Wedding & event vendors

Books and taxes for wedding planners.

Planning retainers, vendor money you pass through to florists and caterers, associate planner fees, and travel for destination weddings. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
JuneExample month
$12,000
what you made

June came in at $12,000 in real planning fees. The florist payment for the Hayes wedding was a pass-through, so it does not count against your revenue.

  • September wedding final paymentPlanning fees
  • May 2027 booking retainerPlanning retainers
  • Bloom & Vine florist paymentVendor pass-through
  • Associate planner feeContract planners
  • Aisle Planner subscriptionSoftware
Money in$34,000
Money out$22,000
Set aside for taxes$2,900
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A wedding planner's books go wrong in the same handful of places.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business runs on client money that passes through you to other vendors, associate planners paid per wedding, and retainers signed a year before the work happens. When the books do not know that, your real revenue disappears into someone else's.

  1. 1

    Vendor pass-through money looks like your revenue

    A client hands you $18,000 to pay the florist, caterer, and band, and if that money sits in your general income, your real planning fee gets lost inside a much bigger number that was never actually yours.

    What we doKeeps vendor pass-through money separate from your planning fee, so your real revenue is never overstated.
  2. 2

    Associate planners look like a fixed cost

    You bring in an associate planner or day-of assistant for individual weddings, paid per event, and if that gets treated like a steady payroll expense, you cannot see which weddings actually needed the extra help.

    What we doTies associate and assistant fees to the events that used them, so cost per wedding stays honest.
  3. 3

    Referral commissions from vendors get missed

    Some venues or photographers pay planners a referral fee for sending business their way, and if that income never gets separated from your planning fee, you cannot tell what your planning work earns versus what referrals bring in.

    What we doKeeps referral income in its own line, apart from planning fees.
  4. 4

    Destination wedding travel gets buried

    Flights, hotels, and rental cars for an out-of-town wedding get mixed into general travel expenses, and it becomes hard to tell whether a destination wedding actually made money once travel is counted.

    What we doTies travel costs to the specific wedding that required them, so real profit per event is visible.
  5. 5

    A retainer paid a year out looks like this month's income

    Many couples sign a contract and pay a planning retainer 12 to 18 months before the wedding, and counting it all as current income overstates a month where little work has happened yet.

    What we doFlags retainers for weddings not yet worked, apart from revenue you have actually earned.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a wedding planning business.

Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Planning retainersSigned when a couple books, often a year or more before the wedding.
  • Design and coordination feesThe remaining balance for full or partial planning packages.
  • Month-of coordination feesFlat fees for couples who plan their own wedding and hire you for the final month.
  • Referral incomeFees from venues or vendors for business you referred to them.
  • Vendor pass-throughMoney collected to pay florists, caterers, or bands on the couple's behalf, not your revenue.

Money out

  • Associate and assistant plannersContract help paid per wedding, not a fixed payroll cost.
  • Vendor payments made for clientsFlorists, caterers, and bands paid from pass-through funds.
  • SoftwareAisle Planner, HoneyBook, or Dubsado subscriptions.
  • Destination wedding travelFlights, hotels, and rental cars tied to a specific wedding.
  • MarketingWebsite, styled shoots, and The Knot or WeddingWire listings.
  • Continuing educationCertification courses and planner conferences.
  • InsuranceProfessional liability coverage.

What we watch for you

  • Retainers on hand

    How much belongs to weddings not yet worked, so it is never mistaken for spare cash.

  • Cost per wedding

    Associate fees and travel against what each wedding actually billed.

  • Referral income

    What vendor referrals bring in, apart from your planning fee.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things wedding planners ask Gus.

Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.

A client gave me $15,000 to pay the florist and band. Is that my income?

No, that is vendor pass-through. I keep it apart from your planning fee so your real revenue is not overstated.

A venue pays me a referral fee when I book a couple there. How is that tracked?

As its own line, referral income, separate from your planning fees, so you can see what referrals actually bring in.

I flew out for a destination wedding in Cabo. Does that come off my taxes?

Usually, if it is tied to the wedding. I keep it linked to that specific event so the accountant can confirm it with your full year in view.

The tax side

The tax side of a wedding planning business.

Most of what goes wrong here is mixing your money with money you are only holding for someone else. Pass-through funds, retainers, and travel all need their own lane.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Contractor 1099sAssociate planners and day-of assistants not on payroll get a 1099-NEC if paid $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31. Gus keeps that list running all year.
  • Vendor pass-through is not incomeMoney collected to pay vendors on a client's behalf usually is not counted as your revenue, though the accountant confirms it against how your contracts are written.
  • Travel tied to a weddingTravel for a specific destination wedding is usually deductible when it is tied to that event. Gus keeps it linked to the wedding so the accountant can confirm it.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can deduct up to 20 percent of qualified business income before it is taxed, which can lower what is owed in a strong booking year.

Deductions wedding planners miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Associate planner fees
  • Aisle Planner or HoneyBook
  • Styled shoot costs
  • Website and listing fees
  • Travel tied to a wedding
  • Professional liability insurance
  • Continuing education courses
  • Client gifts and welcome bags
  • Printed planning materials
  • Phone and tablet for site visits
  • Vendor meeting mileage
  • Trade association dues

General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.

All year, not just April

A wedding planner's year, kept every month.

Retainers come in on one schedule and weddings happen on another. Gus keeps the return on its own timeline. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for associate planners is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned before engagement season floods your inbox.

  2. April

    Filed and signed

    Your return is filed and signed right as spring wedding season ramps up, so tax season never competes with your busiest weekends.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether this year's bookings changed the number.

  4. October

    Before the fall rush

    Fall weddings peak. Gus looks at what is worth buying before December and whether next year's retainers are already coming in.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.

Book a call
  • Monthly bookkeeping

    Every transaction sorted into categories set up for wedding planners. You never categorize a thing.

  • An accountant checks every transaction

    Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.

  • Your business tax return, filed

    Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.

  • The monthly number

    What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.

  • Your own bookkeeper

    A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.

  • On your books all year

    Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.

  • Cancel any time

    No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.

Straight answers

Questions wedding planners ask first.

Can Gus tell the difference between my planning fee and money I am just passing through to vendors?

Yes. Vendor pass-through funds are kept apart from your planning fee, so your real revenue never looks bigger than it is.

I get paid a retainer a year before the wedding. Does that count as income right away?

It is booked as income when received, since most planners run cash basis, but Gus flags it as tied to a wedding not yet worked, so you know how much of your balance is really earned.

I hire different associate planners for different weddings. How does that get tracked?

Each associate's pay is tied to the wedding it was for, so you can see the real cost of any wedding that needed extra help.

Do referral fees from venues count as regular income?

Yes, but they are kept in their own line so you can see what referral relationships bring in, apart from what your planning work itself earns.

My books are a mess from years of doing this on my own. Can Gus untangle it?

Yes. Send what you have and Gus sorts it. Most planners know where they stand within a week.

Is a real accountant checking my books?

Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.

What does it cost, and can I cancel?

It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.

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Book a call

Pick a time. That's the whole signup.

Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.

  • $197 a month to start
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever