Our planning process
How planning with us works.
A clear sequence from the first call to the final thank-you, with a shared planning hub so you always know what's next.
- Week 1
Discovery call
A free 30-minute call. We learn what you're celebrating, who's coming, what matters most and what you've already booked.
- Week 2
Proposal
A written proposal with your scope and a flat planning fee. Sign it and we get to work.
- Weeks 2–4
Blueprint
Guest count, priorities and a budget split across every category, so each later decision has a number behind it.
- Months 1–6
Venue and vendor selection
We search for, validate and recommend the best-fit venue and vendors in every category, with itemized quotes compared side by side. We join the tastings and calls with you.
- Months 3–8
Design
Theme and decoration, florals and floor plan, plus the details that make the event yours.
- Months 4–10
Logistics
Hotel blocks and guest travel, transportation and arrivals, and budget management, all tracked in your planning hub.
- 8 weeks out
Final details
Every vendor confirmed, a final walkthrough at the venue and a minute-by-minute run-of-show sent to everyone working the event.
- Event day
The day
We run the timeline, cue the vendors and handle the surprises. You stay with your guests.
- The week after
Wrap-up
Final payments reconciled and a thank-you list delivered to you.
Timeline shown for a full-service wedding about a year out. Shorter plans compress the middle steps.
Planning hub
Every number, date and vendor in one place.
Each client gets a shared hub with the budget, payment schedule, vendor contacts and contracts. We keep it current, so you never have to ask where things stand.
- Budget by category, with paid and committed totals
- Payment due dates with reminders before each one
- Every contract on file
- Every guest's travel plans
Budget
$44,350 of $68,000 committed
Paid $21,900Booked, unpaid $22,450
Next payments
- Caterer, 2nd deposit$6,500Nov 2
- Florist, balance$3,850Nov 20
- Photographer, final$2,400Dec 1
Vendors
12 of 14 booked
Still open: lighting, action stations
Guest travel
38 of 50 hotel rooms booked
62 guests flying in · airport pickups planned
How far ahead should we book?
For full-service weddings, 12 to 18 months gives you the widest choice of venues and vendors. Partial planning starts 4 to 8 months out, and day of coordination starts eight weeks before your date. Shorter timelines are possible, and we'll tell you plainly what's still available.
Do you plan outside Sacramento?
Yes. We plan across Northern and Central California, from Wine Country and Lake Tahoe down to the Central Coast and Central Valley. Travel outside the Sacramento region appears as its own line in your proposal, so there are no surprises.
Can we keep vendors we've already booked?
Yes. We add them to the run-of-show and coordinate them like any vendor we recommend.
Do you take commissions from vendors?
No. We're paid only by our clients, so every recommendation is made for you.
How is your fee set?
A flat planning fee based on scope: the number of events, the guest count and the location. It's never a percentage of your budget.
Do you plan every type of wedding?
Yes. Single or multi day, traditional or modern, one culture or several. We build one master timeline for the whole celebration and brief every vendor on the traditions and timing involved.