The wedding cost you won’t have planned for
What you need to know about Italian wedding commission
Photo: Klassen
Commission is a percentage paid to whoever referred your booking to a vendor or venue, most often a planner or venue. It’s a fairly common in the wedding industry worldwide. We’re delving in to when it’s acceptable and when it’s totally wrong?
What is commission?
Commission is an amount of money, usually a percentage of a total cost, paid to the individual or company that got another vendor a sale.
Why commission can sneak into your budget
Some wedding planners and venues use a model where they add commission on top of vendor prices.
Imagine your chosen photographer charges €5,000. If the planner expects a 10% commission that the photographer won't absorb, your invoice might read €5,500. That extra €500 lands on your invoice, even though it's not technically part of the photographer’s service you're choosing.
For some planners this is the norm and part of their business model. Ofcourse this should be clear and transparent from the get go.
Don’t sign a contract until you know if commission is added and how. When the planner or venue is upfront with how commission is included in quotes, you can compare costs clearly. When they’re not? Then that’s when surprise euros are added to your final bill, or vendors cost more than you expected.
Commission can also be built in to costs
It’s important to note that many venues and some vendors build commission in to their costs. So a photographer costs €5,000 and the wedding planner is gifted €500 if you go directly for a quote, or the wedding planner goes directly. This is ‘built in’ commission. Almost all planners will accept this gift.
The Italian Wedding Price Guide
It’s your ultimate answer to decoding the costs, understanding commissions, ‘added’ costs and planning with confidence.
Planner fee and commission structures:
Set fee + Commission
You pay a flat fee, plus the planner takes 10% from vendors like the photographer or florist.
Percentage fee + Commission
The planner charges, say, 10% of your total wedding budget and then adds commission from suppliers.
Straight percentage fee (No Commission)
A clean, clear percentage - say, 10–15% of the total budget, with no vendor kickbacks.
Flat fee only
A fixed amount with no commission at all, keeping pricing predictable.
When comparing vendors or venues, always convert proposals into a total cost which includes any commission for an accurate view.
Photo: Sara D’Ambra Photography
Don’t let commission upend your budget
1. Demand transparency from the get-go
Ask: “Do you take commission? Is it added on top of vendor costs or built in to the fee?” Have the answer written in to your wedding planning contract.
2. Understand if you can only choose from a limited list of vendors
Planners and venues like to recommend vendors that have good relationships and experience of working with them. Occasionally, a planner or venue may recommend a specific list of vendors because they will receive a commission from them. It’s okay if you’re happy with this and understand the commission model they’re using. It’s not okay if this is not presented honestly and you feel pressured to choose vendors you don’t want for your wedding, or vendors you do want are having to take a hit and absorb commission under pressure from a planner.
3. Compare apples with apples
A €4,000 flat-fee planner may sound cheaper than a €10,000 flat fee, but if they’re also earning €6,000 in commissions from vendors, then you're actually likely to be paying more.
4. Work with ethical models that align with your values
Commission isn’t inherently bad, when it’s transparent and vendor prices aren’t inflated, it works. When hidden, then this is not fair industry practice.
5. Use La Lista’s vetted network
Our Directory only promotes vendors who play fair — who give clear pricing, agree to our Code of Ethics and commit to transparency for their couples.
The best advice? Simply get all the figures and facts at the beginning, so you are fully informed. For ongoing support and detail around planner contracts and how this all works, Join The Club, our planning membership and be coached through your wedding decisions by experienced planner, Lucy White. Get a planner in your pocket today.
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