How Much to Charge as an Event Planner
Price event planning by a flat package for a defined scope, a percentage of the event budget (commonly 10–20%) for full-service work, or hourly for consulting and partial help — then take a deposit that holds the date and schedule the balance as milestones that clear before event week. Keep vendor reimbursements on their own lines, separate from your fee. ShowTheReceipts holds the deposit at booking and schedules milestone installments against the event timeline.
Three pricing models
Event planners price one of three ways, and picking the right one per job is most of the battle:
- Flat package — best when scope is defined and you can scope the hours
- Percentage of budget — commonly 10–20%, best for full-service work
- Hourly — best for consulting, partial planning, and add-on help
Many planners combine them: flat below a budget threshold, percentage above it.
Flat vs percentage
A flat fee gives the client one fixed number and rewards you for working efficiently. A percentage scales your fee with the budget — a bigger, more complex event pays more because it is more work.
Use flat when you can scope the hours. Use percentage when the budget is what actually drives how much work you’re signing up for.
Deposit and milestones
| Item | How to price it |
|---|---|
| Deposit | 25–50% up front, non-refundable, credited to the total |
| Milestones | Installments tied to planning stages, cleared before event week |
| Day-of coordination | Flat package + overtime rate beyond set hours |
| Consulting / partial | Hourly |
| Vendor costs | Reimbursable at cost, receipts referenced, separate line |
Get the balance in before event week
Take a deposit of 25–50% to hold the date, then schedule the balance as milestones against the timeline — booking, planning, final details — so the last installment clears before event week. You don’t want to be chasing money while running the event.
What not to do
- Don’t default to flat when a big budget is really driving the hours
- Don’t make the deposit refundable — it held the date and started the work
- Don’t blend vendor reimbursements into your planning fee
- Don’t let the final balance land during or after the event
Frequently asked questions
Should I charge a flat fee or a percentage of the budget?
Flat when the scope is well-defined and you can scope the hours; percentage (commonly 10–20% of the event budget) for full-service work where the budget drives the workload. Percentage scales your fee with a bigger, more complex event; flat gives the client a fixed number. Many planners use flat for smaller events and percentage above a budget threshold.
How much deposit should an event planner take?
Enough to hold the date and cover early work — commonly 25–50% up front, non-refundable. You start booking vendors and blocking the date immediately, so the deposit protects the time you commit before the balance is paid. It should be credited to the total, not on top of it.
How do I price day-of coordination?
As a flat package covering a set number of hours around the event, plus an overtime rate beyond them. Day-of coordination is a defined scope — final walkthrough, timeline, vendor wrangling on the day — so it prices flat, with a stated cutoff after which extra hours bill separately.
How do vendor payments fit into my pricing?
Separately. If you pay vendors and get reimbursed, list those as reimbursable expenses at cost with receipts referenced — never blended into your planning fee. Your fee is your labor; vendor costs are pass-through. Mixing them makes your rate look inflated and reimbursement impossible to show.