Frequently asked questions

Planning a wedding can feel pretty overwhelming at times. While couples often hire a professional to help manage their wedding plans. So, where to begin? We've got you covered. Just remember to keep one very important thing in mind: Try to have some fun! This is your wedding after all. Don’t get too hung up on the tiny details and focus on what’s truly important: celebrating the love the two of you share and getting married, all while surrounded by your friends and family. * Step 1 - Think about dates (and seasons), select a theme, determine your bridal style and set your wedding budget. * Step 2 - Produce a draft schedule of events. * Step 3 - Check wedding requirements and other important questions with us then get the quotation. * Step 4 - Book the venue and wedding date by sending the signed wedding agreement and deposit. * Step 5 - Construct a list of wedding day priorities. * Step 6 - Summarize your guest list, food & beverage menu, decorations, playlists etc. then pay the 2nd invoice. * Step 7 - Finalize all details then pay the final invoice. * Step 8 - Get in touch with the celebrant for your wedding vows. * Step 9 - Arrive to the venue and do the on-site rehersal. * Step 10 - Focus on your big day!

If you can swing it, we recommend making a site visit. It will give you a chance to see and do some particular things in person. Now if you can’t make a trip out for a site visit, that’s ok. You’ll just have to be clear on what you want and communicate that. Don't worry, there're many couples who arrived at the venue only few days before wedding! But, if you’re planning on heading to your destination location, there are two things you should consider – when to go and what to do when you go. WHEN TO GO ON A SITE VISIT If you can make only one trip out you should go at one of these two times: 1. In the beginning to pick out your venue 2. After you’ve picked out your venue and when you’re ready for your tasting WHAT TO DO ON A SITE VISIT Here’s what you should do in the first timeframe: 1. Check out venues 2. Look at hotels for your guests to stay at 3. Check out vendors for your other activities and events 4. Research any other travel needs Here’s what you should do in the second timeframe: 1. Catering and dessert tastings 2. Hair and makeup trials 3. Meet with any other visual vendors like a florist, photographer and/or rental and lighting company 4. Research any welcome gift ideas

The key to a wedding day schedule that runs smoothly is planning ahead. Breaking down your entire wedding day into an organized schedule helps to keep everything on track when the big day finally arrives. As a rule of thumb, wedding ceremonies typically last 15-20 minutes and most receptions 3-4 hours. Use the below as a guide to create your own wedding day schedule: 12:00 p.m. START BRIDE'S HAIR AND MAKEUP This normaly takes 2 hours. 2:30 p.m. PHOTOGRAPHER / VIDEOGRAPHER ARRIVES The wedding photographer/videographer should arrive 30 minutes before the bride is ready. During this time, the photographers can get shots of the dress, rings, invitation, etc. 2:45 p.m. BRIDESMAIDS ARE READY; BRIDE'S HAIR AND MAKEUP IS COMPLETE The bridesmaids (as well as the mother of the bride) should be dressed and ready by the time the bride’s hair and makeup is complete. This way, everyone can be in the background of the photos featuring the bride getting dressed.

3:00 p.m. BRIDE DRESSED

Once you're mostly dressed, now's the time to have the photographer capture those intimate moments of your maid of honor (and maybe bridesmaids, too) helping you zip up your dress and slip on your shoes. Make sure your mom has a role, too! Perhaps she helps with your earrings and jewelry, or adjusts your veil.

3:10-3:40 p.m. BRIDAL PORTRAITS AND BRIDESMAIDS PHOTOS

Once you're fully dressed and ready, the photographer will focus on capturing some beautiful portrait and detail shots at pre-scouted locations around your venue. Then time of bridesmaids photos are meant to be casual and fun, capturing the moments of celebration. You can add any special shots, such as toasting with Champagne.

3:40 - 3:50 p.m. GROOM AND GROOMSMEN PHOTOS

During groom prep, this includes tying ties and helping the groom with his tie or cuff links. This part of the day is more candid and provides the photographer with a lot of flexibility depending on the groomsmen style choices.

4:00 p.m. FIRST LOOK

The (optional) first look is a special moment where you and your partner see each other for the first time, away from the hundreds of eyes that will be watching you exchange vows during the ceremony.

4:00 - 4:30 p.m. PORTRAIT PHOTOS TOGETHER If you're opting for a first look, this is an ideal window of time for your photographer(s) to capture some intimate portraits of just the two of you at pre-scouted locations around your venue.

4:00 p.m. GUESTS ARRIVED

"Have your guests meet and ready at the ceremony venue 1 hour before" This gives guests a little extra time if they are running late and ensures all the seats will be filled! Also, now's a great time to have some music playing to add to the ambiance and also indicate that the ceremony start time is indeed approaching.

5:00 - 5:20 p.m. CEREMONY

The time really depends on the type of ceremony you're having. Typically, non-religious ceremonies last around 15-20 minutes, while religious-based ceremonies can last up to 1 hour. 5:20 - 5:30 p.m. WEDDING PARTY AND FAMILY PHOTOS Make sure your photographer has a shot list of every family combination you want captured, and designate a family member to help the photographer identify everyone.

5:30 - 6:30 p.m. COCKTAIL HOUR

Invite guests to cocktail hour while the two of you escape for some post-ceremony photos with the photographer. This will give you a much-needed break to re-energize for the rest of the night, you can join cocktail hour halfway through or spend some time in the bridal suite having appetizers and drinks privately.

5:30-6:30 p.m. PRIVATE SUNSET PHOTOS

Set aside time in your wedding itinerary to take additional portraits together during the time leading up to sunset, which offers opportunities for some incredible natural lighting.

6:45 p.m. GUESTS INVITED TO DINNER

Let guests know it's time to move to the reception—if you're not already there—and sit down.

7:00 p.m. GRAND ENTRANCE AND FIRST DANCE

"Timing works great if you go from your grand entrance right into your first dance" This keeps the formalities and the fun going. If you're having an entrance with sparklers, have a designated member (or members) of your bridal party organize all the guests along your entrance path and hand out the goods.

7:05 - 7:15 p.m. WELCOME TOASTS FROM HOSTS

The first two toasts in the wedding reception timeline are considered welcome toasts and they are typically offered by the parents or a family member of the newlyweds—traditionally, the father of the bride speaks first.

7:15 - 8:00 p.m. DINNER

Time to take a breath—and eat!

8:00 - 8:15 p.m. SPEECHES

As dinner is wrapping up, the best man and maid of honor can offer their toasts and have some speeches during this slot of the wedding schedule. For all speeches, set a time limit and recommend advising your speakers stay within that limit.

8:15 - 8:20 p.m. PARENT DANCES

We recommend doing them immediately after the toasts, and then transition into an open dance floor. After the last official dance, switch to a high-energy music and have your band or DJ encourage everyone to join you on the dance floor.

8:30 - 8:45 p.m. CAKE CUTTING, BOUQUET TOSS, AND GARTER TOSS

First up is the cake cutting, followed by bouquet toss and garter toss (if those are traditions you're keeping). This is also a good time for the newlyweds to say a few words and thank their guests for coming.

8:45 p.m. OPEN DANCE FLOOR

Dance until the night ends!

22:00 p.m. FAREWELL

Arrange for a final song with your DJ or band ahead of time as well as to be alerted that the song is coming up. Say your final goodbyes and hug your final hugs. When your final song comes on, grab hands and make a dash for happily ever after!

Getting married under sunny blue skies may be the dream, but quite often rain showers or chilly, windy weather is the reality. Ofcourse we could plan for the outdoor wedding you've always wanted, but keep a plan B waiting in the wings if the weather doesn't cooperate with 2 options as below: INDOOR AND OUTDOOR Most of resorts and hotels, have indoor options for your wedding. The good news is that backup plans aren't all or nothing. If looming rain isn't forecasted to fall until late into the evening, a backup space means you can still take advantage of clearer skies, holding a portion of your event outdoors, such as your ceremony and cocktail hour, and then move the dinner and dancing inside when wet weather strikes. We will have a rain call for both ceremony and reception setup at 12:00 pm. In case of rain shower, we still can keep the ceremony outdoor but this means you need to be flexible with the time. Our main concern is actually the reception but don't worry even if you would decide to choose the outdoor plan, we will also prepare backup plan at indoor venue but the setup will be only standard chairs and tables covered with white cloths because all decorations will be setup outdoor. TAKE IT TO THE TENT One common backup option is to put up a tent on the grounds, giving you outdoor surroundings with plenty of coverage from the elements. To go this route, check with the venue to make sure a tent is allowed on the property. "Get a quote for the tenting vendors which depending on the location and size, and then add the cost into your budget" Some tents also come with clear side and top panels, allowing for unobstructed, breathtaking views. "And if you don't need to use them because of clearing weather, they can be pulled back and tied to the poles, making it look like part of the overall décor plan"

A room block is a reservation for 10+ rooms, typically created to ensure that your guests have a place to stay for the duration of a wedding if you’re having a destination wedding. Not only will do guests love the opportunity to mingle with one another, but they especially love the perk of a room rate discount typically provided with room blocks. HOW AND WHEN TO RESERVE A ROOM BLOCK Couples typically reserve hotel room blocks about 3-8 months before the wedding. Be prepared with the dates you expect your guests to stay, a rough estimate of how many rooms you want to reserve and any special requests like transportation to/from the airport, parking passes, welcome bag drop-offs, etc. LEARNING HOW TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE Every hotel will have different clauses and fees associated with everything from penalties for overbooking, penalties for underbooking, fees for special services like welcome bag drop-offs, etc. Before you even have this conversation with your sales agents, learn how to speak their language. Here are a few of the biggest terms you should know: Deposit Amount: Hotels will typically have a set deposit amount that needs to be paid at the time the contract is signed. Cut-Off: Generally, hotels will set a cut-off date say 30 (or even 60 days) prior to the wedding. This refers to the last date your guests can book rooms reserved in your block before being released for sale to the general public. You may decide you want to hold onto those rooms even after the cut-off date, and this is where you’ll want to be hyper-aware of your attrition clause. Cancellation Policy: Okay, you’re probably familiar with this term. But it’s important to understand exactly what the damages will be should you cancel your room block for any reason. If you cannot negotiate a no-penalties cancellation clause, ask to have the cut-off date be the last date you can cancel without any fees. You should always go in assuming the worst case scenario because if it happens to you, you don’t want to be stuck. Allowable Shrinkage Clause: The percentage of rooms allowed to go unfilled (typically around 10-20%) Attrition Clause: The percentage of rooms that must be filled to avoid a penalty (typically 80-90%). This penalty can be the $ sum of each room that was left unbooked for your quota goal. It’s a hotel’s way of making sure they make the profit promised to them one way or another, and if it ain’t your guests pocket it’s coming out of… it’s yours. You may want to tell the sales agent that this is a deal breaker, and many will find alternative options since they do want your business. Mitigation/Re-Sell Clause: The hotel is required to try and sell the unfilled rooms in your block after the cut-off date. This way, you are off the hook for rooms unfilled by your guests that are later sold to other guests. PLANNING FAR ENOUGH IN ADVANCE The farther out you can begin the conversation with different hotels, the better! Most couples will start to look at their options about 8 months from the wedding date, once they have a better guesstimate of their guest count (no pun intended). This way, they can throw a farther net for hotel options in a range of price points and in the location they desire. Plus, you have more negotiating power when more hotels are available… bidding for you!

COMMUNICATING THEIR EXPECTATIONS

While you’re in the negotiation stage, be sure to ask about small little details you absolutely must-have. Unfortunately, they don’t always come free. So to avoid a burden of a surprise close to your wedding day, be aware of the hotel’s policies + fees for services like turn down treats, welcome bag drop-offs, special assistance to rooms, etc. AVOID COMMITTING TO TOO MANY ROOMS This one shouldn’t come as a shock this far down the bullet list, but it’s worth noting again. And while it differs widely by guest count and other variables, on average, couples will start out reserving 10 rooms in their block. You can always increase your block later if it starts to fill up too quickly, so in the beginning, don’t be afraid to guesstimate your number of rooms on the safer side. PRACTICING KINDNESS At the end of the day, you want to have a good relationship with the hotels you’ve booked room blocks at. That’s why it’s so important, even when you negotiate, to maintain a positive and open front. After all, sales agents are just doing their jobs and these hotels will be the people serving you during your celebration. If they love you, you may even find a complimentary bottle of champagne in your room on the wedding night!

There was a simpler time when no one had special food needs, and brides could base their menu around meat, potatoes, pasta, bread and vegetables. Today, however, it is impossible to get a group of people together without having at least one person that has special dietary needs. Whether it is a vegetarian or vegan, a food allergy or a need for gluten-free foods, planning a menu for your wedding should take into consideration, when possible, the potential food needs of your guests. Creating a reception menu that covers a variety of dietary needs can be challenging. When it comes down to what works, remember to keep it simple. Even if your guests don’t have special dietary needs, that really amazing, trendy dish with all sorts of odd ingredients, may not go over well. Try to keep your menu to foods that the majority of people are going to enjoy. Not sure how to make this work? Work with us and our caterer. They are the experts at making sure your menu is as inclusive as possible.