What Does a Wedding Planner Do? Services Explained

Wedding planners coordinate vendors, manage timelines, handle logistics, and ensure your wedding day runs flawlessly. Full-service planners manage every detail from engagement to honeymoon departure. Day-of coordinators execute your existing plans during the final weeks. Partial planners provide guidance on specific areas you choose. Approximately 30% of a planner's time goes to vendor communication and couple coordination, with the remainder spent on logistics, design, and problem-solving.¹

The right level of support depends on your time availability, budget, planning experience, and wedding complexity. Here's exactly what each type of wedding professional does—and how to decide which you need.

What Wedding Planners Actually Do

Professional wedding planners handle coordination that would otherwise consume 200-300 hours of your time over 12-18 months. Their core responsibilities span multiple categories throughout the planning process.

Vendor Management

Planners research, recommend, and coordinate with all wedding vendors. This includes photographers, caterers, florists, musicians, officiants, hair and makeup artists, transportation companies, and rental suppliers. They leverage industry relationships to negotiate better pricing—often securing 10-20% discounts through established connections.¹

Beyond booking, planners manage ongoing vendor communication. They confirm delivery times, review contracts for red flags, coordinate setup logistics, and serve as the primary contact point so you're not fielding calls from 15 different suppliers.

Timeline Development

Creating a detailed wedding day timeline requires understanding how long each element actually takes. Planners build minute-by-minute schedules that account for hair and makeup, photography, ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner service, speeches, dancing, and send-off. They also develop weekend timelines for multi-day celebrations.

Budget Tracking

Professional planners create comprehensive budgets covering all wedding categories. They track spending against allocations, flag potential overages early, and identify opportunities to reallocate funds. Many use specialized software that provides real-time budget visibility.

Design Coordination

Planners translate your vision into actionable design plans. They create mood boards, select colour palettes, coordinate with florists and rental companies on aesthetic elements, and ensure visual cohesion across all wedding touchpoints. Some planners offer styling services; others focus on coordination while you handle creative direction.

Logistics Management

The behind-the-scenes logistics of weddings involve countless details: seating charts, dietary restrictions, transportation routes, accommodation blocks, ceremony permits, and contingency plans. Planners manage these moving pieces so nothing falls through the cracks.

Types of Wedding Planning Services

Wedding professionals offer four distinct service levels. Understanding what each includes helps you match your needs to the right support.

Full-Service Planning

Full-service planners handle every aspect of wedding planning from the moment you hire them until you depart for your honeymoon. They typically begin work 12-18 months before the wedding, though some accommodate shorter timelines.

What full-service planners do:

• Conduct initial consultations to understand your vision, priorities, and budget
• Research and tour potential venues, presenting top options with detailed comparisons
• Create comprehensive budgets and track spending throughout planning
• Source vendors for all categories: photography, catering, flowers, entertainment, rentals, lighting, stationery, cake, hair and makeup, transportation, and officiant
• Negotiate contracts and payment schedules with each vendor
• Develop custom design concepts with mood boards and styling direction
• Manage guest lists, RSVPs, and seating arrangements
• Coordinate invitation design, addressing, and mailing
• Create detailed timelines for the wedding day and any additional events
• Attend planning meetings and vendor appointments with you
• Run the rehearsal and manage the full wedding day
• Oversee setup, breakdown, and final vendor payments

Full-service planning makes sense for busy professionals with limited availability, couples planning from a distance, anyone managing complex logistics like multi-day celebrations, or those who prefer delegating to experts. In Australia, full-service planning represents approximately 17% of the average wedding budget.²

Partial Planning

Partial planners join your team 4-6 months before the wedding, providing expert guidance without taking over completely. You remain the primary planner, but you have professional support for key decisions and day-of execution.

What partial planners do:

• Attend 3-5 planning meetings over 4-6 months
• Provide vendor recommendations from their professional network
• Review contracts and identify potential issues before you sign
• Offer budget guidance and track spending
• Create design concepts and mood boards
• Develop detailed wedding day timelines
• Provide unlimited email support during engagement (some planners)
• Run the rehearsal
• Manage the entire wedding day

Partial planning suits couples who've already booked major vendors but need guidance on remaining details. It's ideal if you enjoy planning but want professional backup for logistics and execution.

Day-of Coordination

Day-of coordinators focus exclusively on wedding day execution. Despite the name, they typically engage 4-6 weeks before the wedding to familiarize themselves with your plans and vendors.

What day-of coordinators do:

• Conduct an initial consultation to review all existing plans
• Create detailed wedding day timelines
• Contact all vendors to confirm arrival times, setup requirements, and contact information
• Perform a final venue walkthrough
• Run the rehearsal
• Arrive early on wedding day to oversee setup
• Serve as the primary contact for all vendors throughout the day
• Cue ceremony processional and coordinate timing
• Manage reception flow including meal service, speeches, and dancing
• Handle any emergencies or last-minute problems
• Oversee breakdown and ensure nothing is left behind

Day-of coordination is ideal for organised couples who've handled their own planning but want professional management during the celebration itself. You've already booked vendors, created timelines, and made all decisions—you just need someone to execute the plan flawlessly.

What day-of coordinators do NOT do:

• Vendor research or booking
• Contract negotiation
• Design development
• Invitation management
• Budget tracking throughout planning

Month-of Coordination

Month-of coordinators bridge the gap between day-of and partial planning. They join 4-8 weeks before the wedding, providing more comprehensive review than day-of coordinators while remaining more affordable than partial planning.

What month-of coordinators do:

Everything included in day-of coordination, plus:

• Review all vendor contracts to ensure nothing is overlooked
• Confirm final headcounts, meal selections, and dietary requirements
• Finalise seating charts and table arrangements
• Coordinate final design details with florists and rental companies
• Manage outstanding vendor payments and due dates
• Create contingency plans for weather or vendor emergencies

Month-of coordination works well for couples who've handled most planning independently but want professional eyes reviewing everything before the big day.

Regional Terminology and Practices

Wedding planning services vary slightly across English-speaking markets. Understanding regional differences helps when researching professionals or planning a destination wedding.

United States

American wedding planners use standard terminology: full-service planner, partial planner, and day-of coordinator. Some use "wedding coordinator" interchangeably with planner, though this can cause confusion.

In the US, couples often hire officiants separately from planners. Officiants perform the legal ceremony while planners handle logistics. Anyone can become ordained online through organisations like the Universal Life Church, allowing friends or family to officiate legally in most states.

United Kingdom

British wedding professionals often use "wedding coordinator" to describe what Americans call a full-service planner. The term "on-the-day coordinator" typically refers to day-of coordination services.

UK couples marry through either civil ceremonies at registry offices (performed by registrars) or religious ceremonies at licensed venues (performed by religious officiants). Planners coordinate with venue coordinators, who often come included with British wedding venues.

The UK market also features strong venue-based planning. Many British venues offer in-house coordination as part of their packages, reducing the need for external planners.

Australia

Australian wedding planners use similar terminology to the US market. Full-service planning costs $5,000-$6,000 AUD on average, with day-of coordination running $1,500-$2,000 AUD.²

A key difference: Australian marriages must be performed by registered marriage celebrants. Unlike the US, friends cannot simply get ordained online—celebrants must complete government-approved training and registration. Planners coordinate with celebrants but don't perform this role themselves.

Australian planners also navigate the country's geographic challenges. Destination weddings to popular locations like the Whitsundays, Byron Bay, or Margaret River require additional logistics around guest travel and remote vendor coordination.

Signs You Need a Wedding Planner

Consider hiring professional planning support if you recognise yourself in these scenarios.

Time constraints: You work demanding jobs with limited evenings and weekends for vendor meetings, venue tours, and planning sessions. The average wedding requires 200-300 hours of planning—that's 4-6 hours weekly over a year.

Distance challenges: You're planning from a different city or country than your wedding location. Long-distance planning requires more vendor research, virtual consultations, and trust in professionals you may rarely meet in person.

Stress triggers: Wedding planning stresses you out. Decision fatigue, family dynamics, and logistical complexity overwhelm rather than excite you. Planners absorb this stress while you focus on enjoying your engagement.

Complex logistics: Your wedding involves multiple venues, cultural traditions requiring specialised coordination, large guest counts exceeding 150, or multi-day celebrations. Complexity multiplies opportunities for things to go wrong.

Budget optimisation: You want professional guidance on where to spend versus save. Experienced planners know which vendor categories deliver the most impact and can often negotiate discounts that partially offset their fees.

When to Plan Without a Professional

DIY planning works well under certain circumstances.

Budget constraints: If your total wedding budget is under $15,000-$20,000, spending $3,000-$5,000 on planning may not make sense. Day-of coordination at $1,000-$2,500 offers a middle ground.

Planning enthusiasm: You genuinely enjoy project management, vendor research, and creative decision-making. Planning feels like fun rather than obligation.

Simple celebrations: Intimate weddings under 50 guests with single venues and straightforward logistics don't require extensive coordination. A capable friend or family member can often manage day-of duties.

Flexible timeline: You have 15-18 months to plan with consistent time available throughout. Rushing a DIY wedding increases stress and mistakes.

Support network: Trusted family or friends are willing and able to help with specific tasks like invitation assembly, decoration setup, or vendor coordination.

Many couples successfully combine DIY planning with professional day-of coordination. You control creative decisions and handle vendor relationships while ensuring expert execution when it matters most.

Working Effectively with Your Planner

If you hire planning support, these practices ensure a productive partnership.

Communicate your priorities: Be specific about what matters most. Do you care more about photography or flowers? Is guest experience more important than aesthetic perfection? Planners make better recommendations when they understand your values.

Set response expectations: Agree on communication cadence—weekly emails, monthly calls, or as-needed contact. Professional planners typically respond within 24-48 hours during business hours.

Prepare for meetings: Come with questions, decisions to discuss, and feedback on previous proposals. Productive meetings move planning forward; unprepared meetings waste everyone's time.

Trust the expertise: Planners bring professional experience to vendor selection, timeline development, and problem-solving. When they flag concerns or suggest alternatives, listen carefully before dismissing the advice.

Stay decisive: Wedding planning involves hundreds of decisions. Endless deliberation on minor choices slows progress and increases costs. Make decisions and move forward.

Establish boundaries: Clarify what decisions you want to make versus delegate. Some couples want input on every detail; others prefer presenting final options only. Either approach works if communicated clearly.

Sources and References