Commission or "Referral" Fees for Wedding Planners / Coordinators - Help please!

[whamburger]

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum and thinking about getting married in Cabo next year.  One of my good friends is a wedding planner - I'd love for her to be my wedding planner, but obviously she's not familiar with Cabo and the vendors there, so I'm trying to figure out if it's a feasible option.

 

I know that some vendors (e.g. caterers or hotels) give wedding planners commissions or referral fees - I've heard ~10%, even if there is no markup to the price to the bride... supposedly.  Does anyone know which specific vendors (or types of vendors) generally offer commissions and how much? 

 

Also, would these vendors offer the same fees to any wedding planner?  Or would they only be to local planners who might use them again?

 

I don't know anything about these so any info would be helpful - from wedding planners in general or brides who saw the commissions that their wedding planners received!

[Wifeof730]

Hi there!

 

As a wedding planner and travel agent that has planned a variety of weddings in Mexico, I am MORE than happy to help you with this! First off, not all vendors pay a commission to wedding planners. It varies from vendor to vendor. It could be ANY vendor-- caterers, resorts, photographers, etc. And most Mexican vendors are VERY flexible with their rates. It depends on what your friend is comfortable negotiating.

 

You DEFINITELY need to work with a travel agent, too, regardless of whether or not your friend is planning your wedding. Travel agents are able to negotiate group perks and better rates for you and your guests.

 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

 

Sincerely,

Candy Cain

(Desintation Wedding Expert)

[claudiabenitez]

I recommend you to quote directly and negotiate with the vendors yourself. The wedding coordinator is only necessary at the moment you arrive to Cabo and on your wedding day. I made all my negotiation with my vendors directly and got better quotes than the WC I believe because the vendor doesn’t have to pay that extra fee to the WC.

Some of my vendors:

 

Cake: Sweet Dreams with Denna A+

Photographer: Juan Carlos Tapia A- (the minus is just because the price, but he's great)

Flowers: Claudia Mendez with Rayen A+++ (She was so helpful and conscious about my budget to work with it)

Fire dancers: Lunas de Fuego A (A great surprise)

Minister: Marco Arechiga A++ I love his ceremony!!

 

Can't remember the name of the rest of my wedding vendors but let me know if you have more questions. Good luck!!