Planning involves all the research, vendor selection, contract negotiations and procurement, and strategic planning that occurs prior to the event date.

Coordination involves putting all those pieces together and ensuring all the planning is executed accordingly. The heavier coordination work is best to start once about 85% of your vendors are secured for your event.

A planner is not REQUIRED for you to have a successful wedding. However, it does help to have the guidance of an experienced planner to ensure all the small details—like making sure you have a cake cutting set—are accounted for.

We recommend you hire a planner if any of the following statements apply to you:

• You’re planning your first wedding.

• You feel anxious or stressed out at the thought of planning.

• You are worried you will not have the time to get your planning done.

• You are planning a destination wedding.

• You aren’t familiar with vendors.

• You aren’t comfortable with contracts.

Yes! At many venues now, clients are contractually required to hire a Coordinator to book your date. This is because Coordinators ensure you and your vendors have all the information they need and are moved through the day, as planned.

Some people think they can do this on their own, or have a family member or friend do this. We highly advise against it. There are many moving parts that you may not have considered. A friend or family member might volunteer, but they deserve to enjoy the party along with you rather than worry about keeping track of your timeline and vendor needs.

Bottom line is, you need a coordination team who can manage your timeline, move people where they need to be, and communicate effectively with your vendors.

We recommend hiring a planner as early as 1 year or more in advance. If you have not secured a venue, you can hire a planner to assist up to 2 years in advance, particularly if you are interested in a popular venue and/or peak wedding season. The sooner you can secure your planner, the better.

It is possible to plan a wedding in less than a year! Again, sooner is better. Shorter planning time means a limited venue selection and other vendors may be booked elsewhere. A good planner can help you find quality vendors who are available for your event.

You can hire a Coordinator as close as a month out from your wedding date or you can hire as soon as you book your venue. At Cardi Elegant, we encourage you to book us as soon as possible because we give you access to our Wedding Planning Workbook that can help tremendously with your planning. Not to mention, if you have a question here and there, you can always reach out!

We are happy to help you set out personal items that are assembled and only need to be set in their place, such as picture frames, signage, guestbook, or other similar items. We do not set up items that are heavy or that require assembly, such as an arch, backdrop, or photo booth, unless this is agreed upon prior and additional fees apply.