Protect Your Pay Day: Flat Fees vs. Percentage Fees for Wedding Planners
When it comes to pricing your services as a wedding planner, there are two main approaches: charging a flat fee or charging a percentage fee. Both can work beautifully — if your contract is written to support the way you charge. But too often, wedding planners make the mistake of choosing a pricing model without defining it clearly, which can lead to confusion, missed income, or even legal disputes.
Let’s break down the key considerations for each model and the essential contract language you’ll want in place.
Flat Fee: Simple, but Less Flexible
With a flat fee, you charge a fixed amount for your wedding planning services, regardless of the total wedding spend. This approach is straightforward and predictable, which many clients love. However, because it doesn’t change as the scope of the wedding changes, it’s crucial to clearly define what your services include and outline how additional services (or changes in scope) will be billed.
Percentage Fee: More Dynamic, More Details
Charging a percentage — often of the overall wedding budget — can better reflect the actual scale of the event and the work involved. But this model requires much more precise language in your contract. Here’s what to include:
Define What You’re Taking a Percentage Of
It’s not enough to say “15% of the budget.” Your contract needs to spell out exactly what that means. Are you taking a percentage of all vendor costs? The total event spend? Only items you source? Clarity here avoids disputes later.
2. Spell Out How the Budget Is Calculated
You also need to define what “budget” means. Does it include decor, attire, transportation, and tips? What about taxes, and service charges? Be specific, so there’s no question about what’s included in the base your fee is calculated from.
3. Account for Discounts, Trades, and Freebies
If a vendor provides a discount, don’t let that reduce your compensation. Include language stating that your fee is based on the fair market value of goods or services — not the discounted amount. The same goes for anything provided for free or as part of a trade.
4. Include a Post-Wedding Reconciliation Clause
Weddings evolve, and budgets change — especially in the final weeks. If your final payment is due before the wedding, build in a reconciliation process for after the wedding to capture any adjustments made after that payment. This ensures that you’re paid fairly for the actual scale of the event.
5. Protect Your Fee if Vendors Are Canceled
Clients sometimes fire vendors last minute, either without replacing them or by swapping in a cheaper option. Your contract should state that if a vendor is canceling and not replaced, or replaced with a cheaper option, your percentage fee is still calculated based on the higher of the two amounts. Why? Because by that point, you’ve already done significant work — sourcing, vetting, and communicating with that original vendor — and you deserve to be compensated for it.
Get It in Writing (and Get It Right)
Both flat fee and percentage fee pricing can be effective and profitable — but only if your contract is comprehensive. The more complex the pricing model, the more important it is to define terms clearly and protect your compensation in writing.
If you’re unsure whether your current contract does that — or if you’re thinking about switching models — it’s worth having a lawyer who understands the wedding industry review it. A little contract clarity now can save you from a major headache (and a lot of lost income) later. Help me to help you by scheduling a consultation today!