Frequently asked questions

Blue Rose Photography

Anna Peters

Below are answers to a few questions that we  often receive prior to meeting with potential clients. 

We hope you find them helpful!

What if I don’t see what I need in any of your packages?
  • Unless you are booking the Final Event Management or Full Planning & Design packages, the majority of our Partial Planning clients fall in the custom package category.  We oftentimes work with our couples to provide custom options based on their specific needs, and are happy to create the perfect custom package for you!
I have a Venue Coordinator, do I need a Wedding Planner/Coordinator as well?
    • There is a big difference between a Venue Coordinator, and a Day-Of Coordinator (or in our case, ‘Final Event Management Coordinator’). Although each venue varies in the services that they offer, their role is essentially be there for the venue’s best interests, as we are there for YOU! We LOVE our Venue Coordinators, and between both of us we will have your wedding covered!
    • Our role is to help make sure you have everything covered before your big day. This includes building out your wedding day timeline, contact lists and communicating this to all of your vendors. We will be there throughout your entire wedding day – from sending everyone down the aisle for the ceremony, to cleaning up at the end of the night. Our role is to always make sure the focus is on you!
    • Here are some great articles to read more about the difference:
I just need a “Day of" Coordinator, do you offer that?
    • After 10+ years in the business (and over 200 weddings later), we found that we can best serve our clients and ensure a super smooth wedding day by adding in a little help at the front end of your wedding, with our “Final Event Management” package. The last thing you need on your big day is an unprepared coordinator with little knowledge of your wedding plans/design/logistics/etc. With all of our packages, we begin working with you months prior to your wedding, helping to build a stellar day-of timeline with your vendors and being there for YOU in the days leading up to your wedding!
    • We will meet with you twice to go over all of the details and make sure nothing is overlooked, AND walk through your venue with you once so we understand your vision. The more we know, the better the day goes and the more peace of mind you have!
How many weddings do you typically take on per year, and per weekend?
    • Collectively, we typically have 30-40 weddings per year between all of our team members. 
    • Each planner never takes on more than ONE wedding per weekend, so we can be fully available for you!
How many weddings have you planned?
  • We have been blessed to be a part of over 200 weddings + marriages!
How are you different from other wedding planning companies?
    • Our approach is a little different. We love to really get to know our clients, and end up becoming great friends with so many of them. We want planning to be a FUN, stress-free time. We love to laugh with you, cry with you (hello vows!), be there to offer advice, and be your confidant/counselor when problems arise. It’s not just another wedding to us; we truly pride ourselves on giving our all to each and every event.
    • We also LOVE décor and design, and want to help make your wedding unique.  We want your guests to walk into your wedding and think, “WOW, this is SO them”, instead of having it look like each and every other wedding on Instagram or Pinterest.
    • We strongly believe in true love, marriage and family, and want to do everything we can to help set you up for the best future possible!
How far in advance should we book a Wedding planner/Coordinator?
  • It totally depends on what package you’re looking at! 
  • It’s best to book your “Final Event Management Coordinator” around 6-9 months before your wedding.
  • For Partial Planning, about 9-12 months.
  • Full Planning, anywhere between 12-18 months ideally. However, we can rock any timeframe as long as we have availability.
Do you do Asian/Indian/Cultural/SAME SEX/Religious weddings?
  • YES! We have done all kinds of weddings, from Indian, to Ethiopian, Nigerian, Mexican, Russian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino, Catholic, Jewish, Taiwanese, etc.! We love experiencing new and exciting traditions, and will happily perform research to become more knowledgeable about any wedding/marriage traditions or customs any culture may have!
Will I still have control of my wedding if i hire you?
  • You can have as little or as much control or involvement as you want, even with our Full Planning & Design package! Ultimately, you make the decisions; we are simply there to help guide you along the way. Once we start working together, we will have a better understanding of how involved you want to be, and we will rock it! Some clients want us to take on more of the work, and some want to go through each decision and plan together – we will happily do it all!
What is your payment structure? what forms of payment do you take?
  • Our general payment plan is a 50% retainer to secure your wedding date (upon booking), with the remaining 50% due one month before your wedding. We can discuss a custom payment plan too, if needed! We accept debit or credit cards via PayPal, Venmo or Zelle, as well as checks, money orders or cashier’s checks. 
Do you use any planning management tools?
  • Yes! We typically use Aisle Planner, as well as other online tools for designs, floor plans, etc.
We are ready to book! What’s the process?
  • We are SO happy to have you! Once both parties determine that we are a good fit for your planning journey, we will draft a straightforward, electronic contract. When we receive your signed contract and retainer, we can get to planning!
Are you a Wedding Planner, Coordinator or Designer?
  • We can be all three, depending on the package you choose! However, design is not included in the “Final Event Management” or “Partial Planning” packages, and full design is only included in the Full Planning & Design package. We also offer Floral Design Services, but are of course open to working with other florists – we know so many amazing ones!
Will you bring a team/assistant to my wedding?
  • Yes! All of our packages include an assistant for the entire duration of the contracted timeframe, on the day of your wedding. If we determine more help is needed, we can bring in a team and work with you on pricing, etc. The Full Planning & Design package includes two assistants plus your main planner.
I don’t live in Seattle (or WA), can we still work together?
  • Absolutely! We have worked with several couples who live out of state but are getting married in Washington! We can do all of the planning via email, phone calls, video chats and through our online client portal.  Totally not a problem at all!
Where have you been featured?
  • We have several of our weddings, events, styled shoots and editorial work featured all over the world, including The Knot, Modern Wedding Magazine, Grace Oramande, Wedding Style Magazine, Once Wed, Seattle Bride Magazine, Seattle Met Bride and Groom, Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, Ruffled, 100 Layer Cake, Inside Weddings Magazine, Pacific Weddings Magazine, Every Last Detail, Munaluci Bride, Carats and Cake, Magnolia Rouge, Maharani Weddings, Glamour & Grace, Hochzeits Guide, etc. We also have multiple weddings featured in print and online blogs each season, and we feel SO blessed!
Are you available for travel?
  • YES! We absolutely would love to help you with you destination wedding.
Do you earn any commissions from vendors? Do you get vendor discounts?
  • No, we don’t make any money from referrals or bookings through any specific vendors. IF we receive any discounts, we give them to our clients. We love to help our couples save money!
Will the planner I initially meet with be there on my wedding day?
  • Yes! The Planner/Coordinator that you book with will be there on the day of your wedding, along with an amazing assistant. 
How do I know If i'm hiring the right planner?
  • You want to make sure it is a good fit! You are going to be working really closely with your planner, and spending a lot of time together. Make sure you trust them, appreciate their style, and feel comfortable together! We know we are not going to be the perfect fit for every  couple, and that’s ok! The first meeting is like a first date… we are both interviewing each other to see if there’s a “connection!”
What is your “ideal” client?
  • We pride ourselves in being able to work well with really anybody. However, we do love and appreciate really excited, sweet, kind, detailed couples. People who are excited to have us help them, and feel that we will have fun together throughout the planning process. Couples that appreciate the details and completely trust us with what we do; that’s when the magic happens!
What is your average wedding budget you work with, or range of weddings you typically plan?
  • We goal is for your wedding planning package to be no more than 15% of your overall budget. Ideally 10%, and max 20% of your wedding budget, if you are open to getting creative with us! We understand budgets, and don’t want to take up such a large portion of your funds that you need to cut in other areas. However, we also recognize the value (savings, discounts, creative money-saving ideas) that we offer, and know that no matter what, we will save you money! That being said, our typical client planning budgets usually fall within the $50K-$125K range, with Full Planning & Design somewhere in the $75K-$150K range, on average.
How far in advance should I book my Full Planning & Design wedding with your team?
  • Ideally, we love to work on Full Planning & Design clients anywhere from 12-18 months prior to the big day, but can absolutely work in a crunch if less time is available to you (and us).
  • It’s important to keep in mind that we take on a limited number of these wedding packages per year, so we book up in advance quickly (especially during peak wedding season: May-October). You should also know that the really good/popular vendors book up quite far in advance as well, so the earlier we can book your vendor team, the more options we will have to choose from and the more piece of mind you will have.

Instagram

@simplytamaranicole