Wedding Planning
Day-of Coordination vs Partial Planning vs Full Planning: What's the Difference?
If you've started looking into wedding planning support, you've probably seen these three terms everywhere — often used loosely, sometimes interchangeably, which makes it genuinely hard to know what you're actually paying for. The three tiers aren't just different price points; they're different jobs, starting at different points in your planning journey and ending in very different amounts of work off your plate. Here's what each one actually covers, in practice.
Day-of Coordination — from $1,000
This is for couples who've planned their whole wedding themselves and just want someone experienced to run the day. It starts around four weeks before the wedding: reviewing everything you've already booked, confirming every supplier, and building a detailed run sheet. On the day itself, your coordinator is on the ground managing the timeline, fielding vendor questions, and handling anything that goes sideways — so none of it lands on you. The base package covers an 8-hour wedding day, with additional time available at $125/hour for longer days or extended bump-out.
Day-of Coordination is the right fit if you genuinely enjoy planning and just don't want to be "on duty" during your own reception. It's not the right fit if your venue, caterer, or celebrant still aren't locked in — DOC assumes the big decisions are already made.
Partial Planning — from $2,800
This sits in the middle. You've booked some of the big vendors yourself, but you want help finishing the details, sourcing what's left, and getting proper guidance in the lead-up — plus everything included in Day-of Coordination on the day itself. It typically starts around six months out, with three dedicated planning meetings spread across that window (at the start, the middle, and a few weeks before), plus unlimited email and text support for the final six weeks.
Partial Planning works well for couples who've made a strong start but hit a wall — too many vendors still to compare, not enough hours in the week to chase quotes, or simply wanting a second, more experienced set of eyes on what's already booked.
Full Wedding Planning — from $6,500
This is the whole thing, from concept to execution. Your planner builds the vision with you from a blank page, sources every vendor, manages the budget from scratch, and handles guest list and seating plan management on top of coordinating the day itself. It starts the earliest — often 9 to 18 months out — simply because building an entire wedding properly takes that long, and because availability at this tier is capacity-based rather than deadline-based.
Full Planning tends to suit couples who are time-poor, planning from interstate or overseas, or who want a genuine creative partner rather than just an extra pair of hands.
How to know which one you need
Three questions usually settle it. First: how much of the wedding is already decided? If it's basically all booked, Day-of Coordination is probably enough. If you've made a start but want it finished properly, Partial Planning fits. If you're starting from a blank page, Full Planning gives you support the whole way. Second: how much time is left before your wedding — the timelines above (4 weeks, 6 months, 9–18 months) often narrow the choice on their own. Third: how involved do you actually want to stay in the decisions? Some couples want every choice to remain theirs and just need execution handled; others want a genuine collaborator from day one.
Compare all three services or book a free chat if you're still not sure — there's no pressure to land on an answer before you talk to us.