The wedding planner ops stack (2026)

The rule

This is an operations stack for a US wedding planner or small planning studio — one to a few coordinators, retainers, and a date. It is not a craft stack. We will not rank AI vow writers, mood-board generators, or caption bots. That catalog is Aiacent. If the leak is the planning, leave. If the leak is a lead in DMs, a retainer on Venmo, and no ledger, stay.

The default stack

• CRM / studio OS: HoneyBook if the motion is lead → proposal → invoice → contract. Dubsado if you will administer a studio OS. HubSpot Free if you only needed a contact file. Pipedrive if you are actually selling packages like a sales team. See Best CRM for wedding planners and Best CRM for photographers (sibling studio).
• Invoicing: the studio OS if it already bills. FreshBooks $23 or Wave $0 if CRM and AR should stay separate. Stripe Invoicing if you already live in Stripe. See How to set up invoicing as a freelancer and Best invoicing for consultants on retainers.
• Books: Wave $0 if you will reconcile. QBO Simple Start $38 or Essentials $85 when a CPA appears. FreshBooks if invoices are the file. See When to leave spreadsheets.
• Banking: a business-named account. Found if you are self-employed and will use tax set-asides. Novo if Wave is already the ledger. See Found vs Novo.
• Payroll: Gusto Simple $49 + $6 when a coordinator is a W-2. Contractor Only $35 + $6 if they are actually contractors — classification is counsel.
• Scheduling: HoneyBook/Dubsado or Calendly $0–paid if the CRM is not the book. Do not run three calendars.

Studio

A wedding planner is closer to a photographer than to a five-person sales team. HoneyBook exists because the job is a date, a contract, and a payment schedule — not a six-stage B2B pipeline. Pipedrive wins only if you run a sales motion (destination packages, corporate events) and reps will update a board. HubSpot Free is a contact file; Starter at $20/seat is the first bill if marketing will share it. See HubSpot Free vs paid and How to choose a CRM for solo founders.

Retainers need a schedule, not a single invoice you forget to follow. Best invoicing for consultants on retainers is the sibling method. Do not take the deposit on personal Venmo “until the LLC account opens.” How to accept payments as a new LLC is the formation path. How to separate personal and business finances is the habit.

Money

As of September 21, 2026: HoneyBook and Dubsado are published-plan products — confirm honeybook.com and dubsado.com rather than a 2023 blog. HubSpot Free $0; Starter $20/seat list. Pipedrive annual Lite $14 / Growth $39 / Premium $59 / Ultimate $79. Wave $0 / Pro $19. FreshBooks $23 / $43 / $70. QBO $38 / $85 / $140. Gusto Simple $49 + $6; Contractor Only $35 + $6. Confirm hubspot.com/pricing/crm, pipedrive.com/en/pricing, and gusto.com/product/pricing.

Processing on retainers is a few percent. Offer ACH or a wire for large deposits if the couple will use it. Card-on-file is how you collect the remaining 50% without chasing a Saturday. We are not your sales-tax advisor on events that cross state lines. A destination wedding is not a reason to skip a business-named account.

What to skip

• HubSpot Professional to look like an agency.
• Pipedrive plus HoneyBook “to be safe.”
• AI vow and caption tools as a buying criterion. Aiacent.
• Personal Venmo as the retainer rail after you have an EIN.
• Gusto before you have a W-2 or a real contractor process.
• A second proposal tool if HoneyBook already sends the contract.