Picture this: the ceremonial fire crackles during the pheras, casting a warm glow, while a wedding planner subtly signals the musicians to begin. This seamless orchestration is the result of understanding the costs associated with a wedding planner. Knowing these costs is essential for enjoying a smooth, budget-friendly wedding. This guide covers costs in India and briefly compares international pricing to help you plan with confidence.
Understanding Wedding Planner Costs and Services
Wedding planning includes budgeting, vendor coordination, décor, logistics, and guest management, often spread across functions such as mehendi, sangeet, haldi, pheras, and receptions.
Working alongside a dedicated professional allows your unique vision to blend with expert guidance, creating a personalised event.
For many couples, managing everything independently can be stressful, especially when work or studies are involved. Engaging a professional planner turns the process into a collaborative effort.
Together, your family and the planner form a coordinated team, overseeing timelines, negotiations, and execution on the event day, so you can focus on enjoying the celebration.
Weddings in India are culturally rich and vary across regions, with distinct rituals in the North, South, East, and West. In South India, for example, a mandap decorated with banana stems and traditional flowers may be central to the ceremony.
A Tamil bride, dressed in a sari, might request jasmine strands to infuse fragrance as she walks the aisle. North Indian weddings often feature elaborate floral designs and grand baraats that impress attendees.
A planner who understands local customs and aesthetics can honour tradition while meeting modern expectations; however, this expertise comes at a cost. Understanding typical wedding planner expenses can help you determine the level of service you require.
How much does a wedding planner cost in India?
There is no fixed price for a planner, but realistic reference ranges exist. In India, wedding planner costs depend on:
- City (metro vs small towns)
- Wedding budget and guest count
- Number of events and days
- Experience and brand value of the planner
Most planners charge a flat fee or a percentage of your budget, often 10–20% for full-service planning. With a ₹20 lakh budget, this equals ₹2–₹4 lakh. Partial and day-of services cost less.
Typical fee bands are:
- Small/intimate weddings: about ₹50,000 to ₹1,50,000 for planning and coordination for a small guest list and limited events.
- Mid‑sized city weddings: around ₹2,00,000 to ₹7,00,000 for end‑to‑end planning covering multiple events over one or two days.
- Luxury or destination weddings: roughly ₹10,00,000 to ₹25,00,000 or more for large guest counts, premium venues, and high‑end production.
These ranges aren’t strict rules, but they give a realistic sense of what ‘cheap,’ ‘mid-range,’ and ‘high-end’ planning means. To manage costs without compromising tradition, consider merging functions.
Combining events like haldi and mehendi breakfasts streamlines logistics and saves money, empowering couples to balance their budget and customs.
Full Service Wedding Planners
A full‑service wedding planner manages everything from your engagement to the last event, including:
- Budget planning and timeline creation
- Venue research and booking support
- Vendor shortlisting and negotiations (decor, catering, photography, entertainment, etc.)
- Design and décor concepts for each function
- Coordination with families and vendors
- On-the-day management of all events
Full-service planning is the most intensive and expensive option, starting at around ₹2,00,000 for city weddings and reaching ₹10,00,000 or more for larger or multi-day events.
Luxury or destination weddings can exceed ₹10,00,000, but this option ensures expert management of every detail, allowing you to fully enjoy the celebrations.
Think of this as insuring your memories: the higher fee reduces stress, lets you delegate over a hundred decisions, saves you many hours, and allows you to immerse yourself in your special moments.
Outside India, planners in countries like the US or UK charge several thousand dollars for luxury weddings, with full-service planning always costing more due to greater involvement.
Day‑of (or Month‑of) Coordinators
Day-of coordinators join close to the wedding and focus on execution, not long-term planning. They:
- Review your existing plans and vendor list.
- Create a detailed wedding‑day timeline.
- Coordinate vendor arrivals and payments on the day.
- Manage the ceremony and reception flow.
- Handle last‑minute issues so families can relax.
In India, day-of coordination typically involves a flat fee rather than a percentage of the total budget. Typical fees range from ₹50,000 to ₹1,50,000 for a main wedding day, depending on the city, number of guests, and event complexity.
For instance, if a DJ’s flight is delayed before the reception, a coordinator can quickly arrange a backup to ensure the celebration continues smoothly. Such prompt solutions demonstrate the value of onsite coordination.
- Sometimes, it is ₹25,000 to ₹1,00,000 per function if you only want coordination for specific events like a sangeet or reception.
This can be a smart choice if you enjoy planning and have booked vendors yourself, but want a professional to manage the day.
Partial Planning Packages
Partial planning is the middle ground between full-service and day-of coordination. In this arrangement, the couple typically takes responsibility for booking major vendors and planning rituals, while the planner covers a clearly defined range: offering vendor recommendations, reviewing contracts, guiding décor, preparing checklists and timelines, and coordinating logistics closer to the wedding.
Unlike full-service, the planner does not handle all aspects or provide ongoing support from the beginning—these remain with the couple. This distinction ensures you know which tasks are yours and which are your planner’s.
- Help with vendor recommendations and shortlisting.
- Review contracts and budgets.
- Guide décor and design decisions.
- Create timelines and checklists.
- Take over coordination in the final weeks and on the wedding day.
Because the scope varies, so do costs. In many Indian cities,
- Partial planning typically ranges from ₹75,000 to ₹3,00,000, depending on inclusions.
- If charged as a percentage, it’s usually 5–15% of your budget, lower than full-service and higher than day-of coordination.
Partial planning is very practical for Indian weddings, reassuring families who wish to handle rituals and some vendors themselves while still benefiting from professional control over logistics and décor.
Wedding Planner Costs in Other Countries
Comparing India with other countries, the structure is broadly similar:
- Full-service planners charge the most, usually several thousand dollars.
- Partial planning is mid‑range.
- Day-of or month-of coordination is the most affordable option.
Average wedding budgets are higher abroad, especially in Western countries, so planner fees can be higher even if the percentages are similar.
Factors That Increase or Decrease Wedding Planner’s Cost
Whatever country you are in, a few factors always push wedding planner costs up or down:
- Location: Big cities and tourist spots cost more than small towns. Imagine vendor trucks navigating narrow hill roads to a mountainside venue, with logistical challenges that justify higher costs. These hurdles explain price spikes in remote locations and clarify location-based surcharges.
- Guest count: More guests means more logistics, more staff, and more time.
- Number of events: A simple one‑day wedding costs less to plan than three or four full functions.
- Décor and production: Minimal décor is cheaper to coordinate than luxury setups.
- Experience and brand: Well‑known planners with strong portfolios charge more than new planners still building their profiles.
This is why different couples receive different answers to the question, “How much does a wedding planner cost?”
Local vs International Wedding Planners
For Indian weddings, you might also consider hiring a local planner versus an international planner:
- Local planners know regional customs, vendors, and venues, speak local languages, and negotiate better deals. This usually keeps vendor and planner costs reasonable.
- International planners may offer a unique global design style or destination experience. However, you must also cover their travel, accommodation, and time away from home, which will increase the final bill.
For most India-based weddings, you can feel confident that a strong local or India-based destination planner will offer excellent value for money while understanding your needs and traditions.
How to Budget for a Wedding Planner
A simple way to budget is:
- Decide on your rough wedding budget.
- For full‑service planning, set aside 10–15% of that budget (more for very complex or luxury events).
- For partial planning, expect a mid-range flat fee of roughly 5–15%.
- For day‑of coordination, plan for a fixed amount (often under 5% of your total budget for many weddings).
Write this out in a spreadsheet and add possible extras, such as additional assistants for large events and charges for last-minute changes.
For example, set aside a contingency amount, such as ₹25,000, for unexpected expenses, such as last-minute generator hires. This proactive step will prevent planner fees from surprising you later.
Also Read: The Ultimate Tips to Flawless Event Planning in India
Also Read: When to Start Planning Your Wedding? A Comprehensive Guide
Wedding Planner Cost Summary: Making the Right Choice
In short, wedding planner costs in India range from ₹50,000 for basic day-of coordination to ₹10,00,000 or more for full-service planning of large or luxury weddings. Fees for very high-end events can be even higher.
Thinking of the cost as 5–20% of your total wedding budget, depending on service level, offers a realistic starting point.
Once you know these ranges, you can compare quotes, match the service level to your budget, and choose a planner who delivers value rather than just a low price.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m overwhelmed by all the options. Where do I even start with wedding planner costs?
Start by understanding the three main service levels. Day-of coordination costs ₹50,000 to ₹1,50,000 if you’ve done most planning yourself. Partial planning runs ₹75,000 to ₹3,00,000 for couples who want guidance on specific tasks. Full-service planning ranges from ₹2,00,000 to ₹25,00,000+ when you need someone to handle everything from start to finish. Think about how much time and stress you can realistically handle, then choose accordingly.
Is 15% of my budget too much to spend on a planner?
Not if it saves your sanity! Most couples allocate 10–20% for full-service planning, 5–15% for partial planning, and under 5% for day-of coordination. Consider this: that percentage covers hundreds of hours of work, vendor negotiations that often save you money, and the peace of mind to actually enjoy your wedding instead of troubleshooting problems.
What is the difference between full-service and partial wedding planning?
Full-service planners manage everything from engagement to the final event, while partial planners assist with specific tasks like vendor recommendations, contract reviews, and coordination in the final weeks, leaving major decisions to the couple.
I’ve planned everything myself. Do I really need a day-of coordinator?
Absolutely. You’ve done the hard work—now let someone else execute it. A day-of coordinator manages vendor arrivals, timeline flow, payment coordination, and those inevitable last-minute crises (like delayed DJs or missing décor items). For ₹50,000–₹1,50,000, you get to be a bride or groom, not a project manager on your wedding day. Your family deserves to celebrate, not troubleshoot.
Why are Mumbai planners quoting me double what my cousin paid in Jaipur?
Metro pricing reflects reality. Planners in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore face higher operational costs—office rent, staff salaries, vendor rates, and travel expenses within congested cities. Demand is also higher, and experienced metro planners often have premium portfolios. Your cousin in Jaipur benefits from lower overhead costs and less competition. Both quotes can be fair for their respective markets.
Sources:
- Grand View Research (https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/wedding-services-market-report)
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