Wedding planner regrets hit harder than you expect when the survey results land. You’re getting bombarded with advice post-engagement. Everyone says make the day about you, do it how you want to do it. Sounds helpful until you realize you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing, absolutely no clue how to plan a wedding. Just under 30% of couples hire professional wedding planners costing $3,500 to $10,000 in Alberta. You’re deciding whether to join them. Then Novi Financial survey of 1,000 adults married in the last decade reveals nearly half said wedding planners are not worth the money, making it the biggest regret for both men and women. Bigger regret than videography at 36.7%. Bigger than wedding favors.

The alternative costs $1,500. Wedding coordinator handles day-of chaos, makes sure food is where it needs to be, operates as disaster manager so problems don’t reach bride and groom. Not the same as planner who designs the whole thing. Coordinator is Australian shepherd cat herder getting everybody in the right spot. Survey shows what was worth the money: dress topped at almost 57%, then photography, then cake. Meanwhile couples without coordinators end up as bride and groom running around talking to serving staff. That’s not about you. That’s operational failure.

The advice to make it about you only works when you know the specific dollar amount where help becomes regret. Nearly half learned that threshold the expensive way. The coordinator price point sits below it.

Topics: wedding planning costs, planner regrets, coordinator benefits, budget decisions, marriage expense mistakes, day-of operations

Originally aired on2026-02-04