding Wedding Planner Costs: A Comprehensive Guide

Your wedding is one of the milestone moments where memories to last a lifetime will be made. That is, of course, once you can get past the mountain of decisions to be made first.

If you're in the early stages of planning your wedding - let us first pause and say "Congratulations!" - you may wonder if a wedding planner is right for you.

Wedding planners are here to help you make the most of life's biggest events. What may surprise you is that a wedding planner may not only save you time but may also help you save money versus sourcing independently. Or that, with some resorts, having access to an expert wedding specialist is actually included.

Why Hire a Luxury Wedding Planner

Even people who consider themselves avid planners can benefit from the help of an experienced luxury wedding planner. After all, when was the last time you had to hire a professional photographer? Or visited a venue to see if it was as nice in person as it is in the photos? Those are just a couple of the ways in which tapping into the experience of a professional planner can ensure things go smoothly on your big day.

Stress-free Wedding Planning

Any accomplished luxury wedding planner knows that their priority is to provide you with a stress-free experience leading up to your wedding. That means helping you manage two things expertly: time and budget. Your schedule and your budget should be in your very first conversation with an experienced planner.

Expert Advice and Experience

Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life. It's not the day to be worrying if the right flowers will be delivered. Or if the band has the right address. Or...who has the rings again? From working with the caterers to accommodate any food allergies to coordinating back-up indoor venues in case of rain, chances are a professional wedding planner has experienced it all, and knows how to help ensure your day is memorable - for all the right reasons.

Time and Money Savings

One of the best questions to ask a wedding planner is a straightforward one: how can you help us save money? The time savings are pretty easy to see. But many couples are surprised to find that a professional wedding planner can be a cost with a high "return on investment." A seasoned wedding planner is also likely a good business person - they have to be in charge of a wedding budget, which can range from $10s to $100s of thousands of dollars. They will be able to help manage that budget for one thing, but also advise you where best to splurge and where to save.

Access to Networks and Discounts

Another reason to work with a professional wedding planner is for their network of professionals and the discounts they can negotiate. While some larger resorts like Turning Stone offer the services of in-house wedding planning professionals and a turnkey wedding experience, finding a dedicated wedding coordinator on-staff is rare. Still, those who have worked in the industry for some time typically bring with them a trusted set of partners and the ability to better negotiate discounts. What's more, they often already have contracts in place.

When to Start Planning

Setting a realistic timeline is another area where a professional wedding specialist can really help you get organized. Here at Turning Stone, we host more than 75 weddings a year, so our wedding specialists have a lot of experience coordinating calendars and making sure everything is lined up on time and on budget. Here's the wedding checklist they use to help you get started.

Download Wedding Checklist

Services Offered by a Wedding Event Planner

From pre-wedding planning to the big day itself to the post-wedding wrap-up - wait, the what? Hosting a destination wedding also means being a great host to those invited to attend. Here's where a seasoned wedding planner can really shine.

Pre-wedding Planning

Here at Turning Stone, for example, pre-wedding planning is streamlined because there are so many experienced wedding professionals on staff. The wedding specialists can help coordinate everything from menu tastings to finding the perfect venue. Hair and makeup to let-the-hair-down after parties. Rehearsal dinners to farewell brunches. And wedding cakes to those extras that take the cake - like our own award-winning ice sculptor. With world-class chefs and an experienced banquet team, there are a lot of advantages to having everything in one extraordinary location, especially when it comes to putting the team in motion.

On-the-day Coordination

The Great Lawn at Turning Stone is one of the most beautiful wedding venues in Central New York. If you were to hold your wedding here, one of our experienced wedding specialists would ensure all of the chairs and decorations are in place, the banquet team is at the ready and a backup venue is on standby in case of unexpected inclement weather. When people are honored to be a part of your special day, it shows. And the extra care and attention to detail on your wedding day is the assurance a veteran wedding planner brings.

Post-wedding Wrap Up

How to wrap up your wedding is possibly one of the last things couples think about. A good wedding planner will anticipate this and have you covered. One of the things couples appreciate most about weddings at Turning Stone is the abundance of dining, lodging and entertainment options available to wedding guests before and after the ceremony. As New York's most-awarded resort and one of the top five tourist destinations in the state, there's no better place for a finale to your big day. Maybe you want to surprise your guests with a fireworks display. Or end the evening dancing the night away at Tin Rooster Dancehall & BBQ. Or perhaps host a farewell brunch at an award-winning restaurant. Whatever finale you have in mind, your personal wedding specialist can help arrange it.

Understanding the Costs of a Wedding Planner

So what does a wedding planner cost in Central New York? With Turning Stone, the services are included as part of your ceremony and reception. But for outside planners, there are a few different fees to consider.

Wedding Planner Hourly Rates

While many wedding planners will not offer their services by the hour, those who do may be able to help you with answers to specific needs, like finding the right venue. Expect to pay at least $75/hour with luxury wedding planners ranging from $100 - $275/hour.

Wedding Planner Day-of Rates

Here's a pro tip: avoid the temptation of asking your maid of honor or sister or best friend to be your day-of wedding planner. They've been waiting for this day (almost) as much as you, and giving them a big job would take them away from the celebration. Day-of wedding planners aren't involved in pre-planning but are there to make sure everything is running smoothly - and take care of any hitch that may come up. Expect to pay $800 - $3500 or so for such services.

Percent of a Wedding Budget for a Wedding Planner

Depending on the size of your wedding, whether or not it's a destination wedding and your budget, it's a good idea to set aside at least 15 - 25% of your budget for a professional wedding planner. While it may seem counterintuitive, the more contracts you need to sign, vendors to coordinate and guests to accommodate, the more an experienced planner can help you save.

Key Questions to Ask Your Wedding Planner

Your wedding planner will spend about a third of their time working with you directly on calls or through email, so finding someone you like personally and enjoy talking to is certainly important. But you also want someone who is at the top of their game, so "nice" is only the beginning. Remember, you are hiring a professional to help put together one of the biggest events of your life. Make sure you feel confident in your choice by asking the right questions.

What is Their Experience?

How did your planner get started? What do they think they do exceptionally well? What's an example of how they've saved the day? How long have they been doing weddings? Do they do this full-time or on the side? Do they have testimonials or reviews they can share? What type of budgets do they work with most often? How many weddings a year do they do? Don't shy away from the tough questions. A professional who's good at their job and loves to do it also loves to share their expertise.

What are Their Services and Fees?

Managing expectations up front is key to a great partnership. Be sure you and your planner both clearly understand what their services include - and what they do not. Ask this specifically. They may also have a standard set of services they offer for a fixed fee, but additional services they offer a la carte.

How Experienced and Deep is Their Vendor Network?

Here is where an experienced wedding planner can add tremendous value - through their trusted network of partners. This may be the first time you've ever had to hire a caterer. Or back out a calendar to make sure you're planning things far enough in advance to avoid last-minute stress. But an experienced wedding planner already has trusted partners in place, knows how much notice they need and has backups for emergencies. Ask how long have they worked with their vendors. What happens if a vendor has to cancel at the last minute? Do they have backups in place? An experienced planner will be proud of the network they've built and the skilled contractors they've assembled. 

Why Choose Turning Stone as Your Full-Service Wedding Destination

Set on 3400 acres of rolling hills in Central New York, Turning Stone is one of the top five tourist destinations in the state and New York's most awarded resort. With more than 20 restaurants, five hotels, spectacular indoor and outdoor venues, award-winning spas and championship golf, it's an ideal choice for a destination wedding.

Led by veteran wedding specialist Chelsea Tyszko, our experienced wedding team includes master chefs, our own pastry chefs and wedding cake experts, exceptional florists, highly trained servers and event coordinators, even an ice sculptor. Give us a call, we'd love to hear about your plans for your dream wedding - and how we can help bring those dreams to life.

Download Our 12-Month Wedding Timeline

Wondering where to get started or what comes first? Our veteran team has put together a helpful Wedding Timeline to help outline the months and weeks leading up to your big day. While the process may feel daunting, remember, that's what a professional expert is here for, to take care of the details so you can focus on what matters most - savoring one of the most special times of your life.

Meet Our Event Specialist