So you’re engaged, now what? Featured in MunaLuchi Bridal Magazine, Issue No. 27, Muna Coterie Wedding Planners share expert tips on how to plan your dream wedding.
Getting engaged is an exciting and blissful time to celebrate! You’re happy, in love, and eager to officially begin forever with your partner. However, as the glow of your “I said yes!” moment wanes, you realize you have no idea what to do next.
The truth is, a wedding entails a lot of planning. Even the most simple nuptials take time to coordinate (and yes, flying to vegas included!). With everything from choosing a venue, to picking the perfect flowers, hiring a caterer, and seeking out the best entertainment, a great wedding experience considers every detail.
Luckily for us, we have a group of talented Muna Coterie vendors at the ready to help guide you through your wedding planning journey. I reached out to Krista Hines of Elegant Occasions, Martine Dardignac of Wedding MD, Angela B. Cameron of An Event Lady Production, Linda and Christina of L. Fred Events, Ashley Merisier of A. Merisier Event Coordination & Design, and Kerline Docteur of Joie De Vie Weddings & Events for their tips and and advice for planning your dream wedding.
From saying yes to walking down the aisle and all the steps in between, these wedding experts will have your back!
Wedding MD NY – Martine Dardignac
The award-winning Wedding Planner, Martine Dardignac of Wedding M.D., is dedicated to diagnosing couples’ wedding day needs and helping make their dreams a reality. Offering wedding planning in Westchester, the Hudson Valley, New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut, Martine and her team of talented vendors will ensure a stress-free and fun wedding experience!
Why Hire me?
Hiring me means saving time and energy, getting expert advice, and knowing that there is someone who is here entirely for you. I’m well-versed in problem-solving and come equipped with a team to help you enjoy the planning process and your wedding day. Working with me sets you up for more fun (all while staying in-budget and on-task).
What should couples expect to spend?
This always depends on where you are and the exact services you need, but in the tri-state area, expect to spend between $2,500-$7,000.
Things to think about while planning your wedding.
Before anything else, couples need to get clear on their priorities for the wedding. What is most important about the day for the two of them? What do they want it to look like? Feel like? How would they like the day to be remembered? I have a guide that I send my clients even before they get started.
Tips for picking a theme & color story.
Don’t overthink it. While every wedding is unique, there’s no requirement to set out to create the next latest, greatest trend. As long as it is about the two of you (what you like together), then it will be great. In other words, pick your favorites!
How to choose a venue?
Have the basic information you need to narrow your search: total budget, guest count, date or season, and general geographic location. Then, you can choose a style or aesthetic (for example, classic ballroom or rustic barnyard). Finally, decide what needs to be included in your venue (for example, does the venue need to include food and beverage, or can you find an outside caterer).
How should you prioritize hiring vendors?
A planner can help you prioritize your vendor selection by what is most important to you so they should be your first stop. They can also give couples insight into pros and cons of different vendors. As for the other vendors: it’s different for every couple. Some vendors (planners, photographers, and entertainment) can typically only book one event per day. Others (beauty team, florist/floral designer, stationer) may be able to handle more than one. If you like a vendor, or the category is important to you, book them as soon as you can!
What’s your favorite part about wedding planning & what inspires you?
I really love to help people enjoy the day, so for me, seeing my couples be able to relax, have fun and fully enjoy the moment is my favorite part of being a planner.
Extra Tips & Advice.
Trust your planner and vendor teams. We are there to support your big day and we’ve got you covered.
Elegant Occasions by Krista – Krista Hines
Located in Norfolk Virgina, Krista Hines will go the extra mile to make your dreams come true. Making people smile (along with planning luxurious events of course!) is her passion. According to Krista and her talented team, “even the most mundane event can be an Elegant Occasion.”
Why should couples hire a wedding planner?
Couples should hire a wedding planner to help reduce the stress of it all and to help with their overall budget.
Budget to expect.
A wedding planner can run you from 2k to 5k.
What to prioritize?
Before jumping into getting a venue hire a wedding planner to help you make a wise informed decision based on your budget.
Tips for picking a theme/color.
When picking a theme or color think about what the two of you like or hobbies.
Tips for choosing a venue.
When choosing a venue think about the number of people, theme, parking, and overall expression you wish to express.
What are the most important vendors to consider?
Your wedding designer and your photographer should be the most important vendors who you should carefully consider.
What’s your favorite part of being a wedding planner?
My favorite part of being a wedding planner is after everything is over the couple ends up being a good friend or family. And I am not easy to love. Lol
Extra advice.
For all couples, learn to enjoy the moment, and stop stressing – leave that for the professionals.
An Event Lady Production – Angela B. Cameron
Serving couples in Reliegh, North Carolina, and beyond, Angela B. Cameron’s wedding planning journey began after her own wedding day fell short of her vision. Looking back on her nuptials, she admits, “It never felt like our love story.” And so from that day on she vowed to “give couples their fairytale dream day” that represents their own individual journey in love.
Why should couples hire a wedding planner? Explain what you do for your clients.
Hiring a planner is a big decision, and our goal is to make your planning process as enjoyable as possible. We want you to feel like you have someone on your side who puts your wants, needs, and vision first. That’s why we promise to treat you how we would want to be treated if we were you. We have the privilege and the honor to be trusted with planning and executing one of the most important days of our clients’ lives, and it’s not something that we take lightly! We want to be sure that every meeting, decision, and conversation leaves you feeling not only taken care of but excited about your big day.
What should couples expect to spend?
The range and hiring of ding planners always depend on the service that is required by the couples.
What are the phases of planning a wedding? How should couples prioritize these steps?
WE APPROACH THE PLANNING PROCESS IN PHASES. Planning, Design, and Execution. This allows us to stay focused on the important priorities during each phase, and make sure we have the proper pieces in place to create an unforgettable event. Depending on the package you choose, you may or may not experience each phase of our process during your planning journey.
How to pick a theme and color story for your wedding?
When it comes to picking your theme and color it all depends on the couple’s styles few things to take into consideration. Time of year, the venue, then have it match your favorite vacation, favorite City, and e the couple’s first date or meeting. The theme can be tied to many aspects of the couple’s style.
Which vendors are the most important ones to consider?
Of course, the Planner, Photographer you want to have the best pictures that capture your love story. Catering food can make and break your wedding, and the Music people will remember the party. It’s all about the experience you want your guest to feel. They are your guest to the most important moments in your lives.
What is your favorite part about being a wedding planner & what inspires you when bringing a couple’s vision to life?
Meeting couples during the happiest moment of their lives, taking their love story journey, and creating the perfect wedding celebration that represents their love story and the new journey they are heading toward.
Extra tips & advice for couples.
Trust Your professional Planner and the Process. We understand the importance of your day. We want to give you the dream you have always wanted!
L. Fred Events – Linda Frederique & Christina Lochard
Linda Frederique is the ultimate boss lady. Based in Long Island and New York City, this Brooklyn-born and raised Event Coordinator and CEO is also well established in nursing, is a loving wife, and is raising two beautiful daughters. Of all her passions, her love for Event Planning and Design takes the cake and in partnership with Christina Lochard, a fabulous Event Coordinator, they aspire “to deliver elegance, beauty, and perfection to their clients.”
Why should couples hire a wedding planner? Explain what you do for your clients.
Hiring a Wedding Planner is such a necessity! For the same reasons, we seek out the assistance of other professionals i.e. Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers, Electricians, etc. Wedding Planners are the subject matter experts that help orchestrate the vision for your wedding from beginning to end!
How much should couples expect to spend?
It truly varies and depends on what services you require and how that particular Wedding Planner charges. Some planners charge a flat rate or a percentage of the client’s wedding. However, I would expect to pay anywhere from $2000 – $6000 for a seasoned Wedding planner.
What are the phases of planning a wedding? How should couples prioritize these steps?
We often advise my wedding couples to keep a strategic wedding calendar, create to-do lists, and make a list of must-haves for the wedding. There’s lots to do… venue scouting, vendor shopping, starting a guest list, but before we can deep dive into the planning stages we have to establish a realistic Budget! That’s the one word no one wants to hear but it’s absolutely necessary. Once we have a real budget in place, then we can start to select our venue, vendors and incorporate all our detailing into the big day accordingly!
How to pick a theme & color story for your wedding?
We usually encourage our Brides to create mood boards and share them with us. We like to go over their selected images as a way to understand their vision. Personally, I find these conversations crucial because it helps me to understand their style and preferences. I look at the color palettes selected, the choice of flowers, whether they prefer silver or gold tones, etc. From there, we compile all of this to create our personalized L. Fred Events proposal which encompasses much of their vision to create a finished theme and using the decor to tell a story on their wedding day.
Tips for choosing a venue.
One word: Accommodating! Yes, I know our couples want the location to have these top three things: great food, beautiful design, and spacious landscaping! I greatly desire those in a venue as well, but also one of the greatest attributes to your wedding day is: How accommodating are they to you?
There are measures that can affect the flow of your wedding day, so I always ask the venue questions such as, “How early will they allow vendors to deliver or start setting up?”, “Will there be another wedding right before ours?” “Do they place restrictions on what vendors we use?”. I also observe closely how well they interact or treat my client at an initial visit. So again, I love beautiful venues but from a Wedding Planner’s perspective, it’s also an added bonus when I see the venue is accommodating and they treat our clients like royalty on the day of. All this truly contributes to the vision of the wedding day!
Which vendors are the most important ones to consider?
Hands down: Florist, Photographer & Videographer, and DJ! It’s got to have Floral Beauty, all the Moments Captured, and you have to Party the Night Away!
What is your favorite part about being a wedding planner & what inspires you when bringing a couple’s vision to life?
We tell my clients “Your wedding is our wedding!!” I take pride in executing their vision and going beyond. I do love this new tradition of giving the couple a ‘Room Reveal’. We love seeing the glow on our clients’ faces as they take the first glance of their room and see how all the details finally came to life. It makes all the hard work and months of creating and planning so fulfilling that it inspires us every time!
Extra tips & advice for couples.
Take a deep breath….it all comes together beautifully! Just remember to take the time to enjoy each other during the planning phases and savor every minute of the wedding day! (Besides, if you have a Wedding Planner… You’re covered!)
A. Merisier Event Coordination & Design – Ashley Merisier
Working in the wedding industry for over 10 years, Ashley Merisier is an accomplished Event Planner and Designer extraordinaire. Based in New York, her team strives to provide a full-service customizable wedding experience. This includes everything from event design conception and execution, vendor sourcing, budget development, and other key elements. They can also jump in later in the planning process to assist couples who have already completed the majority of their planning and are just seeking extra professional support to bring all the final details together.
Why should couples hire a wedding planner? Explain what you do for your clients.
The traditional weddings our parents had are no more. The needs of weddings today far exceed that of weddings decades ago. The average person does not have the time needed to dedicate to producing a successful detail-oriented event. Wedding Planners are a must in today’s market. As a full-service planner and designer, we are seeing a rise in couples booking us and walking into their weddings just like their guests. We facilitate all vendor communication and contract negotiation, handle all the logistics and help our couples create their version of wedding perfection. We are often therapists, family mediators, landscapers, and architects too – whatever needs to get done for your wedding – we do!
How much should couples expect to spend when hiring a wedding planner?
In the luxury wedding market, 20% of the wedding budget is standard pay, so for a $250k wedding budget, your Planner should make no less than $50,000.
What are the phases of planning a wedding? How should couples prioritize these steps?
Get engaged, then hire the Planner you trust most with your special day. You want a Planner that you wholeheartedly feel will guide you through every step of the way. Once you’ve signed vendor contracts without us, there is very little to no negotiation we can do on your behalf. It’s also in your benefit to utilize all of the services we offer vs hiring us after you’ve done some of the work with zero guidance and potentially not doing it right.
How to pick a theme & color story for your wedding?
The season of your wedding date is important – be mindful of this when choosing your colors. Also if you see consistent color schemes on Pinterest or IG – stay away from it because it’s been overdone. There is beauty in originality, so go for it!
Tips for choosing a venue.
Choose the venue that has everything you want aesthetically vs a cheaper venue and having to make it into a nicer space. 9 times out of 10 you will spend a lot more money trying to make one space look like another one. Save your stress and book the venue you fell in love with the first time.
Which vendors are the most important ones to consider?
All of them – think of your wedding as a puzzle… if you hire an editorial photographer but a cheap makeup artist, you are not giving your photographer what they need to produce beautiful content. The same goes for all of your vendors, every piece of your wedding puzzle is just as important as the last one. Be intentional with your vendor selection and trust your Planner. We refer vendors based on our experiences with them – if someone has already vetted and done the hard work for you, trust them!
What is your favorite part about being a wedding planner & what inspires you when bringing a couple’s vision to life?
I love my couples! They are beautiful people who trust in me to produce the best night of their lives. For me, there is not a greater honor and I do not take it lightly. Couples come to us because they do not know where to start, or how to start, and want to ensure every decision they make is money well spent. I am inspired by my couples’ love stories, and the energy + excitement they give me during our wedding planning meetings, we laugh and cry together and I do my best to help them as much as I can. When they walk into their wedding day, my end goal is an exceptional experience from start to finish for them and their family and friends.
Extra tips & advice.
Hire vendors you trust – trust your gut feeling about them. Be intentional with every decision. Have fun – it’s the most expensive 12+ hours of your lives.
Joie De Vie Weddings & Events – Kerline Docteur
Joie De Vie means “Joy of life,” and Kerline Docteur and her Joie De Vie Weddings & Events team aim to sincerely “celebrate the richness of your culture, authentically honor your spiritual traditions, and embrace you as an individual.” Paying attention to these key details enables her company to create an unforgettable planning experience that is both joyful and seamless. With over 15 years of experience, she will take care of you and your loved ones and honor your unique wedding vision.
Why should couples hire a wedding planner? Explain what you do for your clients.
Planning a wedding is fun, on schedule, and in budget when you are working with us. From your first meeting, your investment for your amazing day is realistically determined. Depending on where you are in your planning process our goal is to get you up to speed and to allow you to still live life because the foundation is still being set for your marriage.
What are the phases of planning a wedding? How should couples prioritize these steps?
Depending on where they are in the planning process, we tailor to your needs. Are you planning a multi-day event? Do we have to be aware of the cultural elements between you and your fiancé? Is your wedding local versus a destination event? All of those are going to help us understand what the next steps or phases will be in the planning process. We want your guests to walk away feeling that both you and your fiancé were represented in every little detail!
Which vendors are the most important ones to consider?
All vendors matter and play an integral part in the process. Based on where you are in the planning process, we will prioritize the must-take-now steps.
What is your favorite part about being a wedding planner & what inspires you when bringing a couple’s vision to life?
We provide a complete experience for our clients. We don’t show up, we work with them along the way to ensure all details they envision are brought to life to create an experience for them as well as their loved ones in attendance. While we realize this is an intimate moment with contractual and financial commitments, it should be fun, not rigid.
Extra tips & advice.
- Keep your “why?” as your central focus in planning your wedding. Why are you engaged in the first place? Your love is the foundation for everything. Go back to that as you plan and if you hit a road bump.
- Start gathering your guest list early. Address, phone number, and emails, too!
- Remember if you are inviting folks to your wedding shower or any pre-wedding events, they are also getting invited to the wedding. It is in POOR TASTE to not do so.
- Do not overthink this process. Skip the white noise. Social media shows unique elements others had, but you don’t have to copy every single one of them; it is no longer uniquely yours when you do that.
- Add tips/gratuities to your budget. You don’t want to be surprised by this at the end of the process.
- Start thinking of what you will want to provide as food and beverage for the wedding party for the getting ready times.
- Check to see the rules for marriage licenses in your area. Many Clerk of the Courts will allow you to set an appointment.
Looking for more “You’re engaged, now what” advice?
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