The Booking Process
How do I choose the right planning service for me?
We’re here to help you figure out what you need! In your initial consultation with BRE, we will discuss what you’re looking for and what you need in order to help you decide which package makes the most sense for your wedding.
Explore Wedding Planning Services
What’s the main difference between partial and full service planning?
Full planning usually starts a year out from your wedding date. Our team handles vendor research, selection, and management, as well as overseeing the overall budget allocation. We also will work with you to create a design deck of inspiration based on your initial ideas, while adding in a few touches of our own. With full planning, we are with our couples from design to execution, matching them with vendors who are a good fit design and personality-wise and ensuring your wedding is designed with your preferences, traditions, and special touches in mind.
Partial planning is focused on helping couples who have their main vendors booked but need help bringing their design vision to life. We will assist with booking, budgeting, and managing up to 3 vendors. The vendors we manage are typically related to design-aspects of the wedding, like rentals, lighting, and florals for example.
What’s the main difference between WEdding management and partial planning?
Wedding management is ideal for the couple who can handling all of the planning details, booking vendors, and designing the look of their wedding day but needs someone to manage everything on the actual wedding day. Our team will assist with the management and communication with your booked vendors up to 2 months from the wedding day. We will also help with creating a timeline and floor plan. On the day of, we will be responsible for making sure all of the pieces are in place for you to enjoy your wedding and will also ensure everything is packed away at the end of the night.
Partial planning is much more involved with planning and design and is best for couples who have some major vendors booked (venue, photographer, caterer, etc.) but need help with other vendors and logistics (florals, rentals, lighting, entertainment, live painters, etc.).
If you are concerned about pulling your vision together and having all of the logistics figured out, partial planning would be a good fit for you.
Why don’t you offer day-of coordination?
We believe that we can’t provide the best service by just showing up on the day of the wedding without knowing any background information about the wedding. The connection and trust we build between each couple as well as their vendor team over time is something that couldn’t possibly happen in just one day. Our couples come first, and we feel that we could not give the attention of detail and level of experience our couples deserve in a Day-Of Coordination Package.
The Wedding Management service is usually the best fit for couples who have the planning handling but need wedding coordination.
How many planners do you have on your team?
We currently have three lead planners on the Brittanie Raquel Events team: Brittanie, Kinsey, & Roxanne. On your wedding day, you will have one of our lead planners + at least one associate planner onsite.
When will we know who our lead wedding planner will be?
When your lead planner is assigned to you varies based on your planning package and when the service begins. For full planning clients, planners are assigned within the first month of booking. Partial planning clients will be assigned a planner about 6 months out. Month of Planning clients are assigned a planner about 2-3 months out.
Can you work within our budget?
Absolutely! Our goal is to make your dream wedding come to life and our team will work with you to make that happen all while staying within your budget. To give you an idea, our average wedding budgets that we work with are anywhere from $50K-80K.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY MOST AFFECTS THE BUDGET FOR A WEDDING?
Venue choice (and what's included) can greatly impact your budget if you are required to bring in additional rentals like tables, chairs, linens, tents, etc.
Guest count is another huge component that will affect your budget, impacting the number of tables, amount of place settings, centerpieces, food, and more.
If you need help with determining the best option for either of these, please feel free to reach out for us to help.
Are there any additional fees after booking that we should be aware of?
Any possible additional fees are based on the scope of your event and would be discussed on your discovery call and decided on during the planning process. For example, larger guest count or two venue locations may need additional assistants on site, etc.
For weddings outside of Wilmington, NC, we do require a travel fee.
For full service planning, how does percentage based pricing work?
Every full planning client is different and has their own individual needs. As the scale of the wedding increases, so does the amount of time, management, communication, and work the planner puts in. Because this is a custom service, we charge a percentage of the overall budget for a full planning client.
How do I book with you?
We're so excited that you are considering working with us! Your next steps are to set up a quick call where we can talk about your wedding vision and determine what package best suits your needs. Once we decide in the best service for you, it’s a 50% retainer and a signed contract to get your date locked in with us.
The Planning Process
How many meetings will we have during the planning process? What will our communication look like?
The amount of meetings you have with your planner will depend on your planning package. Wedding management clients will have three meetings and partial planning clients will have four. Full planning clients typically meet once a month, but vary based on the scope of your wedding design.
Do we get a ceremony rehearsal?
Yes, you do get a ceremony rehearsal. We typically schedule these in our first wedding meeting with clients when we do our walk-through at the venue.
HOW DO DESIGN VISION BOARDS WORK? WHAT IF I'M NOT TOTALLY SURE WHAT I WANT?
Design visions boards are our way of making sure the design and aesthetic of your wedding is cohesive from ceremony to reception. They provide a guide for the inspiration and direction we will be taking.
While ultimately the direction is up to you, part of our job as planners is helping you navigate and narrow down the elements you love and want to prioritize. We will help you gather your thoughts and ideas and make suggestions if you can't quite find the right fit for your vision.
Vendor and Budget Management
WILL YOU HELP US FIND OUR WEDDING VENDORS?
This depends on your planning package! With the full service planning package, we will help source all of your vendors. If you choose to go with the partial planning package, we will help source three of your vendors. While we don’t source vendors for the wedding management package, you’re welcome to check out our Preferred Vendor List which has everyone we love working with!
Explore Wedding Planning Services
ARE WE REQUIRED TO ONLY BOOK THE VENDORS YOU RECOMMEND?
We enjoy working closely with our preferred vendors, but we also love meeting and working with new vendors, so if you have a favorite vendor you’ve been dreaming to work with and we haven’t worked with them yet, we can’t wait to meet them!
At the end of the day, we want you to get the best services for your wedding, so, with that being said, we highly recommend hiring professional vendors to ensure you receive exceptional service.
For the vendors who will be on site the day of our wedding, can I provide you with checks for final payment for you to distribute?
Yes! Typically all vendors will already be paid prior to the wedding day, but if you have any final balances to be paid or want to distribute any tips, just make sure to give the payments to your lead planner and we will make sure those vendors receive them on the wedding day.
ARE YOU WILLING TO BE OUR ADVOCATE, CONVEYING OUR VISIONS AND DESIRES TO VENDORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WHEN WE CAN'T?
Absolutely! We are FOR our couples and want to make sure their wedding day is THEIR day (not your mom's or your best friend's). We also work closely with your vendors, and if necessary, will have those hard conversations and make sure your voice is heard and your wedding day is exactly how you envisioned it to be.
Are you available to plan our rehearsal dinner as well?
Your wedding planning package does not include planning for the rehearsal dinner or welcome party, but we do offer packages for these events! Please let us know that you're interested so we can give you more information on our call.
How many people from the planning team will be there on my wedding day?
Every wedding will have one lead planner and at least one assistant in attendance. Additional assistants are sometimes added on depending on the specific event (multiple locations, short window for setting up, larger headcounts, etc).
WILL THERE BE A TIMELINE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING PROCESS, AND HOW WILL YOU MAKE SURE EVERYONE STICKS TO THE SCHEDULE?
Of course, we call this the Wedding Day Bible!! The timeline is important to stick to as it makes the day run smoothly and ensures that all special moments are captured. We coordinate with all vendors up to 2 weeks in advance to the wedding day and we also are the ones to greet them upon arrival on the wedding day to make sure they have everything they need. Throughout the wedding day, our team ensures that everyone is sticking to the timeline so that everything is on time or if need be, we can also adjust accordingly if things run behind or if you want more time for certain things.
Wedding Day Questions
What time will you arrive and depart on the day of our wedding?
All of our planning packages include our team to be onsite services for 12 hours. If needed, extra hours are available to add on to your package for an additional cost.
What is the planning team responsible for on the day of our wedding?
- Setup of all Personal Wedding Décor
- Point of Contact for all Vendors on wedding day
- Ensure all vendor deliveries are received and commitments are fulfilled
- Serve as liaison between the Couple and all contracted vendors
- Assist band/DJ with cueing important events(i.e. grand entrance, cake cutting, special dances, bouquet toss, sparklers etc.)
- Maintain & Coordinate timeline so that your wedding day runs smoothly & you and your families can relax and enjoy the day together
- Clean up and Collection of clients personal décor at the end of the night (ie. gifts, toasting flutes, table numbers, favors) and placed in the designated area/vehicle at the end of the night
- Our staff stays onsite until the last vendor leaves, ensuring all vendors properly clean and pick up after the wedding
What’s your secret to staying calm under pressure and how do you deal with day-of disasters?
As top Wilmington, NC wedding planners, we are professional problem solvers; it is a huge part of our job. Our team has planned and executed hundreds of weddings over the years and we have seen it all (we should honestly write a book).
With years of experience, we know how to wear all different hats from preparing for unforeseen events, complicated family dynamics, and the groomsman who has had one too many drinks. We handle the stress and fix any problems that might arise on wedding day, all while making sure the focus remains on you.
© brittanie raquel events 2020-2024 | Template design by With grace and gold | branding and customization by j. ashley innovations
Website Copy By More Than Creative Co. | Brand photography by Dakota Hersey Photography