Everything you need to know about Italian wedding commission
Wedding commission is something you need to understand if you’re planning an Italian wedding.
Commission can dramatically affect your wedding budget and in turn your stress levels. Get to know the facts with our breakdown now!
It is a percentage of the fee you pay your supplier or venue, which gets passed on to the person who got them that booking.
For example: a wedding planner introduces a couple to a photographer, who they book. The wedding planner would expect 10% back from the amount that the photographer charges that couple.
It is common practice in many European countries.
An example: A photographer charges €5,000 is approached by a wedding planner. The couple want to book. The planner works 'on commission' ie. they expect commission from every vendor you book for your wedding. The photographer won't swallow the 10% commission so 10% is added on top of the fee making it €3,300. The planner gets their commission, the photographer their fee and the couple ends up paying €300 more than if they had gone direct or worked with a planner who doesn't work on commission.
There is a problem here; not all planners disclose that they work in this way. This is causing huge problems in the wedding world. Couples book 'low cost' planners not knowing that their costs will be inflated through planning. Some planners lie about this to their clients, with clients discovering this issue further along in planning. Not only are couples suffering, ethical planners are too - they charge a higher flat fee and do not 'add' commission but couples see them as expensive compared to the lower cost, commission based planners.
Choose to work with a transparent vendor. Ensure that commission is mentioned in their contract. Either they 'add' it or they don't. Sometimes vendors will offer planners commission within the cost ie. there's no extra cost to the client. Most planners will accept this.
Know your prices:
A good planner with a viable business model is going to charge upwards of 10% of your budget for full planning. If you're paying under this you need to seriously consider and understand the service you're getting.
Compare planner fees:
Planner a - flat fee of 10,000 euro - this is the total income they will receive for your wedding
Planner b - fee of 4000 euro + commission through planning (transparently)
Both = in the end 10,000 euro cost to you. Looking at costs and proposals transparently like this, allows couples to make the best decision.
If a planner only works with vendors who are happy to work with this commission model, then they will only be recommending their choice of the potential vendors who are available.
They may work with 'any vendor' but most vendors do not want to absorb or add commission to their costs, making this conversation difficult and ultimately not the best way to kick off vendor relationships.
Many planners have preferred supplier lists but this is not always driven by commission agreements. As long as you know what your options will be before booking, all is well.
Ask your planner or venue if they work with a commission model. Request a clear explanation of what this looks like for your wedding costs and choice of vendors. If your planner says they do not add commission, ensure this is written in to their contract. Transparency upfront means you can factor these costs into your budget and have the knowledge that you will be selecting suppliers from their list.
If you decide to work with a planner or venue who works on commission, just do your figures at the start and work out exactly what you are paying and to whom.
There are advantages of planners and venues only working with set suppliers and we are by no means saying don't plan your wedding in this way. Our biggest advice is to simply get all the figures and facts at the beginning, so you are fully informed.
Why not ask other Italian wedding couples their experiences of Italian wedding commission with planners or venues? Come on over to our private Facebook group, and join the conversation with over 1,500 couples in your shoes.
Written by Emily Jennings, marketing person and wedding day-dreamer; lover of a boho vibe and a wedding night filled with a thousand lights.
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PLANNING | REAL WEDDING | BUSINESS | SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT | INSPIRATION |WANDERLUST
