How to Invoice as a Wedding Planner
Your invoice depends on how much of the wedding you plan. This guide covers full planning, partial planning and wedding-day coordination, and what to bill beyond the package.
A wedding planner's invoice starts from the service level the couple chose: full planning from the first venue visit, partial planning that picks up part of the way through, or coordination of the wedding day itself. Each has its own fee, its own payment dates and its own list of what's included, so write that list into the contract and copy it onto the invoice.
When the couple signs with the venue, caterer or florist themselves and pays those vendors directly, those amounts don't belong on your invoice. Bill only your fee, any hours beyond the package, and anything you paid for yourself on the couple's behalf. For those purchases, Billed's help center says "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice."
Worked example, with sample figures before any tax: a partial planning package is 4,500.00, paid as three payments of 1,500.00, and 3 × 1,500.00 = 4,500.00. The couple asks for three extra hours of vendor meetings at 90.00 an hour, 3 × 90.00 = 270.00, and the planner buys table samples for 85.00. The invoice after the wedding is 270.00 + 85.00 = 355.00, so the couple pays 4,500.00 + 355.00 = 4,855.00 in all.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Name the service level in the contract
Full planning, partial planning or wedding-day coordination: write down which one, what it includes, the fee, and your hourly rate for anything outside it.
- 2
Quote the package on an estimate
Billed's features page says "Yes your clients can approve or reject your estimates online." Once the couple approves, Billed's invoice software page says you can "convert an approved estimate into an invoice".
- 3
Set the payment dates
Billed's help center says "Add a percentage or flat amount and the due date for each installment." Date the last payment before the wedding, as your contract says.
- 4
Leave vendor contracts the couple pays off your invoice
If the couple pays the venue or caterer directly, list those vendors in your planning notes, not on your invoice. Your invoice shows what the couple owes you.
- 5
Log hours past the package
Billed's timesheets page says "Create an hourly rate project, set its hourly rate, and Billed tracks the charge for each task as you log it."
- 6
Send a closing invoice after the wedding
Add the extra hours and anything you bought for the couple. Billed's help center says you can "fill this section to charge against new items and services", and "The expense will appear as a line item in the invoice."
Tips for wedding planner invoicing
- For wedding-day coordination, write the hours on the day that the fee covers and the time your work ends.
- Keep the receipt for every sample, decoration or supply you buy for the couple.
- Put the wedding date and the couple's names on every invoice, along with which payment of the plan it is.
- If two families are sharing the cost, ask who receives the invoices before the first one goes out.
- Check who still owes what before the final weeks: Billed's invoice software page says "Invoice reports show which invoices are paid, partially paid or past due, and you can see who owes you money and send them a payment reminder."
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Starting work without saying which service level the couple booked.
- Listing vendor costs the couple pays directly, which makes your invoice look larger than it is.
- Running extra vendor meetings without a rate for them in the contract.
- Buying decor for the couple and leaving it off the closing invoice.
How this works in Billed
Estimates the couple approves online
Billed's features page says "Yes your clients can approve or reject your estimates online."
Payment dates on one invoice
Billed's help center says "You can make unlimited installments. However, the sum of all installments should be equal to the total balance of the invoice."
Hourly work outside the package
Billed's timesheets page says "Create an hourly rate project, set its hourly rate, and Billed tracks the charge for each task as you log it."
Purchases for the couple
Billed's help center says "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice."
Reminders around each due date
Billed's help center says "You can set a schedule of payment reminders before and after the invoice's due date."
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
| Service level | What the invoice covers |
|---|---|
| Full planning | The planning fee, paid in several parts |
| Partial planning | The fee from the point you start, with its own dates |
| Wedding-day coordination | The day's fee and the hours it covers |
| Beyond the package | Extra hours and your own purchases, after the wedding |
When this isn't for you
If the way you invoice clients today already works for you, there's no need to switch.