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FAQ's
We know there are lots of questions and so we have done our best to answer many of the ones we hear often. While most questions can get answered in our Complimentary Consultations, please feel free to browse through these to see if we may be a good fit for you and your event!
Can I change my Package after signing the contract?
The answer is - yes! We believe wedding and event planning is fluid and that things may change over the timeframe you are working with us. We keep it as an option to decrease or increase your plan with us as things go.
Our goal is to put together the right custom package so that it doesn’t need to change much if at all but we like options and we think our clients do too!
There are limits as to how much the package can change and once we have received a payment, services can never decrease below the amount paid.
Who will be my Lead Planner?
We have a group of planners that all come with different experience and specialities so we are going to match you with the person that best fits the type of event you are having. We strive to match you with the planner that we think you will also have the best connection with.
The next thing we look at is date availability. Our goal is to ensure that you have the time and attention you deserve from your Lead Planner and that our staff has as much work-life balance as our career can allow. Because of that, we will never book a Lead Planner for more than one event per weekend (no back to back Fridays and Saturdays here!)
Generally, we determine who will be your Lead Planner within 9 months to a year out from your event to ensure our staff knows their personal schedule prior to assigning them. This saves us from needing to change your Lead Planner as often as if we assigned you one right away. However, we all work as a team so you will always know who your point of contact is at any given time.
This isn’t quite like a dating app so you can’t swipe left or right but check out our about page to see if there is a Lead Planner that would be your ideal! We do our best to take requests but all of the factors above go into the final decision. No matter who you end up with, our team is the most amazing part about us and you will be with someone perfect for you!
When will I be assigned my Lead Planner?
Generally, we determine who will be your Lead Planner within 9 months to a year out from your event to ensure our staff knows their personal schedule prior to assigning them. This saves us from needing to change your Lead Planner as often as if we assigned you one right away. However, we all work as a team so you will always know who your point of contact is at any given time.
What does the event planning process look like?
Well, pull up a chair because this answer will take awhile… It truly depends on the type of event you are planning and the amount of time we have to plan it. A wedding that we’re planning over the course of 18 months looks very different from one that we are planning in 4 months. And a birthday party next month looks different than a golf outing a year from now.
The best thing to do is book a Complimentary Consultation and we will discuss that for your individual event.
What is the average cost of the weddings you plan?
We can plan weddings from $25,000 to $500,000+ and anywhere in between. But what it really comes down to are a number of factors including location, number of guests and what is important to you as a couple.
If you are looking to plan a 250 person wedding for $20,000 in the heart of Minneapolis, we are probably not your planners. However, if you are looking to plan a 75 person wedding for $20,000 somewhere within the Twin Cities we could be a fit for you!
Guest count affects so much - How many people are you feeding? How many tables need centerpieces? How many chairs do we need to rent?
Another factor is what things are important to you - Are you foodies and want an extra special experience for your guests? Do you want an open bar? Are your dreams currently filled with flowers dripping from every possible location in your venue?
All of these things go into what your budget needs to be to have the wedding you are envisioning.
Book your Complimentary Consultation to discuss your particular situation and we will be happy to give you budgeting guidance.
How much does a wedding in the Twin Cities cost?
Most couples come to us with only a rough budget and expect to spend $30,000 - $35,000 and, unfortunately, it is really and truly difficult to spend that much on a wedding in the Twin Cities anymore. Costs of venue, catering, flowers and labor have all significantly increased with factors from the pandemic and we have seen about a 30-40% increase in the cost of weddings in just the past two years alone.
With that, we are seeing the average budget for weddings be closer to $45,000 - $75,000 when they are expecting about 150 guests and are working with professional vendors.
Book your Complimentary Consultation to discuss your particular situation and we will be happy to give you budgeting guidance.
As a client, can I call/text/email you whenever I want?
We understand that there is an ebb and flow during the event planning process. Sometimes, we will need to be touching base about things on a daily basis while other times there will be a lull. We try to keep our parameters fairly open about communication and will be there if you need us.
That said, if you are a wedding coordination client, the amount we communicate will be significantly different from our All-Inclusive clientele but a lot of that has to do with the amount of planning required for one versus the other. We will always let you know if what you are asking of us is outside of the scope of your current package and offer you suggestions on how our services could be contracted to help you with that situation.
Do you call, text and email with clients or what is your preferred method of communication?
We will do all three! We will ask during one of your very first meetings with us what your preferred method of communication is and will do our best to use that. That said, we also know we cannot text a book back to you so may request if a question is too complex that we schedule a call or will reply via email.
If you have another form of communication preferences - carrier pigeon, smoke signals or faxing perhaps? - please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate.
Do I get discounts by working with you?
We have a preferred vendor list that all of our clients have access to. We love and respect our vendors so much and realize they are running businesses too. We have asked our vendors to give our clients either a discount or an upgrade in services but that it is not required to be on our list. If someone is awesome, we want them on our list simply because of that and not just because their business model allows for discounts.
With that, if discounts are important to you, we can guide you specifically to those vendors that give discounts since there are many that do so on our list! We’ll also advise you if we think you’re getting a better deal by utilizing an upgrade or if another vendor will just be a better fit for you.
What does the payment structure look like and what forms of payment do you accept?
Payment structures vary based on the event and how long we are planning the event. Generally though, we take the package and divvy it into 2-4 equal payments (most typically 3). The first payment is considered your retainer, the second is about the midpoint of planning and the final is due two weeks prior to the event. Payments are non-refundable.
We accept check, Venmo or Credit Cards and there is a 3.5% fee for credit cards.
How many of your staff will be at my event?
This truly depends on what your event needs. We will always have at least one Lead Planner and one Assistant Planner at any event because we almost always have to be in two places at once and we always want to ensure we can run off-site if something is forgotten or there is an emergency with a client or vendor.
If you are planning a wedding where your ceremony will be at one location and your reception is at another, we will always have at least one Lead Planner and two Assistant Planners so that the Lead Planner can run the ceremony and the two Assistant Planners can be focused on set up and directing vendors.
Do you have set packages?
No we do not! We create custom packages for each client so that you truly get what you need for your particular wedding or event. We believe that each event is unique and having custom packages is the best way we can serve clients.
Book your Complimentary Consultation today to discuss your event and put together your customized package.
What is the difference between All-Inclusive Planning versus Planning + Coordination?
We’re going to explain this by looking at two examples of clients:
Client 1: With this couple, one partner has a very time-consuming, stressful job and the other is in their second year of residency at a hospital. They would like to get married about a year from now but have no idea where to start (other than maybe a venue they would like to go with) and know that they do not have the time or energy to dedicate to wedding planning. They are looking for a partner to plan alongside them the entire way. They want to know every detail is handled and don’t even have the time to think about vendor hunting let alone tracking RSVP’s and stuffing hotel welcome bags. They are looking for vendor recommendations in almost every category other than one or two and they want someone to send them recommendations with options A, B & C and they just get to point and say “that one.” They are looking to fully enjoy their engagement and not feel stressed out like all of their friends have talked about.
Client 2. This couple are both busy professionals with demanding jobs and so they know they don’t have the time or brainspace to truly focus on wedding planning. The process of venue searching has been super stressful for them (have you seen how many venues there are on the knot?!) and so they would love to have someone help them with that. From being in other friends’ weddings, they already know a photographer and a DJ they want to go with because they had such wonderful experiences with them. Partner 1 has been busy Pinterst-ing and has an idea of the style of the wedding that they would like but has no clue how to make the design come to life. They have a mom that wants to be involved so they are thinking she can help with tracking RSVP’s and putting together Guest Favors but they don’t think they want to give her too many projects that could stress her out. They want to ensure that not only they can relax on the day of their wedding but so can their family and friends. And there’s no way they are cleaning up anything at the end of the day.
We would recommend Client 1 go with our All-Inclusive Package to get the level of service and involvement that they are looking for. Client 2 would fall somewhere between our Partial & Full Service Planning + Coordination package and we would create a package that includes Venue Searching, Event Design, Vendor Coordination for the remaining vendors they don’t have as well as all of the other services found in our Coordination Package.
Book your Complimentary Consultation today to discuss your event and find out what our recommendation would be for you!
Do you have a Day-of Coordination package?
Our version of Day-of Coordination is our Wedding Coordination package. We don’t believe we can just show up the day-of and truly give you a stress-free day. Because of that, we include several other meetings and services like a venue walkthrough and tour, timeline creation, coordination with vendors, meeting the week of the wedding, coordination of rehearsal and both a Lead Planner and Assistant Planner the day of your wedding. We also believe we can help our clients that are a little earlier on the planning process with a vendor recommendation meeting so you are confident in the vendors you are choosing. On top of all of this, we include access to our client portal which has tools such as a checklist, timeline, budget, event design center, guest tracker, layout and seating, vendor contacts and more.
We will be honest - we are not the least expensive planners that offer this type of service. With over ten years of experience in wedding planning, we have learned what allows you to truly have a stress-free day and the package we’ve created will do that and is beyond worth it.
Book your Complimentary Consultation today to discuss your event and put together your customized Wedding Coordination package.
Do you charge for travel outside of the Twin Cities?
We charge for mileage once we are 30 miles outside of the Twin Cities. That means, if your venue is 70 miles away from our main office, we would charge you for 80 miles (40 miles each way x 2 for round trip). We charge $0.58 per mile so using our 80 mile distance example, we would charge $46.40 per trip to go to your venue. Typically, we need to travel to the venue 2-3 times depending on your event’s needs.
We also require a hotel room if the event is more than an hour away from our main office. We typically request a hotel room at a hotel where there is a Guest Room Block that has 2 queen beds but this may vary depending on staffing needs.
Will you plan Destination Weddings or Events?
Yes, we will plan Destination Weddings and Events. But only with the coolest clients that we would actually want to travel with. ;) We do a limited number per year so please inquire with us regarding availability.
You can check out more details on our Destination Wedding Page (Link to page)
Book your Complimentary Consultation to get a customized proposal for your Destination Wedding or Event.
What do I need to have prepared before my Complimentary Consultation?
The main things we’ll need are the basic details and a general vision of your event. If you do not have time to prep anything else, then that’s all we need!
We do a pretty thorough consultation to discern what your event planning needs are so we can build an accurate customized package. Please plan about an hour for the consultation.
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If you do have time for a little prep, here are a few suggestions:
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We will discuss your overall wedding budget so please tally up what you think this approximately will be. If you are unsure, we will discuss more on the call.
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Bring your questions! We do recommend checking out our whole FAQ page prior to keep our consultation timely and focused on your event vision.
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If you have a Pinterest board or other inspiration, we would love to see it! You can send us a link if you have time. Otherwise, we’ll take a look at that after you are officially our client.
Do you work with clients that live out of state but are planning a wedding or event in Minnesota?
All the time actually! We have had clients from all over the U.S. that either grew up in Minnesota, have family here or this is a mid-way point for families with a major airport.
Our process with out-of-town clients is that we do a lot virtually via phone and zoom and then usually plan a couple of weekends that you come into town to do the vendor meetings that can be difficult to do from afar. It’s really hard to taste cake through a computer! (FYI - we will totally take on that burden if you cannot make it back in town for your cake tasting. We’re expert wine tasters as well!)
Book your Complimentary Consultation to get a customized proposal and discuss your situation further.
What tools do you have available to help us with planning?
We have an amazing client portal which has tools such as a checklist, timeline, budget, event design center, guest tracker, layout and seating, vendor contacts and more. It’s amazing for both Type-A personalities that love organizing and for people that avoid organization at all costs.
It is included with all of our packages because we love it so much and clients have told us what a benefit it was for them!
What does the event planning process look like?
Well, pull up a chair because this answer will take awhile… It truly depends on the type of event you are planning and the amount of time we have to plan it. A wedding that we’re planning over the course of 18 months looks very different from one that we are planning in 4 months. And a birthday party next month looks different than a golf outing a year from now.
The best thing to do is book a Complimentary Consultation and we will discuss that for your individual event.