How to get recommended by wedding and event planners
A planner builds a new supplier team for every wedding or event. Most of that team comes from a short list of people they already trust. This is how to get on it.
Who they are
Wedding planners plan the whole day, part of it, or just coordinate on the day. Event planners do the same for corporate functions, conferences, launches and milestone parties. Both carry the client's trust and the risk of the day, while depending on a dozen or more suppliers they don't employ.
So planners keep a black book: photographers, florists, celebrants, hire companies, hair and makeup, cake makers and more, sorted in their head by style, budget and region. When a couple books, the planner suggests two or three names for each role and the couple chooses.
How planners are paid shapes who they suggest. Some charge a flat fee. Some charge a share of the total budget, which one Australian wedding guide puts at typically 10 to 15 percent. Some also receive a commission from suppliers they book. A good planner tells the couple how they are paid and doesn't let commission decide the recommendation.
What they’ll ask a new supplier for
- Your packages and price ranges, so they can give couples a fair idea.
- Availability for the dates they are planning.
- Photos or examples from real weddings and events, not only styled shoots.
- Your setup needs: arrival time, power, space, and meals for your crew if relevant.
- A public liability certificate of currency, since venues often ask for one.
- Your contract terms: deposits, cancellations and postponements.
- Whether you pay commission, and how it would be shown to the couple.
What they buy, and what they pass on
Photographers and videographers
Booked early, and the planner’s reputation lives in the photos. Planners favour photographers who work well with the timeline and the other suppliers.
Florists and stylists
Part of almost every brief. Planners need florists who can work to a look and a budget, and set up in a tight window.
Celebrants
Often the first thing a couple without a religious ceremony asks about.
Hire, lighting and AV
Furniture, marquees, lighting and sound, especially for farm, garden and private property weddings and corporate events.
Hair and makeup
Booked for most weddings, and the planner needs someone who keeps to the morning schedule.
Cake makers and caterers
Cake for most weddings, and caterers where the venue has no in-house kitchen.
Cleaners
Post-event cleans at private homes, farms and hired halls, where nobody else is responsible for the morning after.
How they choose who to use
Reliability on the day
On time, ready, answering timeline emails without being chased. This counts for more than anything in a portfolio.
Style that fits the couple
Planners match suppliers to the look of each wedding, so a clear, consistent style is easier to recommend.
Range of budgets
Planners need options at different price points. Clear packages help them say "this one suits you".
Works well with others
The planner is running a team. Suppliers who cooperate with the venue and each other get asked back.
Honest terms
Clear deposits, cancellation and postponement terms, and an upfront answer about any commission.
Getting on their list
Planners rarely run formal supplier lists. Most keep a private shortlist, and some publish a "suppliers we love" page on their website. You get on by working one of their weddings well, or by being recommended by a supplier they already trust. Venues are part of the same circle, so our page on how venues choose suppliers is worth reading alongside this one.
On commission: there is no standard rate, and not every planner takes one. If you pay a planner for recommending you, the couple should know. Secret commission laws apply in every Australian state, and they can catch the person who recommends for a benefit the customer isn't told about, and in several states the business that pays it. Disclosure in writing before the couple books is the safe course. Our guide to wedding supplier referrals covers how these arrangements tend to work.
How to approach them
Pick planners who suit you
Look for planners in your region whose weddings match your style and price. Their website and social posts show both.
Find a connection
A venue you have both worked at, a supplier you both know, or a wedding you were part of. Mention it.
Write short and ask small
Introduce yourself, say what you do and who for, and ask for a coffee or a chance to be suggested once.
Be the easiest supplier on their next wedding
Answer timeline emails quickly, arrive early, follow the run sheet and fix problems without fuss.
Credit them and say thanks
Tag the planner when you share the wedding, send them images or notes they can use, and thank them for the work.
A first email that works
Hi Emma, I’m Tom, a marriage celebrant based in Maitland. I’ve married a lot of couples at vineyard venues around Pokolbin, and I saw you plan weddings out that way. If you ever have a couple who hasn’t found a celebrant, I’d love to be someone you can suggest. I send every couple a draft ceremony three weeks out, and I’m happy to copy you in so you have the timings. Could I buy you a coffee next time you’re in Maitland? Thanks, Tom
An example only. The business is made up.
Three mistakes that cost the work
Going around the planner
Contacting the couple directly to upsell or rebook cuts the planner out. They won’t recommend you again.
Hiding a commission
A quiet payment the couple doesn’t know about puts the planner’s reputation and both of you at legal risk.
Needing to be chased
A planner juggling a dozen suppliers drops the one who replies late or ignores the run sheet.
Businesses that work with wedding planners
Part of Get referred. See every kind of business we write to on Who buys from you.
Questions people ask
Do wedding planners take commission from suppliers?
Some do and some don’t. Planners are paid by flat fee, by a share of the budget, by supplier commission, or a mix. Ask each planner how they work, and don’t assume.
Should I offer a planner commission?
It is your call, and plenty of good relationships run without it. If you do, put the terms in writing and make sure the couple is told before they book.
Are styled shoots worth doing to meet planners?
They can show a planner your style, but most planners care more about how you work on a real wedding day. Treat a styled shoot as a portfolio piece, not a referral deal.
What’s the difference between wedding and event planners?
Wedding planners work with couples on one day that matters a great deal to them. Event planners work with businesses on functions, conferences and launches, often repeatedly. Event planners can send steady work to hire, AV, photographers and cleaners through the year.
How do I get my first planner referral?
Usually through a venue or another supplier. Do great work at a wedding a planner is running, and make sure they know your name by the end of the night.
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