Notifications:
"How long have you been planning weddings?"
We've been in business since 2007 and planned many weddings, anniversary celebrations, family reunions, milestone birthdays, and even celebration of life events for years before that. It was the type of thing where friends and family would automatically look in our direction when an event needed to be planned! At a wedding we helped coordinate and design in 2007, some guests asked if we did wedding coordinating for a living, we realized it was time to make that dream come true and we dove into researching everything we could before doing events professionally. We love what we get to do!
Some would say it is the fact that in addition to the free hour of consultation with a couple, We also offer a complimentary one-hour consultation with family members who are paying for the wedding. This doesn't take away from the fact that it is your day, because that is most important. Others would say that we like to keep everyone comfortable with the planning process and put everyone at ease if a little roadblock comes up. Many people tell us that we have a calming effect on everyone involved.
We try to help people plan weddings in such a way that they can have a much shorter engagement time which saves on time, money and stress. This is made easier when someone chooses the full planning option.
We love challenges because it gives us an opportunity to be creative to solve a problem. We like to incorporate the couple's personality, style and budget into solutions that make us glad that there was ever an issue that needed addressing to begin with! It's fun and it doesn't have to add to their expenses!
We are qualified to officiate for weddings, if an emergency comes up or if someone just wants to hire us for officiating.
"This sounds wonderful, but are we going to be able to afford this?"
The best thing to do is to go to our Planning Packages. You will want to keep in mind that these are guidelines and can be tailored to meet your specific needs.
"Who do you work best with?"
We love working with couples that have a sense of humor and have fun thinking outside of the box. We especially like it when we can work with couples who want to have someone plan their whole wedding (as compared to a Day-of Coordination) with them because we feel like we can more optimally create a team of vendors who are going to provide quality services that match the couple's personality, style and budget. We like working with those who show mutual respect for us and those around them. We like clients who appreciate our experience and sometimes our opinion when we are trying to do what is in their best interest. We listen, engage in a conversation that brings out a couple's vision of their wedding, but it is also our responsibility to point out potential problems. We may have to be the bearer of bad news if it is for their protection or if an idea lends itself to a problem for their wedding day. Our main job is to listen constantly, to the point where our clients might wonder at a later date how we even knew about a particular preference or idea! We do Day-of-Coordinations. One thing we like about "Day-of"-Coordinations is getting to know new vendors that we haven't worked with before. We work best with couples, their families and guests who have respect for all wedding vendors, their talents and professionalism. We don't like working with unruly guests who have no respect for the venue or vendor rules.
"Who is not going to benefit from your help for their wedding?"
We would have to say it would be someone who is always missing appointments and doesn't give us advanced notice that they won't be able to make it to an appointment. Our time is valuable, and we also worry if someone doesn't show up for an appointment. If this happens twice with the initial complimentary consultations, we don't make any additional contact with the couple except to see that they okay. We've had to add charges for missed appointments. If someone treats their fiance', family or friends with disrespect it raises warning signs as to how they will treat us and other vendors.
We prefer to work with couples who inform us of changes well in advance of the wedding day especially in advance of the week of the wedding. We need to work with a couple who will respond quickly to requests to be able to do our best job. We add additional charges for changes during the last month.
We like to be made aware of any problems they might be anticipating as far as guest behavior. If a couple is intentionally hiding information that we need to know, we reserve the right to terminate the business relationship without a refund. The same holds true if the relationship becomes strained or difficult. It is the most important day in their lives and we need to have open communication and believe that there are no bad ideas or questions. They can be where all great solutions start. People who have a hard time making a decision, beyond the normal time we have experienced with other clients, are not a good fit for us. We will suggest conditions for the remainder of the contract or suggest terminating the relationship at that time and the client will forfeit their retainer fee and pay a prorated amount for the amount of work and services performed to that point. If this transpires within 3 months of the wedding, the remaining fee will be due within 30 days. Simply put, NO Bridezillas!
"Will you work with vendors I've already found or people I really want to work with?"
If you already have vendors for your wedding, We enjoy working with them and will coordinate everyone's efforts to make your wedding as you want it. For certain vendors, we might want to know if they are licensed and we always look at your contracts, not for a legal review, but to look for possible trouble spots. It can be a little more challenging if you have people participating in your wedding that aren't professionals such as a DJ or a photographer. When we officiate, we more often than not, require that someone has hired a DJ or rented a professional sound system through a DJ unless the wedding takes place in a small room in an indoor home setting. If the weddings are extremely small, then it would have to be considered and signed into a contract.
"What if my venue already has a Wedding Planner? They said that they would do all of the planning."
We hear this a lot. In reality, venue Coordinators are responsible for the venue and their staff's responsibilities on your wedding day. Most of them will not be staying for your wedding and reception but for only part of that time. They might even have vendors that they will recommend to you, but their approach to finding vendors for you can be very different. The difference is really like comparing apples to oranges. More than likely they would have a preferred vendor list whereas an independent Wedding Planner will search for a vast array of vendors that match your personality, style and budget and will look at your wedding from a much larger picture than just the wedding day. An independent Wedding Planner will help you from the very beginning all the way through to helping you with tasks that you still have in the weeks after the wedding. An independent Wedding Planner becomes much more familiar with all of the dynamics of your wedding and has by far the most consultations with a couple than any other vendor. With the Full Planning Options (The Totally Pampered and The Carefree) we accompany our clients on as many consultations as our clients wish for us to be at.
In fact, venue coordinators will more often tell you that they love it when a couple has hired a professional Wedding Planner. An independent Wedding Planner makes their job much easier. They like it that they will have a contact person who is very familiar with weddings to contact at any time during business hours and they know they won't be receiving as many phone calls because a Wedding Planner knows the ropes, if you will. More than on-site wedding coordinators, we help couples with all aspects of their wedding and not just what is visible on the day of the event. We match you with the average of 16-20 types of vendors that are required for the average wedding who will compliment your personality, style and budget.