It’s the end of March – 2017 wedding season has begun. With 2018 wedding inquiries appearing in my in-box from destination couples, I am noticing a pattern of questions that weren’t prevalent in 2017… How much do you charge?
Of course, the question was asked by the prior 78 couples that contracted to have their wedding planned, designed, coordinated by Lisa Kenward Events, but the question wasn’t the first question asked. It’s not always about price.
Jean from WeddingsFromTheHeart.net writes about her experiences and response to her clients questions…
How much do you charge?” That is usually the first question I get from a newly engaged bride or groom.
And it’s definitely a valid question. However, my answer is “It depends.”
Now you’re probably thinking, “why does she give a vague ‘it depends’ answer when other planners can tell us a dollar amount?”
How can I (or they, for that matter) tell you the price without knowing any details of your wedding, without knowing what you want me/us to do for you?
There way too many variables from one wedding to the next that affect the level of service I can provide for any couple, and in turn, affects ‘how much I charge.’
Do you want to end up paying too much because you’re getting things you really don’t want, or end up paying too little and miss things that are truly important to you? Of course not.
Some things (but not all) that affect price are:
– A wedding for 40-50 people is different than one for 250-300 people.
- How traditional or non-traditional your event will be
– Although traditional is in no way “cookie cutter,” non-traditional events can require more time and effort.
- How hands on or hands off you want me to be
– Do you want me to schedule vendor appointments for you, and join you at these appointments? Or do you just want me to provide you with names and contact information of vendors that would be a good fit for you?
– Do you want help with DIY projects?
– Do you need help locating unique resources and products to enhance your wedding?
The main services I provide are planning (partial to full-service), wedding weekend coordination, and hourly consulting. But (other than the hourly consults, because well, an hour is an hour, no one couple’s planning or coordination needs are the same as another couple’s.
Unlike so many other wedding planners, I do not have a price list to hand out, and am really surprised that others do.
So please don’t think I’m trying to be secretive when I don’t immediately answer the “How much do you charge” question. Instead, let’s get together (in person, or by phone-chat), and talk a bit about your wedding needs. That way we can develop service programs specifically for you (with pricing), based on you and the wedding you want.
The decision to have LKE as your wedding planner shouldn’t be solely decided upon due to price. It’s not always about price. Your decision to contract with me should be about the value of my services – knowledge, experience, education – a trusted professional that will guide you and help you have the wedding day that you envision.
Call me, let’s chat so I can answer your question, how much do you charge?
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