AND IF YOU PREFER TO READ, HERE'S THE SUMMARY OF THE PODCAST EPISODE!

I’m so excited you’re joining me for this conversation, because pricing isn’t just a behind-the-scenes business detail. It shapes the way we serve our clients, structure our services, and even position ourselves in the market.

Today I’m sharing my honest take on percentage-based vs. flat-fee pricing — including what I’ve learned from doing both, when percentage pricing actually makes sense, and why it’s not always the right fit for every planner or market.

And if you’re a couple tuning in, I’ll help you understand why planners price the way they do and how to decide which pricing structure is the best fit for your budget and planning needs.

And since it’s the end of our season, I’ll also be recapping some of my favorite moments from this season. It’s been a season full of heart, strategy, and so many gems from our guests, and I can’t wait to share what’s next.

Now, before I break it all down, I want to start by saying there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to pricing. Every planner’s business is different, and what works beautifully for one person might totally flop for someone else. 

But understanding the why behind different pricing models can help you choose a structure that actually supports the way you want to work, or the experience you want to have as a couple.

 

Percentage-Based Pricing vs. Flat-Fee Pricing

Let’s start with the basics. When we talk about flat-fee pricing, we’re usually referring to a set dollar amount that a planner charges for a particular service — like $6,000 for full-service planning or $2,500 for month-of coordination. This amount is fixed and doesn’t change based on how much the client spends on their wedding.

Percentage-based pricing, on the other hand, is calculated as a percentage of the client’s overall wedding budget. It’s most commonly used for full-service planning and usually falls somewhere between 10–20% of the total budget. For example, if a couple has a $100,000 budget and your fee is 15%, your planning fee would be $15,000.

So why does this matter? Well, it directly impacts the kind of weddings you're planning and the kind of clients you're attracting.

Flat-fee pricing is often easier to market and understand, especially for couples with tighter budgets or more predictable planning needs. It’s also what many newer planners start with because it feels more straightforward. But the challenge with this type of pricing model is that you could be planning a $100K wedding and still charging the same fee you would for a $40K wedding, even though the scope and pressure are wildly different.

Percentage-based pricing accounts for that difference. When done right, it ensures that the scale of your fee reflects the scale of the event. If a couple is spending $200K, chances are they’re expecting a high-touch experience — and managing that kind of vendor team, logistics, and expectations requires more time, more expertise, and honestly, more emotional labor. Percentage pricing gives you the flexibility to be properly compensated for that level of service.

That said — it’s not just about doing more math.

Percentage pricing only makes sense when your ideal client has the budget to support it. If someone is planning a $30K wedding and your minimum fee is 15%, that’s $4,500 — which might be more than they can comfortably spend on a planner. For those couples, a flat-fee model is often a better fit.

Percentage-based pricing can sound appealing, but if you’re still targeting mid-range budgets, it often creates a mismatch. That’s when confusion and pricing tension start to show up.

 

What’s Typically Included in Each Pricing Model

Now that we’ve talked about what each pricing model actually is, let’s talk about how that affects your packages, your client experience, and what you’re actually offering. Because the pricing model you choose doesn’t just determine how you get paid. It shapes the entire structure of your business. What’s included in your packages, how much access your clients have to you, the level of support you provide — it’s all connected.

Let’s start with flat-fee pricing.

With a flat-fee model, the client is paying a set amount — say $2,500 for month-of coordination, or maybe $6,000 for full-service planning. And with that flat fee comes a clearly defined scope of work. Everything is outlined in a nice little package — usually with limits.

In a flat-fee model, you’ll often see things like:

• A specific number of planning meetings
  
  
• A set list of deliverables (like building a timeline or confirming vendors)
  
  
• Email support during business hours
  
  
• Vendor recommendations, but not necessarily full vendor management
  
  
• A structured onboarding and wrap-up process
  
  
• And of course, day-of execution or coordination
  
  

Flat-fee packages are usually built with predictability in mind — for both the planner and the client. You know what you’re delivering. The client knows what they’re getting. And because the deliverables are pre-determined, it works especially well for:

• Partial planning
  
  
• Month-of or wedding management
  
  
• Elopements or intimate weddings
  
  
• Or clients with tighter budgets and more DIY involvement
  
  

Now, percentage-based pricing is a completely different beast.

This model is almost always used for full-service, high-touch planning. That’s the kind of experience where your planner is truly your right hand from the very beginning — sometimes even before you book your venue. With percentage pricing, your fee grows in proportion to the total wedding budget, because the workload, risk, and responsibility all grow too.

Here’s what’s typically included in a percentage-based planning service:

• Budget creation and management
  
  
• Venue scouting and site visits
  
  
• Full vendor curation, negotiation, and ongoing communication
  
  
• Design development from mood boards to full renderings
  
  
• Attending tastings, walkthroughs, fittings — all of it
  
  
• Guest experience planning — like transportation, accommodations, RSVP tracking, and even gifting
  
  
• Timeline and production schedule creation
  
  
• Multi-day event planning if needed (like your welcome dinner, after-party, farewell brunch)
  
  
• And often—unlimited access to your planner (no cap on meetings or hours)
  
  

In short? It’s concierge-level planning.

You’re not just handing a client a checklist — you’re managing the entire process, start to finish, often across many months (or even years), multiple vendors, and layers of family dynamics. It’s not uncommon for these weddings to involve 15–20 vendors, custom installations, printed collateral, and guest counts in the hundreds.

And because the scope can shift as the wedding evolves — whether the client adds a welcome dinner or upgrades their rentals — the pricing adjusts too. That’s the point of percentage-based pricing. It flexes with the event, while still protecting your time, effort, and mental energy.

Now, here’s where planners — especially newer ones — can get tripped up.

You can’t compare flat-fee and percentage pricing one-to-one. You’re not just deciding how to charge — you’re deciding how to structure your service, the level of access you’re offering, and the type of client experience you’re providing. It’s not just about “how much should I charge?” — it’s about what kind of relationship you’re creating with your clients.

And that’s why before you ever pick a pricing model, you need to ask yourself:

• “What kind of planner do I want to be?”
• “What kind of service do I want to offer?”
• “What kind of clients do I want to work with — and what kind of support are they expecting?”

Because pricing isn’t just a number. It’s a signal. And how you price your services shapes everything from your workload and energy to your brand positioning and profit.

So now that we’ve covered the basics of each pricing model, let’s talk about how to choose the right one for you. 

Let’s break it down by planning style so you can find what fits your business best.

 

Choosing the Right Pricing Structure for Your Planning Style

Full-Service Luxury Planners

If you’re offering comprehensive event management — from design and vendor sourcing to full execution — and working with budgets over $75K, percentage-based pricing can be a smart and scalable option. These weddings usually have multiple event days, large vendor teams, and high expectations. A percentage fee aligns with the scope, and ensures you’re being compensated for the real amount of work (and emotional labor!) that goes into it.

And like I mentioned earlier, percentage pricing only works if your ideal client has the budget to support it. If your market can’t consistently support those numbers, this pricing model will feel like a constant uphill battle, no matter how good it sounds.

Mid-Range or Partial Planning Specialists

If you’re offering design-only, partial planning, or guiding clients who want more hands-on involvement, a flat-fee model tends to work best. You can clearly define the scope, set expectations up front, and serve a wide range of budgets without constant back-and-forth about pricing.

This model is especially helpful if you're targeting couples with wedding budgets in the $30–70K range. It feels predictable for them, and profitable for you — if you’ve priced your time and deliverables wisely.

Month-of / Event Management Planners

For those who focus on coordination, timelines, and logistics closer to the wedding day, flat fees are the way to go. Your work is more contained and time-specific, so a fixed rate reflects the actual scope.

Bonus: it’s also easier to sell. Couples understand what they’re paying for, and you can streamline your messaging with clear packages.

New Planners Just Starting Out

If you’re a new planner just starting out, this is one area of your business you definitely don’t want to trip up on. Percentage-based pricing can sound like the most glamorous option, but if you don’t have the experience to back it up or the portfolio to attract high-budget clients, it’ll be hard to make it work.

Start with flat fees while you build your brand, develop your workflow, and get clear on your boundaries. You can always shift later. Flat-fee pricing gives you more control while you learn how long things actually take, where your time is going, and what kind of clients you want to work with long-term.

 

So whether you’re just starting out or refining your services after a few seasons, choosing the right pricing model is about more than numbers — it’s about clarity. Clarity for you and for your clients. Because at the end of the day, pricing isn’t just a business decision. It’s part of how you communicate your value and set expectations from the very first interaction.

Let’s zoom out for a second and talk about why all of this matters — not just for planners, but for couples, too.

 

Why Pricing Models Matter

Whether you're a planner building your business or a couple trying to figure out what you're paying for, here's what I want you to take away from this conversation: the way a planner prices their services isn't random — it's directly tied to the type of experience they offer.

A flat fee usually comes with a clearly defined scope. It's ideal for more structured planning services — like month-of coordination or partial planning — where both parties know exactly what to expect. It’s great for couples working with a smaller or mid-range budget, and for planners who want to keep things streamlined and predictable.

Percentage-based pricing, on the other hand, is designed to flex with the scale of the event. It reflects the reality that a $200K wedding requires a very different level of planning than a $40K wedding. For planners, it helps ensure you're compensated for the time, energy, and responsibility you're taking on. For couples, it means you're getting a truly customized, high-touch planning experience that evolves with your wedding.

Neither model is better — they just serve different purposes.

So whether you're pricing your services or shopping for them, the most important thing is alignment.

• Do the services match the needs?
• Is the pricing structure clear and sustainable?
• And does the relationship feel like the right fit?

When those pieces are in place, that’s where the real magic happens.

 

Season 5 Recap

As we wrap up Season 5, I just want to take a second to say… wow. What. A. Season.

This season, we covered so much ground. From timeline tips and venue red flags, to behind-the-scenes design details and real wedding horror stories — this season has been full of honest conversations, practical tools, and the kind of planner-to-planner (and planner-to-couple!) chats that I wish existed when I started out.

We kicked things off with a listener favorite — the week-of wedding checklist — and along the way, ended up talking about prenups, celebrity photography, cocktail-style receptions, and what Broadway and weddings actually have in common. (Spoiler: It’s more than you think.)

We also had some incredible guests this season. I mean, hello — Jove Meyer, Brittny Drye, Harmony Walton, Gigi de Manio — just to name a few. These are the people shaping our industry, and hearing their insights on color, design, inclusivity, and PR was such a gift.

But you know what really stood out to me this season?

The heart behind every episode.

Whether we were talking about wedding signage, sustainable catering, or the real difference between a planner and a venue coordinator, every conversation came back to the same thing: creating meaningful, thoughtful, intentional celebrations — however that looks for you.

And that’s what I love about this podcast. Yes, we get into the strategy. Yes, we talk trends and tips and timelines. But at the end of the day, it’s about helping you feel more confident, more empowered, and more connected — whether you’re planning your wedding, running a business, or just here because you love love (same).

And don’t worry — I’m not going anywhere. 😉 I’ve got something really fun coming that I cannot wait to share with you soon.

So if you’re not already following us on Instagram, now’s the time! Make sure you’re keeping up with both @verveeventco and @asktheplannerpodcast, because that’s where I’ll be sharing updates! 

And seriously, thank you for being here. Thank you for listening, for sharing, for sending in questions, and for showing up week after week. I’m so proud of the community this podcast has created and I can’t wait for what’s next!

 

CONCLUSION

Alright, loverves — that’s officially a wrap on Season 5! I’m so grateful for each and every one of you who tuned in, shared an episode, sent a DM, or left a review. This season has been such a joy to create, and none of it would be possible without this amazing community.

We’ll be taking a little break before Season 6 kicks off, but don’t go too far — make sure you’re following @verveeventco and @asktheplannerpodcast on Instagram so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Trust me, it’s going to be so good.

Until then, keep planning with purpose, lead with heart, and I’ll see you in the next season!