What To Expect From Your Wedding Planning Consultation

If you’ve spent a little time wandering around my website and exploring all that is on offer, you’ve hopefully decided you’d like to embark on the next leg of this exciting wedding planning journey with me. The next step is for us to have a wedding planning consultation, which sounds very official but is really just a chance for us to ensure we are on the same page and are the right fit for each other on your biggest adventure yet. You can start by filling in my contact form with some details, then we’ll arrange a virtual meet up. The time we spend together will be so much more enjoyable and useful for us if we both do a bit of preparation, so I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know about the Dandelion consultation process.

The first thing to keep in mind is that working with me is a collaborative process across all elements of the planning. This includes our wedding planning consultation; as with many things in life, you get out what you put in! There are a few things this meeting definitely won’t be…it won’t be stuffy or formal and there will be no pressure or hard-selling from me. It’s also important to remember that our consultation isn’t a forum for getting advice or supplier recommendations – this is part of my wedding planning service! – it’s an opportunity for us to get to know one another, and determine what sort of support you need and why.

Our consultation call will be relaxed and fun, giving me the chance to fully understand your vision and ideas for your elopement or destination wedding and you the chance to see if I’m the right planner to bring them to fruition!

During your wedding planning consultation I will have quite a few questions for you, so I’m going to share some of the points we’ll be covering here so you know what to expect. Because of the collaborative nature of my service, the only way we can create a magical experience for your wedding is by giving me access to all the wonderful ideas you have! Here are some of the things I’ll be asking you about…

Getting Personal

First and foremost I want to know who you are as a couple! Outside of the wedding planning you are wonderfully complex individuals making up a unique pair, and it’s important for me to get to know you a little in order that you have the best experience possible. I’ll ask you things like how you met and what you do for work and fun, and if there was a proposal I’d love to hear about it! By the time we’ve chatted about this you’ll feel relaxed and comfortable, and I’ll feel like I know you a little better.

What level of support do you need from your wedding planner?

It’s important for me to understand why you’ve sought me out; maybe you’re busy and simply don’t have the time to plan and manage all the design, logistics and supplier elements of your wedding. It could be that you feel you have a good handle on the planning but could use expert support and advice along the way. Understanding this will enable me to propose the best way of working together that flexibly fits your needs, without trying to box you into a standard package…think of it like booking an extra leg room seat on your flight!

Do you have any particular worries?

Most couples have one or two things they’re particularly concerned or stressed about during the planning process, and during our wedding planning consultation I like to find out what these are. Planning a wedding abroad comes with its own set of challenges (I cover some of them here) – you might be worried about how to choose a venue or suppliers, or overwhelmed at the thought of making sure all your guests are looked after. Maybe you’re even doubting whether you’ll enjoy the planning process! Letting me in on these concerns will make the experience of working together more enjoyable, as I carefully tailor the process around them.

What type of ceremony would you like and why?

Destination weddings come with a range of different options for your ceremony. I’ll go into them in detail in a future blog post, but broadly speaking you can choose from a civil, symbolic, religious or humanist ceremony. Couples have different reasons for choosing one or the other, from religious or spiritual beliefs to a desire to have a highly personalised wedding day. I truly believe your ceremony is the soul of your wedding day and shouldn’t be overlooked or passed off as a necessity, so understanding what you want to get from it will help me help you make it a celebration to remember.

What are your priorities?

Prioritising is absolutely key when it comes to wedding planning. Knowing what is most important to you as a couple and why will guide lots of things, from how we divide up your budget to how we structure the day and which suppliers we choose. For you, having your wedding ceremony overlooking the sea might be an absolute must but you might not be so concerned about having a band. It might be really important to you that your guests find the venue easy to get to and can stay overnight, or that the food is out of this world. Sitting down together ahead of our consultation and agreeing on these priorities will help us collaborate to make it an enchanting experience.

What are your dealbreakers?

Following on from the above, I also like to know if there’s anything you really love or can’t possibly imagine your wedding without. It could be specific varieties of flowers you love, particular wines or foods that remind you of a special trip you took together, or unique experiences to share with your guests. Knowing these things will help me curate a wedding that feels heartfelt and truly personal to you.

Vision

When I talk about your vision for your wedding day, you don’t need to be able to present me with a professionally designed moodboard or set the whole scene! I want to chat about how you want your day to feel, and what an intimate, wild wedding means to you both. You can tell me how you envisage your day unfolding, which memories and moments you’re both looking forward to, and what emotions you want to evoke and capture for you and your guests. You can then let me transform this chat into a tailored proposal for your day.

Money Talk

I understand that it can be a thorny subject, but it’s really important that we have a chat about how much you’re hoping to spend on your wedding day during our call. In my contact form there is a section for you to give me an idea of your budget, and without this information we won’t be able to have our consultation call at all. I need this information in order to determine whether I’m the right planner for you, and going forward to help you prioritise and maximise the budget you have. One of the key elements of designing a memorable wedding day is using the right amount of money in the right places.

Finally…

Last but not least, our wedding planning consultation is also your opportunity to ask me any questions you might have. You can ask me about anything you’re unsure of in terms of working together and how that might look, my approach to planning, the Dandelion Celebrations ethos…and we can have a good chat about our favourite travel destinations/foods/adventures too, if you like! 

Hopefully this guide has given you an idea of what to expect once you’ve made initial contact with me, and I can’t wait to dive into this with you and hear about your thoughts for your wedding day. Each event is so personal and special, and I handle it with care and attention to detail. If you’re ready to get this adventure started, pop your details in here and let’s go on this wild journey to married life!