Have you been dreaming of a wedding in Lake Tahoe but aren’t sure how to make your vision come to life? Then you need the help of an experienced wedding planner. Hiring a wedding planner is one instance where spending more money will actually save you time, energy, and money. Planners are experts at coordinating all aspects of your big day so that everything goes smoothly from start to finish. However, we know the million-dollar question is how much does a wedding planner cost for a Lake Tahoe wedding? While we can’t speak for all luxury Lake Tahoe wedding planners, we are excited to educate you on everything you need to know when considering a wedding planner and share the cost of our wedding planning services.
Types of Wedding Planners
We’re going to answer the question, “How much does a wedding planner cost?” But before we get into the numbers, it’s important to understand that not every wedding planner’s services are created equal.
If you’ve started researching wedding planning services, you’ve likely come across the terms “full service wedding planning,” “partial wedding planning,” and “day-of wedding planning.” After years of designing Epic Thyme weddings, we’ve come to believe that no couple deserves less than full service wedding planning. It is the only way to ensure your wedding is truly perfect without a single detail missed. That’s why, at Epic Thyme, we only offer the best to our clients: full service wedding planning in Lake Tahoe.
How Long Does it Take to Plan a Wedding?
Okay, it’s time to get into the numbers. To understand the cost of a wedding planner, we first need to answer, “How long does it take to plan a wedding?” The numbers may surprise you!
After many, many years of research, we’ve discovered… it takes 380 hours to plan a great wedding and 500 hours to plan a WOW wedding.
Does this mean you have to spend 500 hours planning your wedding? Absolutely not, so long as you hire a Lake Tahoe wedding planner to take on the majority of the tasks. Typically, the time investment is split between the planner (65%) and the couple (35%). At a minimum, you and your fiancé can expect to invest 150 hours into planning your wedding, whereas your planner will contribute a minimum of 230 hours for full service planning.
What’s Included In a Full Service Wedding Planning Package?
When choosing a Lake Tahoe wedding planner, it is vital to ask about what’s included in their full service package because not all services are the same. At Epic Thyme, we know (because we’ve asked) that we offer way more services in our full service package than any other Lake Tahoe planner. This is because we do not like to upcharge for small things, such as constructing budgets, creating layout design, and building/reviewing your wedding website.
It’s important to have the layout and creation done properly without an extra fee because this is what the rental companies, staff, and venue need to ensure everything is where you want it to be. Your wedding website needs to be checked for grammar, times, addresses, etc. to ensure your guests have the correct information. All of these things are equally important to have a seamless event, so they are all included in our packages upfront, not charged additionally.
Whereas some planners are just “planners,” we also are designers, financial advisors, and decorators! For example, think of it in terms of real estate. Some planners are just the “real estate agents” in a sense–they help you review contracts, line up appointments and tours, complete paperwork, and follow a timeline–BUT we are your real estate agent, interior designer, decorator, and financial advisor; we get your furniture, place it, style it, and pack it up. We’re your laborer and personal assistant–anything and everything you need to have the wedding of your dreams, including planning, design, and styling.
Epic Thyme’s Full Service Wedding Planning in Lake Tahoe
We don't believe you can do some things and not ALL of them. We want each event to be perfect, so our team does everything to guarantee it is. To give you an idea of what we mean by “full service,” click through each element to learn about our scope of services.
Budget
Initial consultation
Budget conversation
Budget advice and allocation
Venue
Vendors Overall
Catering
Bar
Cake
Photography
Videography
DJ
Band
Transportation Management
Rentals/Design
Florals
Favors
Officiant
Beauty
Stationary
Wedding Website
Brides Fashion
Grooms Attire
Travel and Accommodations
Production Staff
Communication
Aisle Planner
Meetings
Day Prior to Event
Day of Event - Ceremony
Day of Event - Reception
How Much Does a Wedding Planner Cost?
Now you know how long it takes to plan a wedding and what we consider “full service.” Next, let’s talk costs. The cost of a Lake Tahoe wedding planner ties directly to the amount and quality of services they provide. Because we know that a WOW wedding takes 500 hours–and we don’t want to rush or miss a single detail–our full service wedding planning packages range from $11,000 to $17,000 depending on whether we help plan, design, and style other events, like your brunch and rehearsal dinner.
But of course, Epic Thyme isn’t the only Tahoe wedding planner out there. There are also other types of wedding planning packages, such as partial and day-of planning. If you opt for a full-service planner, you can expect to pay anywhere from $7,500 up to $30,000. What’s the difference between a $7,500 wedding planner and a $30,000 planner? Experience, time, offerings, and customization.
Choosing Between Full-Service, Partial, and Day-of Planning
Some wedding planners offer their services as a part-time gig, alongside their other full-time jobs. That’s what works for them! Because of this, they don’t offer the immersive planning experience that other full-service planners do. A WOW wedding doesn’t just take full-time hours but full-time attention to details, customization, and management. The Epic Thyme team has three full-time planners. This isn’t something we do on the side or only dedicate half of our time and attention to. It’s all we do because we love it, we dream of ideas throughout the day, we have staff meetings about how to make your wedding stand out, and we know exactly what it takes for a wedding to be perfect.
Does that mean partial and day-of planners aren’t great at what they do? Absolutely not. It just means what they do is different. Rather than breathing life into your wedding vision and having their hand on every detail to ensure it is perfect from start to finish, they help you coordinate and manage the plans you put together yourself. Partial planners typically start working with couples a few months before the wedding to finalize details and develop a day-of wedding plan. Day-of planners typically start working with couples a month before the wedding and are active on the actual wedding day to make sure everything goes smoothly. These services tend to be less expensive, typically ranging from $3,000 to $6,000.
It’s no secret that planning a luxury wedding in Lake Tahoe takes time and money. However, Epic Thyme couples save an average of $10,000 when booking our services because we know the best deals and vendors in the area. We use our industry relationships to negotiate vendor contracts and pass the savings on to you. We also know what’s a good deal and what’s not to help you spend your money wisely (and find a better deal when we know it’s possible). We are triple-checking your quotes and estimates to make sure there are no mistakes. We know every little detail that makes a wedding perfect, and all of our time goes into ensuring that for your special day.
Planning Your Lake Tahoe Wedding with Epic Thyme
When you plan your Tahoe wedding with Epic Thyme, my only focus is to ensure it is perfect. And my team and I will do everything in our power to make that happen. We cannot wait to hear your vision and, together, bring it to life. Contact us today to chat about planning your luxurious Lake Tahoe wedding.