Hi friends! Here’s a PSA for those getting married – do not use sites like WeddingWire to plan your wedding. It’s inaccurate and does not give you the right pricing of what you’ll actually spend with professional vendors in Chicago. If you go based off of what they say, you’ll definitely spend way over what you think your budget will be, causing fights and potential financial issues and that’s no way to start your married life together.
A professional, experienced planner in Chicago in 2018 should not charge you $500 for planning their entire wedding or for wedding coordination. Wedding coordination should start at $2,000+ for 30-45 days out and they’ll help you tie up loose ends. Wedding planning – partial and full – should start at about $5k+. It can go as high as $15k+ depending on the level of support, how many years in the industry, etc. This is what paying a professional should actually look like. By paying this, you should expect a professional planner to help guide you through the process and help you save money and stress by guiding you to make the right decisions for you.
Please be aware that websites like WeddingWire are not unbiased – they charge wedding vendors to advertise with them but then the information you’re getting are from couples who may have used non-pros for their wedding and then the numbers don’t add up, leading you to believe that the wedding industry is “screwing” you. Trust me, we’re not. We’re good people just trying to make a living and in love with the idea of love.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I’d be happy to help answer any questions.
