Event Planning in Wollongong

Full planning runs the whole project from budget and vendor selection to the run-sheet; day-of (really month-of) coordination hands a planner your already-booked plan to execute on the day. Coordination costs a fraction of full planning and suits organized hosts who just don't want to run the event themselves.

Often enough to partly offset their fee — established planners have vendor relationships, spot padded quotes, and stop costly mistakes. But treat 'they pay for themselves' as a bonus, not a guarantee; the real value is time, stress and a plan that actually holds together on the day.

Flat fees give you a predictable cost and align the planner with your scope; percentage-of-budget models can create an incentive to inflate spend. For a defined event, prefer a flat fee with a clear list of what's included and what triggers extra charges.

For weddings and large events, 9-12 months out is common; smaller parties need less lead time. Good planners book up for peak dates (spring/autumn weekends, holidays) well ahead, so if your date is fixed, secure the planner early even if other details are still loose.

An itemized scope: number of planning meetings, vendor sourcing and management, budget tracking, timeline/run-sheet creation, on-site hours and staff count on the day, and setup/teardown oversight. A one-line fee with no scope is where disputes come from — get the deliverables in writing.

No — the planner's fee is for their time and coordination; caterers, venue, florals, entertainment and rentals are separate and usually the bulk of the budget. Watch for planners who quietly mark up vendor invoices instead of passing them through at cost.

On-the-day coordination commonly runs AUD 1,200-3,000, full planning AUD 3,500-10,000+, and some planners take 10-20% of budget. Check whether GST is included in the quote.