Hello,
I’m incredibly excited about our collaboration, and I want to thank you again for your trust. I will do everything to make the planning process a unique experience for you.
I understand that this might be your first time working with a wedding planner, so you probably have a lot of questions in this area.
I have prepared this guide to help shape your expectations and address common questions that may arise during our collaboration.
Your honest feedback is extremely important to me. I am open to any input, regardless of the stage of the planning process we are in.
Please remember that you are my partner, which means transparency in our relationship and the support you need to make informed decisions through my expert knowledge and experience.
Wedding Alchemy® is all about creating weddings beyond your dreams!
Let’s start our journey!
KEY INFORMATION ABOUT OUR COOLABORATION
1. Working hours and my availability
Although I work at different times, I am usually available for you from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Polish time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
You can also book an online meeting with me in advance between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM Polish time. To do so, please schedule a meeting in my calendar.
Meetings outside of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are possible if the situation requires it and will be arranged in advance.
During the wedding season, when I work on weekends, Mondays are my days off.
Weekend availability:
I do not check correspondence or respond to messages on weekends.
During the season, my weekend availability is very limited. If I don’t have a wedding event, I rest and spend time with my family.
Outside the season, weekend meetings are possible if necessary, and we arrange them in advance.
2. Communication
Our day-to-day communication will take place through the platform „That’s The One,” a wedding planning management platform where we store all information about your wedding.
As much communication as possible must happen via this platform to avoid communication chaos and disorganization.
If something cannot be transmitted via „That’s The One” for technical reasons, please email me at kontakt@weddingalchemy.pl (my employee also has access to this email).
I am available for online meetings every other week to discuss any outstanding issues. To schedule a meeting, please check my calendar at this link:
Link to schedule a recurring meeting with Valentina.
As mentioned before, we will use „That’s The One” (and occasionally email) and video calls for communication. Therefore, I kindly ask you not to use WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS, etc., for wedding planning communication. This will help us avoid communication chaos, which can be overwhelming for both you and me.
We will switch to WhatsApp communication directly before the wedding, around two weeks before, when we need immediate contact.
3. Response time – mine and yours 🙂
I always strive to respond to your questions as quickly as possible, but my standard response time is up to 3 working days. In most cases, my response time depends on how quickly I receive feedback from the relevant vendor. In case of delays, I will keep you informed.
However, please note that sometimes a message might get lost in the flow of communication. In such cases, I kindly ask you to send me a reminder.
Your standard response time is partially described in our contract and includes:
- Up to 7 days to make a decision or send additional questions regarding a presented offer.
- Up to 7 days to accept/sign a contract with a vendor you’ve approved.
- In other matters – please check notifications from the portal/email at least once a week and respond to my questions.
!!! The best way to plan a wedding effectively with a wedding planner is through regular online meetings, during which we discuss everything as it happens, share insights, and clarify anything that’s unclear.
Important: A decision made and communicated by one of you is binding for me. If, after the decision has been passed on for execution, you change your mind, any work related to updating/altering the order will be charged additionally (beyond the agreed fee) at the hourly rate of 300 PLN/hour.
Therefore, if one of you requires consultation with the other partner (or a third party not involved in the contract) before making a decision, I kindly ask that all decision-makers participate in our meetings.
4. In-person meetings/visits to Poland related to wedding planning
When planning a visit related to your wedding, please coordinate the date with me (for couples flying in from abroad: please notify me ideally 2-3 months in advance) – this way, I can also reserve time for you in my calendar and schedule meetings with vendors, etc.
Also, please plan your visit so that you have at least 1-2 weekdays for vendor meetings. Remember, Fridays and weekends are busy with weddings and events, so it will be more challenging to coordinate dates.
All information about scheduled meetings, including addresses and contact numbers for vendors, will be sent as calendar invites via iCal/Google – so you’ll have easy access from your phone.
5. Breaks in planning your event
If you’re planning a vacation or won’t be available, please let me know in advance.
I will also inform you when I will not be available. I typically take longer breaks around Christmas and New Year, winter school break, April/May, and in October.
6. Payment deadlines
All payment deadlines and amounts can be found in the „Vendor Hub” tab in „That’s The One” -> vendor card -> Details -> „Payment schedule.” I will provide you with the payment details on an ongoing basis or they will be filled in the „Bank details” section for each vendor.
You will be notified of upcoming payment deadlines via a system email from „That’s The One” with the subject line „TTO Weekly Planning Reminder” from the sender nina@mail.thatstheone.com. Reminder emails are sent every Friday.
Please stick to the payment deadlines – late payments, as well as those made far in advance, can be problematic for the other party. If you receive a late payment notice, please treat it as a priority.
7. Planning schedule
Below, I’ve prepared a brief summary of the individual stages of wedding planning.
You’ll find your personalized timeline with dates on your wedding profile in „That’s The One” -> To Do tab.
Concept development stage:
- Preparing the guest list
- Presenting inspiration, thoroughly understanding your needs
- Discussing the initial wedding day schedule
- Drafting and approving the preliminary budget
- Sending “Save the Date” to guests
Planning stage:
- Hiring key vendors:
- photographer/videographer,
- music,
- decorator,
- stylists for makeup and hair,
- any other vendors that are a priority for you.
- Working on invitations and sending them out
- Finalizing the wedding schedule
- Tasting and selecting the wedding menu
- Completing additional elements – design and wording of stationery, extra attractions
Guest communication stage:
- Collecting RSVPs from guests
- Finalizing the menu in terms of dietary requirements
- Ordering additional services – transportation for guests, childcare, guest accommodations
- Summarizing and updating orders according to the guest count:
- confirming guest numbers with the venue
- updating rental orders for furniture and décor
- confirming final numbers with decorators
- updating the cake and dessert orders
- summarizing the wedding stationery order: seating plans, menus, name cards, etc.
Coordination stage:
- Preparing the final schedule for the wedding day, including setup/teardown times, etc.
- Preparing individual timelines and sending them to wedding vendors – collecting feedback, updating, and consulting again.
- Briefing the setup team – decorators, lighting, music, furniture rentals, etc.
- Briefing the venue manager – setup/teardown, additional orders, guest accommodation, service
- Preparing the final payment list for vendors
- Final meeting with you at the wedding venue to go over all aspects of the wedding day, summarize, and make any last-minute changes
- Coordinating setups, the event itself (including all related activities), and teardowns after the event
Summary stage:
- Post-wedding meeting with you to discuss how the event went
Thank you very much for taking the time to review this guide. Please return to it whenever you have questions or doubts about our collaboration process.
If you have any additional questions – I am at your disposal.
Once again, thank you for your trust – I am excited to accompany you on this extraordinary journey!
Best regards,
Valentina
