Wedding and event planner accounting.
Deposits as deferred revenue, vendor pass-through accounting, retainer income, and the tax planning for planners scaling past $100K.
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Event planning has a long booking cycle. Couples sign retainers 12–18 months before the event, with deposit at signing and balance due before the event. Every dollar collected before the event is a liability, not revenue, until the event happens. Add vendor pass-through (florist, catering, venue paid through the planner) and the gross-vs-net revenue picture matters.
We work with full-service wedding planners, day-of coordinators, and corporate event firms.
What we handle
- Deposit and retainer accounting — liability until event, then revenue.
- Vendor pass-through separated from agency revenue.
- Per-event margin reporting.
- S-corp election when net consistently above $80K.
A wedding planner with $850K gross revenue thought margin was 18%. After we separated $620K of vendor pass-through (catering, florist, venue) from the actual planner fee revenue of $230K, the planner-side margin was 47% — and gave a much better picture for the line of credit application.
If you take retainers months before events, deferred revenue is required.
If you pay vendors through your account, pass-through accounting is required.
If you net $80K+, run the S-corp math.
Real planner margin, real cash flow per event, deposits accounted right.
From $400/month.
Frequently asked questions
When do I recognize deposits?
At the event. Retainers and deposits sit as liability until then.
Vendor pass-through?
Booked as a flow-through item — not your revenue, not your expense in the long run. Coded separately.
Software?
HoneyBook, Aisle Planner, Dubsado. Sync to QuickBooks.
S-corp?
Worth running the math at $80K net.