As a wedding planner, I can't tell you how many times I have spoken with couples who were anxious about the 'design' for their wedding. They may have had an overall idea of of the aesthetics, but had NO idea how it was all going to come together. They also felt like there was a lot of pressure to create something their guests hadn't seen before. If that sounds like you, don't stress - You are not alone!
My goal as a planner and designer is to make the design process EASY and to make the day feel like my couples - not just like something they saw on Pinterest. It's important to me that the day includes my couples ideas and embodies who they are as a couple. I also want them to feel very comfortable, excited and at ease through the entire process.
Now, how in the world do I do that?
Keep on reading to learn the seven steps I take in order to bring my couples visions to life!
STEP ONE: THE 'LET'S CHAT!' MEETING
During this meeting we don't go over as many design details as you might think. This is my chance to really get to know YOU. We will go over your dream wedding style and all your crazy wedding ideas, including what your wedding would look like if budget weren't a thing. Believe it or not, we will also just talk about life. I want to know where you work, how you met, what you do for fun and if you have any fur children at home. Getting to know YOU is going to allow me to bring more of your life and personality into the day.
STEP TWO: THE QUESTIONNAIRE
After our first meeting, we will send you a questionnaire to fill out. This might seem a little overkill since we JUST went over your wedding ideas, but you would be amazed at how much can change! I find that our first meeting really gets the wheels turning and this questionnaire allows you to expand on those new ideas. This little questionnaire includes things such as a link to your Pinterest board, 3 words to describe your ideal wedding, your favorite wedding details and photos of things your LOVE and things you HATE. Believe it or not, knowing what you don't like can actually be more helpful that what you DO like.
STEP THREE: THE MOOD BOARD
After you submit your questionnaire, we create two Wedding Mood Boards for you to review. This give you two different directions to choose from and is the first glimpse into your wedding day style. This ensures we are on the right track and prevents us from spending hours upon hours creating a detailed design proposal that you don't love. We then tweek your favorite Mood Board, if needed, and have the frame work for all the wedding design details.
STEP FOUR: THE DESIGN PROPOSAL
Once we have created the perfect mood board, we can start diving into all the details! This process takes the longest, as we want to be able to brainstorm the BEST ideas for your big day. The customized design proposal tends to be about 10 - 15 pages of gorgeous imagery, and includes options for ALL the wedding day design details! This is when is starts to feel more real.
After we complete this proposal, we set up a time to discuss it in person (or FaceTime if you aren't local). As we flip through your design proposal, you will see a few different options for the ceremony and reception, as well as a few 'splurge' options. I am a big believer that there should be one or two big focal points at the wedding. For example, this could be a custom place card display, hanging decor, a breathtaking lounge or a unique and luxurious dessert display.
You job at this meeting is to pick and choose your favorite items! Sometimes this is picking everything exactly as it is in the proposal, while other times this means combining or tweaking ideas to get the best version.
STEP FIVE: THE REVISED DESIGN PROPOSAL
Based on your input, we will REVISE your design proposal and put together the FINAL design. This, ideally, will fully encompass your style and will bring your vision completely to life. Once this is revised, we will wrap it in a nice bow with linen samples and make it feel like the 'real deal'
STEP SIX: THE RENDERING
Let's be honest, most couples find it hard to visualize things and need to 'see' things in order to know how everything we talked about it going to look in their chosen wedding space. In order to help those visual couples, we create both two-dimensional and three-dimensional diagrams of your wedding! This way you can see what it will look like as a whole and will make you feel more at ease about your decisions.
STEP SEVEN: THE MOCK-UP
Now is the time we bring it all to life - and I have to admit that this is my favorite part!! No matter how much preparation and visualization you do, things sometimes just look different in real life. Here we will do a full table set-up with floral, linen, place settings, table numbers, candles, place cards, etc. We also bring a few different options to ensure we have picked the best option. Believe it or not, there have been many a days where we have switched a napkin color , glassware or candle options here. This ensures you LOVE the final product and gives you 100% confidence going into your wedding day!
And that's a wrap! Does this sound like EXACTLY what you need? Let's set up a time to chat about your wedding and how we can bring your vision to life!
