Wedding Directory
Discover Australia's finest wedding planners. Browse profiles and enquire directly with the professionals who'll bring your wedding day to life.
A wedding planner takes the logistics, budgeting and supplier wrangling off your plate so you can actually enjoy the lead-up to your day. Knowing how to choose a wedding planner comes down to matching their service level to how much help you genuinely need, checking they work regularly in your region, and making sure their planning style and communication suit you. Before you book, compare what each planner includes, how they charge, and whether they have managed weddings like yours at venues similar to the one you have in mind.
Australian wedding planners generally offer three tiers of service, and understanding the difference is the single most useful step in choosing the right one. Full planning is the most hands-on option: the planner is involved from engagement to your last dance, helping set and manage the budget, sourcing and booking every supplier, designing the look and feel of the day, and running the schedule from start to finish. This suits couples who are time-poor, planning from interstate or overseas, or hosting a larger or more complex wedding.
Partial planning sits in the middle. You might have already locked in a venue and a couple of key suppliers, and you bring the planner in to fill the gaps, refine the design, and take over the heavy coordination in the final months. It is a popular choice for couples who enjoy some of the planning but want professional guidance and a safety net.
On-the-day coordination (often more honestly called month-of coordination) is the lightest tier. You do the planning yourself, then hand over your suppliers, run sheet and contacts a few weeks out. The coordinator confirms everyone, builds the final timeline, and runs the day so you and your family are not chasing the florist or cueing the band. Many planners also offer styling and design as a separate or bolt-on service.
Expect a structured process regardless of tier: an initial consultation, a proposal and contract, regular check-ins, supplier meetings, a detailed run sheet, and a final handover. A good planner is upfront about how many weddings they take per weekend and whether you will deal with them personally or an assistant on the day.
Most planning packages include an agreed number of consultations or meetings, ongoing email and phone support, and a clear scope document so you know exactly what you are paying for. Budget creation and tracking is typically core to full and partial planning, as is supplier recommendation and liaison: the planner taps their network of trusted caterers, florists, photographers, celebrants and hire companies, manages quotes and contracts, and chases confirmations on your behalf.
Timeline and logistics management is almost always included. This covers the master run sheet, supplier bump-in and bump-out times, the ceremony and reception flow, and contingency planning for weather or delays. For on-the-day and month-of services, you can expect a final venue walkthrough or detailed call, confirmation of every supplier, distribution of the run sheet, and full coordination on the day itself, including setup oversight, guest management, MC and speech cues, and managing any hiccups quietly in the background.
Many planners include vendor payment reminders, RSVP and seating support, and styling guidance even in mid-tier packages. Some bundle a set number of hours of on-site coordination, and a follow-up to make sure hire items are returned and final payments are settled. Always confirm in writing how many hours of on-the-day presence are included and how many team members will be there.
The planner's fee almost never covers the cost of your actual suppliers. Catering, venue hire, flowers, photography, entertainment and styling items are billed separately by those businesses, and the planner's fee is for their time and expertise in coordinating them. Make sure you understand this so the quote does not surprise you later.
Styling and design is frequently a separate line item or package. A planner may coordinate your suppliers without designing your aesthetic, mood boards, floor plans or styling concepts unless you have specifically engaged them for that. Physical setup and pack-down labour, hire of decor, candles, signage and furniture, and any props are usually charged at cost or excluded entirely.
Watch for extras such as travel and accommodation for regional or destination weddings, additional meetings beyond the agreed number, rehearsal attendance, and overtime if your day runs longer than the contracted hours. Stationery design, guest transport coordination, and accommodation block management may also sit outside the base package. If you add suppliers or significantly change your plans late, some planners charge a revision or scope-change fee. Read the inclusions list carefully and ask for anything ambiguous to be itemised before you sign.
The biggest red flag is vagueness about scope. If a planner cannot clearly explain what is and is not included, or resists putting the inclusions and the number of on-the-day hours in writing, treat that as a warning. A professional planner works to a detailed contract and a transparent fee structure.
Be cautious of planners who quote a flat fee as a percentage of your total spend without explaining it, or who push you toward particular suppliers without good reason; some planners receive commissions, which is not necessarily wrong but should be disclosed. Ask directly whether they accept kickbacks from vendors.
Check how many weddings they handle on a single weekend and who will actually be present on your day. It is a concern if you build a relationship with one planner only to be handed to an unfamiliar assistant on the day with no introduction. Confirm they carry public liability insurance, as many venues require it.
Finally, look for proof of real experience rather than just a polished feed. Ask for recent references, reviews from couples who married in the past year, and examples of weddings at venues or in regions like yours. Slow or scattered communication during the enquiry stage tends to predict how things will feel later, so pay attention to how promptly and clearly they respond from the very first contact.
