Did you know it takes roughly 250 hours to plan a wedding? That’s a lot of time spent meticulously planning, budgeting and Pinteresting. While planning your dream wedding day can be a whole lot of fun, it can also be stressful and overwhelming, especially knowing where to start and how to stick to your budget. Enter…wedding planners.
What does a wedding planner do?
The question should really be “what doesn’t a wedding planner do?”. Think of a wedding planner as your behind-the-scenes project manager (aka fairy godmother) who helps turn the wedding of your dreams into a reality.
Their job is to guide you through every step, from choosing the venue, booking vendors like florists, hair and makeup artists, coordinating your guest list and keeping the budget on track. But it doesn’t end there. On your big day, they’ll be the key point of contact for vendors (celebrant, caterer, photographer, band), coordinating everything from set up to pack down. Essentially, they’ll make sure your wedding day goes off without a hitch – so all you have to do is focus on getting hitched!
What about a DIY wedding planning?
Keen to tackle the planning yourself? One of the most helpful tools to stay organised will be getting your hands on a wedding planner book. You can pick one up for as little as $20 and they’re the best way to streamline your ideas, stick to your budget and create lists…lots and lots of lists! We love this one by Hello May.
Do you need a wedding planner?
The choice is entirely up to you, and while it might seem like an extra cost for an already expensive day, hiring a wedding planner outsources the stress, which alone makes them worth their weight in gold. They can also actually save you some cash by accessing trade discounts and negotiating contracts with suppliers.
Here are some reasons you might hire a wedding planner:
- You’re having a marquee-style wedding
- You’re getting married overseas or interstate
- You are busy and don’t have the time to put into planning your wedding
- You have high expectations and want everything perfect without the stress
- You have big ideas but don’t know where to start or how to execute them
Planning your wedding day is equal parts fun and stressful, so why not let a wedding planner remove the stress, so you can relish in the fun! To make life a little easier, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best wedding planners in Sydney.
Ready to start planning your special day? Check out the One Fine Day Directory for incredible vendors, suppliers and inspiration.
1. WEDDING PLANNER SYDNEY
Honey Lane
Specialising in “blank canvas” weddings, the team at Honey Lane have created magic at venues all around NSW for over eight years.
Based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney and led by founder Lara Beesley, they offer a full-scale wedding planning and styling service. This includes budget and timeline management, full on-site set up and pack down, and all event details from invitations to guest accommodation.
You can trust Honey Lane to deliver a beautiful, bespoke event that reflects your character, style and love story.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HONEY LANE
Photographer credit: Red Berry Photography.
Florals: Mr Cook.
REAL CUSTOMER REVIEWS:
“Honey Lane are fantastic! My husband and I spoke to Lara about planning our wedding and we didn’t hesitate to book them. Lara and Alannah were both extremely professional and knowledgeable about every aspect of wedding planning and took a great deal of stress off us. Our wedding day went off without a hitch and that wouldn’t have been possible without their help. A number of our friends have recently gotten engaged and we suggest contacting Honey Lane straight away. Thanks again to Lara and the team for such a wonderful experience.” – Emma & Jacob.
2. WEDDING PLANNER SYDNEY
After the Rock
The extremely talented and dedicated team at After the Rock want you to think of them as “the producers of the best day of your life”. They don’t just plan weddings, they create awe-inspiring, memorable experiences.
At the helm is Georgie Karloci, a highly experienced wedding planner and stylist (check out her fab wedding here). After the Rock take care of all aspects of planning, from the fun stuff (aesthetics and mood board design), the not-so-fun stuff (budget and logistics) and everything in between. They promise to make your big day “flow as smoothly as the champagne”.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT AFTER THE ROCK
Photographer credit: Jack Bennett.
Florals: Seed Flora.
REAL CUSTOMER REVIEWS:
“Hiring Georgie was seriously the best move we ever made! She was nothing but amazing and we owe the best day of our lives to her amazing style, impeccable planning skills and pure wedding genius! We honestly feel so lucky to have had Georgie plan our wedding she’s an absolute legend. If you’re looking for help planning your wedding – stop looking! You won’t find better!” – John & Kate.
3. WEDDING PLANNER SYDNEY
Events by Bex
Think of Bex as your one-stop shop for a wedding planner, stylist and coordinator. You name it, she’s got you covered to ensure your wedding day is cool calm and collected.
She planned 60 breathtaking weddings in 2022, and is already kicking off 2023 with a bang.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EVENTS BY BEX
Photographer credit: Jack Henry.
Dress: Mariana Hardwick.
4. WEDDING PLANNER SYDNEY
The Happiness Ring
If you’re on the hunt for a support system both in the lead-up to your wedding, or on the day, the team at The Happiness Ring is just what you’ve been looking for.
The way in which you work together with The Happiness Ring is through a wedding planning platform. This helps with communication, organisation, budget tracking and much more – all in the one place! Online, available anytime, wherever you are. Sounds pretty awesome, right?
Find out more about The Happiness Ring
What makes The Happiness Ring different to other wedding planners?
As the wedding date draws near, the team will coordinate everything in the run-up to the day ensuring all suppliers are on the same page including creating run sheets, event overview documentation, supplier-specific briefings, seating charts, playlists etc. The team at The Happiness Ring will even brief and manage bridal party members to ensure the day runs smoothly and everyone knows exactly what they should be doing. Your Wedding Coordinator will be there on the day for as many hours as needed. However, if we’re involved from the outset we can always save you time, negotiate the best deals and keep your wedding to the set budget.
The Happiness Ring can also cater to every budget, with the Partial Wedding Planning Package; which is available for couples who need a helping hand along the way but not necessarily everything that a Full Wedding Package includes, as well as Event Management (which is as known as On the Day Coordination.) The Happiness Ring team will be there on your day coordinating your Wedding, but they’re going to take over for you, starting between 4-6 weeks before your Big Day so you can enjoy the time leading up to your wedding day.
Real customer reviews:
‘I got married and Kadija was amazing, everything worked perfectly, since all the small details to the biggest things, I had my perfect day and she helped me a lot since the planing and in the day as well, all her recommendations were perfect, her team is really good and we were so glad to see how she cares and look after everything! Thanks Kadija, we love your work!’ – Nathalia D.
‘Kadija was the most wonderful, switched on and thoughtful wedding planner. From the moment we had our initial call, she made us feel at ease. We were considering coordinating our wedding ourselves, but thank God we didn’t – thanks to Kadija we could enjoy our day and not worry about all the little things that happen behind the scenes. She offered advice based on her experience, but was never pushy, and she was patient, calm and thoughtful when it came to the lead up of the wedding and during the day. I could text her like I would a friend, and she was 100% in our corner throughout the whole process, even though we had a slightly odd schedule for our wedding and reception. I would 100% recommend Kadija – she went above and beyond and is such a kind and sweet person too. Couldn’t have done it without her!’ – Hannah L.
5. WEDDING PLANNER SYDNEY
Ashdown & Bee
This boutique event planning and styling company are experts at bringing your vision to life. They specialise in wedding ceremonies and receptions, as well as micro weddings and elopements. Part of their styling service includes a collection of thoughtfully curated furniture and props to hire.
Creative Director Melissa Murray has over 15 years’ experience in the event and design industry, so you know you and your big day are in very good hands.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ASHDOWN & BEE
Photographer credit: Matthew Evans.
Florals: Wynne Robinson.
REAL CUSTOMER REVIEWS:
“I was so impressed by Ashdown & Bee. Melissa was so lovely and easy to communicate with throughout the entire journey. My expectations were totally exceeded – the reception looked stunning!! Thank you so much for making my wedding so easy and such a memorable experience.” – Courtney Brown.
6. She Designs
Chances are, your Pinterest board is already filled with magical weddings created by She Designs. Whether you’re planning a breathtaking international wedding, or an intimate local affair, their work is out-of-this-world incredible.
Packages include a full styling consultation, flowers, furniture, chandeliers, design constructs and more. Their talented styling and production team, led by creative director, Sheree King, will help bring your ideas to life to create the look and atmosphere you want on your wedding day.
Let their drool-worthy Instagram do the talking!
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SHE DESIGNS
Photographer credit: Inlighten Photography.
Florals: She Designs.
REAL CUSTOMER REVIEWS:
“Thank you so much for bringing our dreamy wedding to life. The stars truly aligned the day we met Sheree, our energies vibrating in unison. Our wedding planning journey was a long one filled with postponements, the loss of loved ones and those pesky pandemic restrictions. However, every step of the way you were there with such support, love and laughter. Always dreaming right beside us.
Thank you for creating an ethereal dreamy wedding and for giving us unforgettable memories that will be with us for a lifetime. Everything was utter perfection, every detail set with love that could be felt. Our endless love and gratitude to Sheree and the She Designs team with their gyspy souls, free spirits and dreams filled with lovers and stars.” – Sally & Rohil.
7. WEDDING PLANNER SYDNEY
For Thy Sweet Love
For Thy Sweet Love provides experienced and professional wedding planning in Sydney, the Southern Highlands, South Coast, and Hunter Valley regions.
Their talented team want to make sure you love putting your special day together. In other words, put the love back into wedding planning (by removing the stress!). You get to enjoy the fun parts of sharing your ideas, crafting your plans and making decisions, and they will take care of the rest.
To help get you started, they offer a free 45-minute consultation to walk you through their wedding planning packages.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FOR THY SWEET LOVE
Photographer credit: Callan Robison.
Florals: Decorations by Jelena.
REAL CUSTOMER REVIEWS:
“Amira made sure we had the most magical, memorable and perfect wedding day. Her incredibly thoughtful approach paired with her meticulous planning, high attention to detail and perfectly tailored process provided us confidence throughout the entire process.” – Kirsty & Allan.
8. WEDDING PLANNER SYDNEY
Bella Mia Events
Offering tailored wedding planning and styling packages, Bella Mia Events work tirelessly to deliver your dream event from conception to completion. In their words: “We don’t just plan events. We create experiences.”
Their full-service package will completely remove the stress, by organising all aspects of your wedding planning, design and logistics, including meeting and sourcing vendors, managing budgets and, of course, coordinating the day itself.
They service Sydney CBD, Northern Beaches, Sutherland Shire, Southern Highlands and beyond.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BELLA MIA EVENTS
Photographer credit: ImageHaus.
Florals: John Emmanuel Floral Events.
REAL CUSTOMER REVIEWS:
“Absolute perfection!! The most amazing and absolutely incredible wedding planner. The day was seamless and the room was breathtaking. She went above and beyond from start to finish to make sure everything was absolutely perfect. The night wouldn’t have been possible without her and what a magical event it was 10 STARS.” – Mr & Mrs Helou.
9. WEDDING PLANNER SYDNEY
Couture Wedding Planning
Based on Sydney’s North Shore, Couture Wedding Planning is an award-winning luxury boutique wedding and planning service. Their team of talented wedding planners have been curating and styling weddings for over ten years.
From concept to completion, they will take care of every detail and provide you with exclusive access to suppliers and leading wedding vendors. They offer total planning to on-site management, as well as events such as engagements and baby showers.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT COUTURE WEDDING PLANNING
Photographer credit: Siempre Wedding Photography.
Florals: The Fabled Florette.
REAL CUSTOMER REVIEWS:
“Fiona has exquisite taste, and just like me, she has a rolodex of not only professional and competent vendors to work with, but also people who are pleasant and friendly to make sure this otherwise stressful planning process is packed with friendly people. If you give Fiona a task, she not only does it on a timely and professional manner but she goes way above and beyond, meanwhile maintaining a patient and humorous attitude despite how much I may have procrastinated. Loved everything about our wedding day and so so happy my genius husband found Fiona for us!” – Jenny & Blake.
10. WEDDING PLANNER SYDNEY
Samantha Burke Events
Creative, innovative and passionate, Samantha Burke events create unique and tailored weddings. They offer a range of packages from a full planning service, partial service, wedding day coordination or simply building a wedding website to manage guest RSVP’s.
Whatever option suits your budget, you’re guaranteed to have a seamless, stress-free experience.
They service Sydney’s CBD, Eastern Suburbs, Northern Beaches, The Central Coast, Hunter Valley, Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands and surrounding areas.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SAMANTHA BURKE EVENTS
Image credit: Samantha Burke Events.
REAL CUSTOMER REVIEWS:
“We can’t recommend Sam highly enough! Right from the moment we met, we knew Sam completely got our vision and understood what we needed to bring all our wedding details together. Sam was enthusiastic, professional, punctual and able to answer all of our little questions. The end result on the day was more than we had expected! Sam took our vision and made it one thousand times more fabulous. Our guests couldn’t stop raving about our wedding!” – Jess & Damir.
11. WEDDING PLANNER SYDNEY
Hire a Bridesmaid
Creating dream weddings since 2015, Kerstyn Walsh and her team of “professional bridesmaids” know exactly what it takes to deliver a memorable, stress-free day.
From attending wedding dress fittings and planning your hen’s do to designing run sheets and MCing the day itself – there ain’t no mountain high enough for this dream team.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HIRE A BRIDESMAID
Photographer credit: James Simpson Weddings.
Florals: Love Stoned Styling.
REAL CUSTOMER REVIEWS:
“Kerstyn is exceptional full stop! She just illuminates, you’ll know what I mean when you meet her. It’s the kinda sparkle you need on your wedding day! A natural problem solver and so knowledgeable. She goes above and beyond, we couldn’t recommend her more! Kerstyn is one wedding planning decision you’ll never regret.” – Meg & Terrence.
Check out the One Fine Day Directory for incredible vendors, suppliers and inspiration.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the next Sydney One Fine Day Wedding Expo! See all the details and get your tickets right here…
Hero image via @kashayaco
BY BROOKE DELFINO
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ONE FINE DAY CONTRIBUTOR
