Cost guides · How much does a wedding planner cost?
How much does a wedding planner cost in Chicago?
Chicago wedding planners that publish a price start between $1,900 and $3,400. Median $3,000, from 11 vendors we index, about 20% above the national median.
The national wedding planner cost guide · All Chicago wedding planners
Published starting prices · Chicago, Illinois
11 priced vendors
From the "starting at" price each vendor publishes on their own website or their Lazo profile, read 2026-11-02. A starting price is the smallest package they sell, not what a wedding ends up costing: nationally most couples pay $800-$4,500+ once hours, add-ons and the date are in.
Chicago against the rest of the country
The median published starting price for a wedding planner in Chicago is $3,000, about 20% above the national median of $2,500. That is the local market, not a markup, and it is the number to compare a quote against rather than the national one. Common on larger weddings and worth understanding: at 12% of spend, a $90,000 wedding means a $10,800 fee. Ask whether the percentage applies to the whole budget including the venue.
What moves the price
- Scope, not hours
- The gap between coordination and full planning is months of work, not a longer wedding day. Be honest about which one you actually want.
- Guest count and complexity
- A 200-guest wedding across two venues with a weekend of events is a different job from 80 guests in one room.
- Percentage-based pricing
- Common on larger weddings and worth understanding: at 12% of spend, a $90,000 wedding means a $10,800 fee. Ask whether the percentage applies to the whole budget including the venue.
- Design services
- Styling, mood boards, renderings and installation oversight are frequently a separate line from planning.
The full wedding planner cost guide: what each price buys, how to spend less, what to ask →
Chicago wedding planners with a published starting price
Lowest first. The price is the one they publish; the page tells you what it includes. Lazo lists 154 wedding planners in Chicago, Illinois; these are the ones that say what they start at.
| Vendor | Starts at | Where we read it |
|---|---|---|
| An Event Less Ordinary | $500 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| BURST Event Co | $1,200 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| Complete Wedding + Events | $1,295 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| Essence Weddings | $2,499 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| WE EVENTS | $2,800 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| Bridget Mary Weddings & Events | $3,000 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| Sweetchic Events, Inc. | $3,000 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| City Chic Events | $3,295 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| Lisa Gordon Events | $3,500 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| HBIC Weddings | $5,995 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| Five Grain Events, LLC | $17,000 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
Every wedding planner in Chicago, ranked by verified reputation →
The same wedding planner, nearby
Published starting prices in the nearest cities with enough priced vendors to compare.
| City | Middle half | Median | Priced vendors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $1,900–$3,400 | $3,000 | 11 |
| Minneapolis 355 mi | $550–$3,050 | $1,300 | 11 |
| Nashville 398 mi | $1,100–$3,150 | $2,200 | 10 |
| Kansas City 412 mi | $1,250–$3,400 | $2,000 | 11 |
| Sioux Falls 476 mi | $800–$3,700 | $1,750 | 11 |
| Asheville 513 mi | $2,000–$4,400 | $2,650 | 10 |
| Rochester 518 mi | $1,800–$3,500 | $2,700 | 9 |