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The wedding industry is full of talented, hardworking, passionate business owners who are high revenue earners… but low (or no) profit takers.

Truthfully reflect, ask yourself this… Are you exhausted, fully booked, and yet every month you’re staring at your bank account wondering, “Where the heck did all the money go?”

You are not alone—and you’re not doing anything wrong that can’t be fixed. But the math behind how you’re running your business? Yeah… that’s the real villain here. And today, we’re going to walk through exactly what’s going wrong, how to spot it, and how to fix it.

Ready? Let’s dig in.

4 Core Reasons the Math Is Bankrupting Wedding Business Owners

1. Overpaying Your Team and Undervaluing Yourself

“You give 70% of the fee to your artist… and all they have to do is show up, do the service, and go. Y’all, it’s wrong. It’s flipped. It’s backwards.”

This is the biggest, most common mistake I see—especially in beauty, DJ, and photography businesses. A well-meaning owner starts hiring and thinks, “I want to be fair. I want to reward talent.” So they set team payout at 70%.

Here’s the problem: that model doesn’t leave room for your business to breathe—let alone grow.

Let’s break it down with easy math:

• Client pays $1,000
• Artist gets $700
• You’re left with $300
• Subtract credit card fees (approx. $30)
• Subtract admin time, assistants, software, insurance, taxes, etc.

And guess what? You’re profiting maybe $100—if you’re lucky.

“My time is worth more than a hundred dollars. That’s pennies for the risk you carry as the business owner.”

Your time is worth more than that CEO. Because you’re the one managing the business, building the reputation, handling the customer service, keeping the lights on—and taking on all the risk.

You deserve to get paid. But in a 70% payout model? There’s nothing left for you.

2. Not Building Profit Into Your Pricing

“If your net profit after all expenses is less than 20%, you have a numbers problem—not a marketing problem.”

This one’s a heartbreaker because I see so many wedding pros crushing it on the outside—Instagram poppin’, inquiries flowing, $500K+ revenue—and still not taking a salary.

The reality? Most haven’t priced their services with profit in mind. They price based on what others charge or what “feels fair,” without calculating:

• Team costs
• Overhead
• CEO pay
• Taxes
• Seasonal dips

Profit isn’t what’s left over after you pay everyone else. Profit has to be built into your pricing from the start.

“Without enough left over to pay yourself and reinvest in growth, you don’t have a business—you have a job. A very stressful job that doesn’t pay enough.”

Preach!!!

3. Fear of Resetting the Team Structure

“You can’t just go to your team and say, ‘I’m dropping your pay from 70% to 40%.’ They’ll leave. And they should. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck.”

So many CEOs are stuck in a cycle where they know the math isn’t working—but they’re terrified to lose team members if they make changes.

Here’s what I tell my students inside the Wedding Pro CEO program: you can restructure your pay model without blowing up your team. It’s about strategy, transparency, and transition.

Here’s how we do it:

1. Identify your A-players – the ones you can’t afford to lose. Keep their current rates (for now).
2. Assess the rest – if you wouldn’t be heartbroken to lose someone, they’re not untouchable.
3. Present the change respectfully – “We’re restructuring to ensure long-term sustainability.”
4. Hire new team members at the correct payout model (30–40%).

“If you keep giving 70% to everyone, you won’t have a business in three years. What will they think then?”

Mic. Drop.

4. Wearing All the Hats and Still Not Getting Paid

“If your business can’t pay you unless you physically attend an event, you don’t have a business—you have a job.”

Oof. This one hits hard.

Most CEOs I work with are doing everything:

• Booking clients
• Managing the team
• Posting to Instagram
• Answering emails
• Working events
• Handling taxes
• Building systems

And they’re doing all that without paying themselves. That’s not sustainable. It’s also not scalable.

“Your role in the business is better served growing and scaling it—not having a full client load.”

You can’t grow a business while staying buried in the weeds. Your time should be spent on high-level work that drives revenue and team performance—not just keeping your head above water.

✅ What a Profitable Business Should Look Like

So what’s the alternative?

“Your direct labor cost should not be more than 40% of the total fee you charge your client.”

Here’s the basic formula:

• Pay new team members between 30–40%
• Keep a few senior team members at higher rates during transition
• Leave room for 20–30% in net profit after all expenses
• That margin covers your salary as CEO and reinvestment for growth

This is how you stop running a hamster-wheel business and start building a real one.

“We’re not building the kind of business I owned 10 years ago that I wanted to burn down with a set of matches.”

We are here for sustainability, scalability, and sanity. Period.

Three Real Ways to Fix the Math

If you’re not ready to restructure your team yet, try one of these steps:

1. Raise Your Prices

“Keep your team’s pay flat, and increase what you charge to make the margin work.”

If you’ve been charging $1,000 and paying your artist $700, try charging $1,200 and still paying them $700. It’s the same to them—but way more sustainable for you.

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2. Add High-Margin Upsells

Offer add-ons like:

• Lashes or airbrush (beauty)
• Uplighting or photo booth (DJ)
• Rentals, signage, stationary (planner)

These boost profit without increasing team payouts.

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3. Know. Your. Numbers.

“Awareness is the first fix.”

If you don’t know your current payout percentages or net profit margin, that’s step one. Run the numbers. If your net profit is under 20%, you’ve got work to do—and you’re not alone.

Before We Go

“You deserve to be paid for the things you do for your business that no one sees—but that make everything possible.”

CEO, if your business only “works” when you work—then it’s not working.

It’s time to stop running yourself into the ground and start making the math work for you. You are the CEO. You deserve a paycheck. You deserve profit. You deserve peace.

Let’s fix the math, for good.

📩 Run your numbers and DM me on Instagram @brandeegaar with your profit margin and payout percentage—I’ll give you real-time feedback. Let’s build a business that pays you.

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Want help fixing the math in your business? 👉 Apply to Wedding Pro CEO here. Let’s get you profitable—without the burnout.

FAQ

What’s the ideal team payout percentage in the wedding industry?

30–40% of the total client fee is sustainable. Lower for new team members, higher for senior or key players.

Can I just increase my prices without changing my payout structure?

Yes! If your market allows it, increasing your pricing while keeping team rates flat is a great way to recover margin.

What if I lose team members during a restructure?

It’s possible. But if they’re not aligned with your sustainable growth, it’s better to part ways and hire right.

What profit margin should I aim for?

Aim for 20–30% net profit after all expenses, including your own salary.

Where can I get help restructuring my pricing and payouts?

Apply to join the Wedding Pro CEO program at weddingproceo.com/application. Our coaches walk with you step by step.

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💌For business inquiries: sayhello@weddingproceo.com

Heads up, CEO! Some of the links I share may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase—at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and love, and that I believe will help you grow a profitable, sustainable business you’re obsessed with.