Full-service planning
$3,500 – $15,000+
Twelve to eighteen months, concept through execution. Vendor sourcing, design, budget management and the day itself.
New York CityLos AngelesChicagoDallasAustinNashvilleCharlestonHudson ValleyDenverSan Diego
Wedding planners, ranked by market
97 planners across 10 markets, starting at $1,000. Every list is scoped to one market, with prices, service tiers and track record on each listing.
Choose a market
- New York CityNew YorkThe most expensive planning market in the country, and the one where the venue's rules decide the most. Loading docks, union labour and building curfews shape a New York wedding long before the design does.10 planners
- Los AngelesCaliforniaA production market. The venue stock runs from private estates to soundstages, and a large share of the planning firms here came up through catering, hospitality or brand events rather than through bridal.10 planners
- ChicagoIllinoisA market with unusually clear pricing. More planners here publish real numbers than in any other metro on this site, and the season is short enough that the good ones fill early.10 planners
- DallasTexasTwo cities and a wide suburban ring, with the largest South Asian wedding market in the state. Guest counts here run well above the national average, and the planning is priced accordingly.10 planners
- AustinTexasA two-market city: downtown lofts and hotels on one side, Hill Country ranches and vineyards forty minutes west on the other. Most planners here work both, and the logistics of the second are what separate them.10 planners
- NashvilleTennesseeHeavy inbound destination demand and a venue stock that runs from downtown honky-tonk buyouts to restored barns in Franklin. Planners here handle more out-of-state couples than almost any market in the country.9 planners
- CharlestonSouth CarolinaHistoric estates, strict city noise ordinances and a hurricane season that shapes every contract. A market where the planner's relationship with the venue does more work than anywhere else.10 planners
- Hudson ValleyNew YorkWhere New York City weddings actually happen. Almost entirely weekend-long, almost entirely tented or barn, and priced accordingly.9 planners
- DenverColoradoMountain venues with altitude, road and weather constraints that a city planner will not have priced for. The gap between the two is unusually wide here.10 planners
- San DiegoCaliforniaCoastal and year-round, which means no true off-season and no off-season pricing. Permit work for beach ceremonies is a real line item.9 planners
The four things a planner sells
The tier sets the order of magnitude of the fee, not the planner. Every listing states which tiers a business actually sells and what the cheapest one costs.
Partial planning
$2,000 – $6,000
You have made some decisions already. The planner takes the rest, plus full day-of management.
New York CityLos AngelesChicagoDallasAustinNashvilleCharlestonHudson ValleyDenverSan Diego
Month-of coordination
$800 – $2,500
You plan it. They take the last four to six weeks, confirm every vendor and run the day. Often mislabelled 'day-of'.
New York CityLos AngelesChicagoDallasAustinNashvilleCharlestonHudson ValleyDenverSan Diego
Design & styling only
$1,500 – $6,000
Look, palette, floor plan and sourcing. No logistics on the day unless bought separately.
New York CityLos AngelesChicagoDallasAustinNashvilleCharlestonHudson ValleyDenverSan Diego
Browse by specialism
Destination weddingsMulticultural & fusionSouth AsianJewish ceremoniesMicro & elopementLarge format (250+)Outdoor & tentedBudget-led planning
These open New York City. Switch markets from the list above.
Common questions
How are the wedding planners on this site ranked?
On what each business publishes about itself: stated pricing, years in business, weddings delivered, credentials held, and how clearly it states what it does and does not sell. Every listing links to the business's own site so you can check any of it. The full method is on the How we rank page.
How much does a wedding planner cost in the US?
Month-of coordination sits around $800 to $2,500, partial planning $2,000 to $6,000, and full-service planning $3,500 to $15,000 or more. Major metros run at the top of each band or above it. The tier sets the order of magnitude, so the first thing to establish is which one you are buying.
When should you hire a wedding planner?
Full-service planners are usually booked twelve to eighteen months out, and the good ones in a busy market go earlier. Partial planning tends to book eight to twelve months out. Month-of coordination books far later, commonly three to six months, and some planners take work inside 90 days.
What is the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator?
A planner works with you from the beginning: sourcing, design, budget and logistics. A coordinator takes a wedding you have already planned and runs the final weeks and the day itself. Coordination costs a fraction of planning because it is a fraction of the work, not a discount on the same service.
Do wedding planners save you money?
Often, though not always enough to cover their own fee. The saving comes from vendor relationships, from catching the costs a couple would not have priced, and from stopping expensive late changes. Where a planner reliably pays for themselves is on complex weddings: raw venues, large guest counts, multi-day formats and out-of-state planning.
What should you have ready before contacting a planner?
A date or a season, a rough guest count, your venue if you have one, and a total budget you are willing to say out loud. Those four things are what a planner needs to quote, and having them ready is the difference between a real number and a range.
Do wedding planners have minimum budgets?
Many do at the top of the market, and a growing number publish them. A stated minimum total wedding budget, or a per-guest floor, is the most useful qualifier a planner can give you: it tells you whether to make the call at all. Several listings on this site publish one.
What credentials do US wedding planners have?
There is no single licensing body for wedding planning in the United States. The recognised credentials come from the Association of Bridal Consultants, WIPA, the Certified Wedding Planner Society and NACE, and each verifies something different. Read a credential alongside years in business and weddings delivered rather than on its own.
How many weddings does a good planner take per year?
Between ten and twenty-five for a small firm, and the number is worth asking about. A planner taking fifty weddings a year with one lead is spread thin; a planner taking eight may be newer than the portfolio suggests. Several listings here state their annual cap, which is the clearest answer you will get.
How do I get my business listed?
Through the Get listed page. Listings are compiled by hand rather than harvested, so a submission starts a research pass rather than creating a page. Every fact on a listing has to be published on the business's own website before it goes on.