What is a wedding planner?
A wedding planner is a professional who assists with the design, planning, and management of a client’s wedding. A planner has advanced knowledge of what is required for planning a wedding and will understand the needs and details required to be handled on the event day. A wedding planner is resourceful, organized, detail-oriented, and can offer creative ideas to curate a more personalized wedding for you!
Hiring a wedding planner allows you to fully enjoy your wedding day since you will have a trustworthy professional to oversee your event and be there to take care of any issues that may arise.
Why do I need a wedding planner/coordinator?
A wedding planner is a key asset as you plan your wedding. Your planner will take care of all the details, allowing you to enjoy your engagement and wedding day. For some, wedding details such as the dress, cake, invitations, and favours may be simple subjects to address when the time comes to planning the big day. However, for many, the mere thought of it all becomes overwhelming and too much to handle. Did you know that it can take on average over 250 hours to plan a wedding?! It is easy to feel like you’re drowning in the all details with the wedding planning.
We believe that the best decision a newly engaged couple can make is to consult with a professional wedding planning service as soon as possible, after the engagement. We act as a neutral party who sees the bigger picture of your day. Our job is to ensure the event runs smoothly, providing convenience and peace of mind. By hiring a professional wedding planner, you will not only save time but also money and unnecessary stress. You will benefit from your planner’s previous experience, creative suggestions, guidance, knowledge, and vendor connections. We believe your wedding should be thoughtfully and meticulously executed, while joyfully celebrating these special moments. The biggest benefit is you’ll be able to relax and truly enjoy your big day knowing that if any problems or emergencies arise, will be taken care of by a professional.
Why do I need to hire a planner when my venue has a wedding coordinator?
A venue coordinator works for the venue, therefore, their focus is on the venue. They will answer your questions about the space and assist you with your venue layout. Their job does not include all the other details that go into planning your wedding such as cultural and religious ceremonies, your photoshoot, and the smaller details for your wedding.
A wedding planner is involved from the very beginning of the planning process. Even if it is a Month-Of Coordination service, your wedding planner will go through every detail of your day with you; whereas the venue coordinator will review only the details pertaining to the venue itself (i.e. the reception details). Having a wedding planner reduces the natural stress of planning a wedding so you can enjoy the process and be confident that you have someone by your side to take care of all the details for you.
What packages do you offer? and What are your fees?
We offer different levels of service depending on your needs. Our most comprehensive package is the Full Wedding Planning, where we work with you from start to finish of your planning journey. Our most popular package is the Month-Of Coordination, where we begin working with you approximately 6-8 weeks before your wedding to oversee any last-minute details, follow up with your vendors, and finalize the wedding day schedule. For something in the middle, we offer Partial Wedding Planning if you need a little extra guidance during your planning journey. This package can also be customized to fit your needs. For more information on our service packages and pricing, please click here: https://wulalaweddings.com/services/
If you need help deciding which package will suit your needs, we would be happy to set up a coffee chat with you!
Do you offer “Day-Of” Coordination?
All of our packages include day-of coordination. However, please note that we do not offer a “day-of” only coordination package and the reason is simple – we want to set ourselves up for a successful event! If you are in the market for this, we recommend reviewing our “month-of” coordination package. It is imperative that our team is able to implement our systems and work with you prior to the event day to guarantee the success of your event and offer the best possible service to you and your guests.
Will you be there on our wedding day?
Unless otherwise stated, ABSOLUTELY! I will be there on your big day! My team and I will be in the background to oversee the setup and liaise with the venue and your vendors. In the event that I, personally am unable to be at your wedding due to an emergency, one of our lead planners will be there to run the show instead.
How many hours will you be at my wedding?
Our packages include up to 12 hours of service on the wedding day. A typical wedding day for us may include a morning traditional tea ceremony, a photo session, wedding ceremony, and then the reception. Our team will stay until the opening of the dance floor or late-night station, depending on the total number of hours it has been. If you require additional hours, an hourly rate will be charged. The total number of hours will be discussed when the itinerary is set and prior to performing duties on the event day.
Note that you will always have a lead planner and at least one assistant on-site with you at the event. Depending on the size of your event, additional associates will be required earlier in the day to aid in setup or coordinating the day’s festivities. The number of associates at your event will be based on the specifics of your itinerary, setup, and guest count.
How long does planning a wedding take?
This depends on the size of your wedding and the amount of details you want. Theoretically, a wedding can be planned in as little as a few months. However, we love it when clients reach out to us 12-18 months in advance! If your wedding is in the peak season (i.e. a Saturday in the summer), we highly recommend planning at least 12 months in advance so you have a reasonable selection of venues and vendors. We always like to plan ahead so if you are able to provide more time for planning as you will have more time to enjoy the process without feeling rushed.
If you’re looking to book the Month-Of Coordination service, we recommend booking at least 4 to 6 months in advance.
What happens during our initial meeting?
We offer all prospective clients a complimentary one-hour initial meeting. When we meet, we will provide you with an overview of our company and who we are. We’ll discuss your wedding (P.S. I LOVE learning about your love story so please share all the details with me!), ask questions about what you’re looking for, and your expectations. You’ll get the chance to review our portfolio and see how we can help you. Last but not least, we’ll discuss package options and pricing. We prefer in-person meetings, but understand that sometimes this is not possible and are open to virtual meetings as well.
The initial meeting is a chance for both of us to get to know each other and see if we are the right fit for one another. It is highly interactive so please ask as many questions as you wish during this meeting.
After the meeting, we encourage you to take the time to make a decision. Before you leave, you will receive a thoughtfully curated thank you package that includes our service details for your review. We want you to leave here with a favourable impression of our company and that you feel comfortable and confident in your decision to work with us.
We truly want you to choose Wu La La Weddings & Events wholeheartedly with full faith in our ability to produce and execute your dream wedding.
Do you setup and teardown the wedding?
There are many elements where we would be happy to help you setup (and/or tear down if needed). All of our service packages include light setup. Light set up includes items such as menus, escort cards, favours, receiving table items, welcome table items, and ceremony programs just to name a few. Setup for larger items such as centerpieces are typically arranged with your decor or floral vendor; however, if you are bringing in your own DIY centerpiece we can certainly make arrangements and help you with that as well.
Light tear down service is included as long as it is within the allotted 12-hour service agreement, otherwise, additional fees may be added for tear down service. Tear down service fee is $150/hr after 11pm. Light tear down service includes items such as menus, left over escort cards and favours, receiving table items, welcome table items, your guest book, table numbers, etc. We try our best to make it easy for you and your family member/bridal party to grab your belongings at the end of the night once the festivities come to an end.
Please note that while we are happy to help with styling and even moving (certain) items from ceremony to reception, we are not a decor company and do not have the means to dismantle or pack up larger installed items, such as large floral arrangements, rental items, furniture, centerpieces, etc. Therefore, these should be pre-arranged with the decor/rental companies.
Will you pickup and return items for our wedding?
This service is not typically included in our service packages; however, we can certainly accommodate if we are able to do so. Please keep in mind that if picking up and returning items exceed the contracted hours, additional fees will be billed at an hourly rate.
Will you DIY decor for our wedding?
We do provide a DIY service for small to medium scale decor. We can help you with some craft ideas to make your event more personalized. This is an added service and will be quoted separately as each project is different. For large scale decor pieces that require extensive engineering skills and truck rental, we can recommend some of our amazing vendors that would be happy to work with you!
Will you hang string lighting or set up large decor installs?
We do not hang string lights or set up large decor installs. We recommend to hire a professional string light company to help you install and de-stall the lights. We recommend your decor company whom you are renting the installs from to handle the setup and takedown of any large decor items.
Will you plan our engagement party/brunch/rehearsal dinner, etc.?
We would absolutely love to help you plan any additional events. This is not included in the service packages and is an add-on service to your wedding day.
Do you work with certain venues and vendors?
We have an extensive profile of amazing and trusted vendors that we can recommend. However, this does not mean that these are the only vendors we work with. With Full Wedding Planning and Partial Wedding Planning packages, we will work with you to find the perfect match for your perfect day! You will always be fully involved in every decision including the final vendor choice. We typically offer the best 2 or 3 options in each requested vendor category for you to decide. Ultimately, the final decision is yours.
Will you pay all our vendors?
Payments to vendors will be your responsibility; however, we can help you distribute final payments on the wedding day for certain vendors who have requested payment on the day-of (i.e. sometimes photobooth companies, musicians, and the officiant may request for their final payment just before they begin their performance/service).
Where are you based?
We are based in Markham, Ontario, Canada.
However, we will work where ever you need us. We have worked at many venues in Ontario and our experiences lies within Ontario but we are open to travelling across Canada.
Where possible it would be great for us to meet in person, but if meeting in person is not possible, we can certainly arrange a phone or virtual meeting.
If we haven’t answered your question here, please send an email to [email protected] or fill out the Contact Us form.
