What Makes a Wedding Planner Luxury?

And other questions you might have about luxury wedding planners

Let us guess: you’re engaged, thinking about your wedding, and beginning the planning process when you start seeing this phrase—“luxury wedding planners”—in many of the places you’ve looked so far. And while we all know what a 5-star resort is, or what we can expect from a Michelin-starred restaurant, determining what makes a luxury wedding planner …

…is a little harder.

Like with everything we do here at Mandy Marie Events, we want to make it easier on you and help you know exactly what to expect. 

So let’s break it down—what is a luxury wedding planner?

High-end wedding planners, also known in the industry as “luxury wedding planners,” provide a high level of personalized service beyond traditional wedding planning. They help to create a unique and exclusive experience tailored to a couple’s lifestyle, preferences, and entertainment style.

Oftentimes, these luxury wedding coordinators orchestrate events that span days (rather than hours), are hosted in iconic luxury wedding destinations or at luxury resorts, and lead an experienced team to design and coordinate a unique, multi-layered, exquisitely detailed celebration.

What makes a luxury wedding planner different? 

It’s important to remember that “luxury wedding planner” isn’t a term like “Olympic Gold Medalist.” There’s no set of standards to serve as a sort of checks-and-balances system on the most accurate use of the term … in general, however, a luxury wedding planner will include the following in their standard services:

1. Full-Service Wedding Planning
   Beyond the stuff that has to be your responsibility—like making the guest list and choosing your gown—these planners will handle every detail of your planning process and insist you don’t need to lift a finger unless you absolutely want to be involved in a decision.

2. Concierge Planning and Design Process
   Just like the concierge at a five-star resort makes it their mission to help you have the best stay possible, a high-end wedding planner employs concierge practices to ensure your wedding exceeds your expectations. For us, that means tailoring our designs and planning process to present you with custom options for your celebration that, for the most part, just require your stamp of approval.

3. Attention to Detail and Seamless Orchestration
   Our hope is that any wedding coordinator has higher-than-average attention to detail, but with luxury wedding planners like us, that attention to detail is taken to the next level—being mindful of everything from the flow of the event space to the positioning of your flatware. The seamless orchestration of your event relies on the flawless execution of every element of your celebration—big or small!—as they all work together to create the total experience.

4. Access to Exclusive Resources
   Creating partnerships and developing a network of relationships in this industry is key. Many of the best vendors, venues, and contractors needed to bring a luxury event to life prioritize a select list of planners and coordinators because they know they can rely on their skill and expertise to prevent any missteps or even bigger issues. Having access to these resources is key to hosting a luxury wedding.

5. Anticipation and Communication
   For a real luxury experience at even the most iconic wedding destination locations, being two steps ahead with meticulous communication is required for any successful multi-day wedding or event. Luxury wedding planners limit their clients per season to provide quick turnaround to clients, venues, and vendor partners. They’re thoughtful and caring in their service approach, always going the extra step for you and your guests. Above all, they’re anticipating any scenarios that could play out differently than planned so that the clients never even know it happened until it’s solved (if they ever hear about it at all).

What does a luxury wedding planner do exactly?

When considering if working with a luxury wedding planner is right for you, it’s best to consider what kind of tasks associated with planning your wedding you want off your plate. Many couples relate their wedding planning experience to taking on a part-time job, but that’s not the case when you work with a high-end wedding planner who will take care of things like:

1. Creating never-before-seen details.
   A planner of this caliber isn’t intimidated by the idea of a custom creation—in fact, that’s our default setting. Executing cookie-cutter events isn’t fun for us; instead, creating something never-before-seen, inspired by your unique personalities, interests, venue location, and love story, ignites our creativity and gets us excited to work with our clients.

2. Handling logistics you don’t even have to think about.
   Transforming an open field into a wedding venue? We could do it in our sleep. Weddings don’t just take place at resorts and venues. Often, the most luxury events occur in spaces where the entire infrastructure was created from the ground up over several days before the couple’s I do’s. Managing these kinds of details isn’t just outside the skillset of the average couple, it shouldn’t have to be on your mind at all. But, hiring a less experienced wedding coordinator (who isn’t experienced in the production, power, lighting, fabrication and management of tens of teams required for success) when a total venue transformation is your vision would be a grave mistake.

3. Elevated communication & vendor management.
   A luxury wedding planner’s communication skills are second to none. They interact with every personality type, skill set, and level of expertise with flawless professionalism and ease. They know how to manage, teach, and lead when needed, and they could negotiate and problem-solve their way out of a black hole if they had to. Their professionalism and grace command respect and earn trust.

How much does it cost to work with a luxury wedding planner?

Most luxury wedding planners charge a percentage fee based on the total budget of your wedding—this is because, with larger guest counts and greater budgets, there are more details and logistics to be managed by the planner and their team. The industry average seems to hover around 15%—20%, with different experience levels determining more premium pricing. Location can also impact the planners’ fees.

Is There a Minimum Budget to Be Considered a Luxury Wedding?

The overall budget isn’t a great metric to use for this because your guest count has a significant impact on your event’s cost. A better indicator that you’re planning a luxury wedding is your cost per guest, which we often find to be between $2500—$5000 or more.

Does Hiring a Luxury Wedding Planner Mean I’ll Spend More?

As long as your vision for your event is well communicated & aligned with your planner’s service style and proposal, it’s likely the opposite. An experienced luxury planner knows how to effectively and impactfully allocate your investment, saving money where possible and spending it in the most impactful ways. Their expertise will be able to guide you toward making investment decisions that align with your desire for your celebration and have the greatest impact on your event’s overall experience. 

If you already have your mind set on creating an unforgettable experience for your guests, hosting your celebration at a luxury destination, and working with top-tier vendors who are best-in-class for what they do, odds are you also know those things often come at a premium price point, and you’re financially savvy enough to estimate what things will cost. A luxury wedding planner, however, plans events like these day in and day out, and they can help you set a realistic budget you feel comfortable with that allows their team to bring your vision to life. 

Now that you are more acquainted with the concept of a luxury wedding planner, we hope you feel more equipped to select the wedding planner who is right for you and the wedding celebration you have in mind. 

If you’re interested in working with Mandy Marie Events to plan your wedding, we suggest reaching out to our team 9-18 months in advance of your desired wedding date. Of course, we can work on tighter timelines, but when possible, we like to make sure we can reserve your date around a year ahead. Click here to learn more about our services →