Minnesota Wedding Planners

STOP AND READ. So many couples think “I will just have my Wedding Planner/Manager/Coordinator play the music from my device/create my centerpieces/bus my tables, etc.so I don’t have to pay another vendor to do it.” That is not our purpose. We are there so the other vendors you do hire can focus on and excel in the jobs you have hired them to do and to answer the million questions everyone has. We are not there to replace other vendors while only paying your Wedding Planner/Manager/Coordinator the same amount of money for more work they will have to do when there are fewer professional vendors there.

Of course your Planner/Manager/Coordiantor is going to be a team player and will help the other vendors if needed and can do things like move ceremony pieces to the reception or help set out desserts, if we know about and it have agreed to it ahead of time. However it should never be the expectation. Even if your florist/venue manager/caterer or other vendor tell you “oh, just have your Planner/Manager/Coordinator do that” they don’t know what is and is not included in our contracts and services. Always ask and if we say no or yes but it’s an extra fee, then be prepared to pay it or come up with an alternate plan.

Let us do what we are meant to do, which is make your day better then you ever thought it would be, not trying to be the DJ or up to our ears in frosting trying to cut and plate your cake.

You wouldn’t expect to go to a car salesperson/restaurant/coffee shop/ home builder and tell them you want their best but expect to only pay for the basic so why are wedding vendors any different? Be honest with yourself and your vendors about what you can afford. Maybe they will have options for you that aren’t listed but you can’t expect the best for less.

If you have taken the time to set up an appointment with a wedding vendor, you can take the fraction of that time to cancel an appointment if you can’t make it or are no longer interested in their services. It is the adult, professional thing to do. We will not take it personally and will be much more welcoming to you in the future if you need to reach back out. You know you don’t appreciate it when others do it to you have m your work or personal life, so why is it okay to do to a wedding vendor? Our non-wedding day, working hours are so limited, please don’t waste them.

Have we mentioned that the wedding boom is real, and it’s currently a sonic boom? June is ridiculously crazy so between prepping for weddings, doing timelines, having final meetings and actually DOING the weddings, it’s nonstop. Please have patience with us. We are grateful for all of our clients and are working for them as much as we can. If your wedding is in July or August, we promise we will get to you soon. If your wedding is after that, please don’t try to request any meetings until after June unless required by your venue. We will make your wedding amazing, as soon as we make the weddings amazing for the couples that come before you!

Large wedding vs small wedding with the same budget. Some important things to consider.

How Your Guest Count Affects Wedding Design | Ruffled Blog | Houston Fine Art Wedding Photographer — Josh & Dana Fernandez | Houston, Texas Top Fine Art Film Natural Light Wedding Photographer Take a look at a visual breakdown of how your guest count truly affects your overall wedding design and look. Featured on Ruffled Blog to include amazing vendors Mallory from Two Be Wed, Flower Vibes, Half Moon Lettering, Hey Lovely Makeup, Buttercup, and so many more at the River Oaks Garden Club,

Sorry, but it’s just true. Why is that you ask? Because other vendors will have a much longer relationship with Planners than they will with any one client. They like to keep us happy so we will keep referring them, which means that a lot of the times, our clients will get higher priority.
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Just another reason how working with a Planner can save you time and frustration.
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But also seriously, give all your vendors, including your Planner, some grace right now in getting back to you. We are thrilled things have opened back up…but it got a little nuts.
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We got some good news regarding expanding capacities and guidelines for weddings on Friday, March 12th. In some ways, these updates are some of the most confusing yet, but the thing to know is that more people can now attend weddings. All information is pulled from the MN Stay Safe Plan on the link in our bio, the Entertainment and Meeting Venues guidelines, and Executive Order 21-11. The following take effect Monday, March 15th at noon:
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~MASKS are still a thing, everywhere, inside and out. Everyone should remain masked unless eating or drinking, including when dancing (more on that below).
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~HOME and BACKYARD gatherings (Social Settings) are still limited to 15 people inside and 50 people outside. There is no limitation on how many households can attend, but social distancing must be maintained.
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~Wedding CEREMONIES ONLY may be at 100% capacity when at a church or other venue as long as social distancing is maintained between households. No food or drink is allowed, other than for a ritual, such as communion.
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~Wedding RECEPTIONS at venues may now be 50%, up to 250 people.
>Food and beverage consumption must end at 11 pm and cannot begin before 4 am.
>Tables are limited to no more than 6 people, but there is no limit on the number of households they can be from.
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HERE IS THE BIG THING THAT IS STILL IN PLACE: Everyone must be SEATED when eating or drinking. This means that passed appetizers or having guests standing around while eating or drinking is still not allowed. We do not know when this particular rule will be lifted but plan accordingly.
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We are headed in the right direction, friends, but we not out of the woods yet. Keep being vigilant, follow the rules when you are out and about, be friendly to workers in stores who are just doing their jobs when they ask you to pull your mask up, and as always, do not ask your venue or vendors to do anything that is not allowed.

We wanted to post some clarifications about the latest changes on weddings and events reopening. All information is pulled from the MN Stay Safe Plan, Executive Orders 20-01 and 20-07, the Requirements for Celebrations and Significant Life Events from MN Dept of Health, as well as the public update Zoom calls from as they are in direct contact with MDH. (We HIGHLY recommend you follow them if you don’t already.)

*HOME events, gatherings and celebrations are still limited to 10 people from two households inside, and 15 people from three households outside.

*VENUES (that are business) that host receptions or other celebrations with food and drink, may host the lesser of 50 people or 25% capacity, while taking social distancing into place. For example, if your venue normally holds 200 people, but due to distancing and table size limitations, they can only hold 40 people, then that’s what the limit is for that venue.

*Tables cannot have more than 6 guests at them, but there is no household limit to the people at the table, so they can be from six different households if needed. However you should still continue to plan to assign people to a table they are comfortable being around.

*Events cannot take place past 11:00pm. Plan for music to be off by 10:00pm so everyone can be out by 11:00pm.

*These capacity limits (50ppl/25%) DO NOT count staff or vendors. This means for a wedding the 50 people or 25% can be the couple, their wedding party, families and guests. Staff and vendors would count on top of that.

*Guests MUST BE SEATED in order to consume food or beverages at any time. This means that guests should not be standing around eating or drinking at hightops or by the bar unless they are seated, and they should not be drinking on their way back from the bar. Likely this will change how you will need to do your social hour, as passed hors d’oeuvres to guests who are standing and visiting would not be allowed. Consider having small plates delivered to each guest at their tables, and doing tableside cocktail service and/or wine pours.

Continues in comments.

There has been an update on Wedding Receptions that goes into effect today, February 13th at noon. Wedding receptions, at a VENUE, with food and drink, can be held now up to 50 people, or 25% capacity, whichever is less. HOME celebrations are still limited to 10 people from two households inside and 15 people from three households outside. This is because if the wedding reception is at a venue, there are professionals who need to follow the rules and regulations to keep guests safe. Celebrations can now also last until 11pm rather than 10pm.

Dancing at weddings has not been outlawed, but it is still highly discouraged, and people do need to have their masks on while dancing. Some venues may choose to not allow dancing at all. Continue to not put more than 6 people at a table, and keep pods together who are comfortable being around each other.

Please note that Wedding Ceremonies ONLY, with no food or drink, can still be at 50% capacity.

We still ask that if you are planning a wedding in the next 6 months, you continue to try to plan as safe of an event as possible, expect that masks will still be a part of your day, and you respect the comfort level of guests and vendors at your event.

https://mn.gov/covid19/stay-safe/stay-safe-plan/index.jsp

Wedding receptions are about celebrating, love, hugging, kissing, eating, drinking...so many wonderful things, but not things that are great to do during a pandemic. As planners who did weddings in 2020 during the time of COVID, we can tell you first hand that even with limited amounts of people, no dancing, social distancing, etc., people are human and want to interact with each other, and they don’t want to do it with masks on.

At a restaurant, a group of 4-6 people go out to eat, sit at a table with people they have probably already been around, have their masks off for a limited time while at the table, don’t really interact with anyone else in the space besides the server, and then leave 60-90 minutes later.

People at a wedding are interacting with many people they are never around, are constantly moving around the space eating and drinking, so not wearing their masks, drinking more, so loosening their desire to follow the rules, they are there for hours, and are probably much more likely to hug people.

While restaurants are at 50% capacity, that does not mean you can have a wedding reception at a restaurant at 50% capacity. If the venue is following the rules, they should not be booking any private events over 10 people, and those people would need to be at two tables since you can’t have more than 6 people at a table. According to a call with MDH by the if the restaurant knows it is hosting a celebration/reception/private event, they need to abide by the current rules for that type of event, which is 10 people indoors.

Please support your local restaurants by making reservations and eating there if you feel comfortable, or by getting takeout. But you can also support your local wedding vendors. Order flowers from your florist. Get prints or book some family sessions from your photographer. Have your stationary person create some business cards or personalized stationery for you. Book a pampering session with your hair or makeup artist. Order some family meals from your favorite caterers.

You may not be able to support all types of wedding vendors right now, but why not look into ways you can.

It sounds like there is still some confusion about what is allowed for weddings receptions right now. From the Stay Safe MN Plan:

“Wedding receptions and other private parties may resume with limits. If food and drink are served then, they are limited to two households or 10 people indoors and 3 households or 15 people outdoors.” This was as of January 11th.

Wedding ceremonies can be 50% capacity, but there cannot be any food or beverages served. The idea is that guests come for the ceremony, sit, and then depart, while masked and social distanced.

While restaurants are at 50% capacity, that does not mean you can have a wedding reception at a restaurant at 50% capacity. If the venue is following the rules, they should not be booking any private events over 10 people, and those people would need to be at two tables since you can’t have more than 6 people at a table. According to a call with MDH by the MN Events Coalition if the restaurant knows it is hosting a celebration/reception/private event, they need to abide by the current rules for that type of event, which is 10 people indoors.

If you are wondering why a restaurant can have 50% capacity, but weddings are limited to 10 people, it’s simple. A group of 4-6 people go out to eat, sit at a table with people they have probably already been around, have their masks off for a limited time while at the table, don’t really interact with anyone else in the space besides the server, and then leave 60-90 minutes later.

People at a wedding are interacting with many people they are never around, are constantly moving around the space eating and drinking, so not wearing their masks, drinking more, so loosening their desire to follow the rules, they are there for hours, and are probably much more likely to hug people there.

We know it’s still tough out there. We are starting to see some postponed weddings from 2020 and spring 2021 weddings postpone or postpone again. There are some positive signs with the vaccine and not having as big of a holiday surge as they were expecting, but for now things are going to stay essentially closed. Once again, do not ask your family and friends to put themselves in harm’s way to attend your wedding, and please don’t ask your vendors to risk their health and livelihoods to work an illegal event. Stay well!

https://mn.gov/covid19/stay-safe/stay-safe-plan/index.jsp

There have been minor updates to gatherings and events today. Beginning January 11th:

Wedding receptions and other private parties at venues (not private homes or restaurants) with food and drink can only resume for up to two households (or up to 10 people) indoors, or three households (up to 15 people) outdoors. These limits are the same for in-home events.

If it is a ceremony only with no food or drink consumed on site, you are allowed up to 50% capacity of the venue.

Restaurants and bars can open up to 50% capacity, 150 people maximum. No more than 6 people at a table. Bar seating limited to 2 to a table. Establishments must be closed between 10pm and 4am.

We are still in dark times, and need to take precautions seriously. Follow the rules, and please don’t ask your wedding professionals to break them and risk fines and their health.

https://mn.gov/covid19/stay-safe/stay-safe-plan/index.jsp

Did you know that some Planners charge a fee if you use vendors that are not on their Preferred list? This typically isn’t because they are getting a kickback from those vendors. It is because the Planner knows that if the client has booked vendors who are not known to them, there is a much higher possibility that we will then need to babysit that vendor to ensure they are doing their best work for the client. Keep these things in mind when thinking about veering off from your Planner’s Preferred Vendor list:

1. Vendors like to stay on Planners’ Preferred lists, so they will step up their game when they know they are working with us.

2. Planners know how those other vendors work and how to get the most out of them for the client.

3. If the Planner and vendor have a good relationship to start, it will only end up benefiting the client as we can typically communicate behind the scenes on details more efficiently and pre-solve some issues that can come up.

We also know that the vendors on our lists have solid contracts and are professionals. Some of the random vendors you find on the pages? Yeah...not so much.

If you are still trying to find a Planner, start here! DM us or email us at [email protected] and we can set you up with some Planners who would be a great fit for you to interview.

Today Governor Walz announced a 4 week pause on wedding celebrations starting this Saturday, November 21st. This means that wedding receptions or gatherings cannot be held in any venues or homes, unless the people gathered are all in one household inside their own homes. For example, if a couple has a ceremony and they live with a set of parents, or roommates, they could celebrate with those people in their own home, but that’s about it. No other households can gather.

Wedding CEREMONIES can still be held at religious places or venues, at 50% capacity, with social distancing, not to exceed 250 people. But please keep in mind that this means that guests should be arriving for the ceremony, should go to their seats (distanced out) and then leave the space immediately after the ceremony, and be masked at all times. Also at this time, it should only be the officiant and couple who may remove their masks temporarily while speaking during the ceremony, but they and everyone else in the wedding party should have masks on.

There is no specific guidance for photographers, which means that they should be following the rules under EO 20-99 for non-critical businesses and everyone getting photos taken need to follow the rules for everything else as far as gathering, social distancing and masks. At this point, expect that people will be in masks for photos and to be distanced apart.

There is also no specific guidance for hair and makeup artists at venues, only that those services are still allowed under EO 20-99, but should follow those rules for 50% space capacity for wherever they are getting ready. The number of people getting services done in one room should be limited, so consider staggering them or using more than one room. Or if possible, go to the salon to get them done. Your artists will know what guidelines they need to follow.

We know this hard, and once again are so sorry for those who had weddings planned in the next few weeks. Please know that the wedding vendor community here feels for you and is doing everything they can to be flexible, while still trying to stay in business. Don’t ask them to break the rules or risk their health.

We got some clarification today on the new orders taking place soon. These clarifications came during two separate calls with representatives from MDH, MN DEED and DLI.

Before getting into the updates, one set of numbers that came to our attention during the calls:

96 wedding outbreaks/851 primary cases (does not include related cases)/1 death

*Any wedding receptions taking place on this Friday, November 13th and beyond for a TBD amount of time, HAVE TO END at 10:00pm. This means that all GUESTS must depart by 10:00pm, however vendors and staff can finish cleaning up as needed. (Please note, this is updated information from our previous post). For planning purposes, you should have food and beverage services end between 9:00-9:30 in order to let guests finish and be out by 10:00pm.

*For any weddings taking place between now and Friday, November 27th, you may continue at current capacities for your facility (25% for a venue, 50% if a restaurant) with a limit of 250 people and social distancing being maintained. This number DOES include anyone in the space, including vendors and staff.

*For any weddings taking place between Saturday, November 28th and Friday, December 11th, capacity limits drop to 50 participants (couple, wedding party, family, guests) but DOES NOT include vendors or staff working in the space. The size, type and square footage of the venue or restaurant at this point does not matter; any private celebrations are subject to these new limits.

*For any weddings taking place on Saturday, December 12th and beyond until TBD,capacity limits drop to 25 participants (couple, wedding party, family, guests) but DOES NOT include vendors or staff working in the space. The size, type and square footage of the venue or restaurant at this point does not matter; any private celebrations are subject to these new limits.

Wedding CEREMONIES ONLY, ideally such as at a church but could be at a venue: no change, can still be 50% capacity, up to 250 people. However please keep in mind that the idea behind this is that guests come, sit for a ceremony, and then immediately vacate the space without eating or drinking anything, or mingling. This means if you are trying to have a larger amount of people at your ceremony than your reception, you need to ensure that all those not staying for the reception leave immediately after the ceremony and cannot go to the bar or get food at all. If the ceremony is at the same place as the reception, that will be extremely difficult to do. And while dancing has not been strictly forbidden by these new orders, it is HIGHLY discouraged, other than first dances.

We are so sorry for everyone this pandemic has affected for their weddings. We know it’s not what you had planned, or replanned, but it’s where we are at. Please keep yourselves, your loved ones, and your vendors safe by making good decisions and not asking anyone to break any rules or go against what they are comfortable doing.

Brand new updates today on wedding and event restrictions. This information came from Governor Walz’s 2pm press conference today, Executive Order 20-96 and Safe Celebrations PDF that can be found here:https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/safeevents.pdf

Friday, 11/13 - All establishments such as bars, restaurants or other venues that offer food and alcohol must cease offering those items at 10:00pm and cannot begin offering them again until 4:00am. This means that food and beverage service must be completed at your events by 10:00pm.

Friday, 11/27 - All events are being limited to 50 guests or fewer, no matter what the capacity of the space is (no more 25%, etc.). If the venue has the ability to have different rooms within them (like hotel ballrooms) they could still host multiple events. However, the vendors and staff are not included in that count.

Friday, 12/11 - All events are being limited to 25 guests or fewer, no matter what the capacity of the space is (no more 25%, etc.). If the venue has the ability to have different rooms within them (like hotel ballrooms) they could still host multiple events. However, vendors and staff are not included in that count.

Also, in- home gatherings are being limited to no more than 10 people, inside or outside, and from no more than 3 different households. This is not as much of a change as we were still always limited to 10 inside, but the 10 outside is new. However it is cold now so who wants to be outside anyway?

Dancing is still technically allowed at weddings but VERY discouraged! And masks do need to be worn on the dance floor.

Please note that these new rules do apply to the celebrations/receptions that go along with ceremonies for weddings, mitzvahs, etc. but not the ceremonies themselves. These still follow the guidelines listed in this PDFhttps://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/guidefaith.pdf However if you are hosting your wedding ceremony at a venue and not at a place of worship, you should still plan on following the Celebrations guidelines.

COVID-19 is not going away yet, and we need to do what we can to try and tamp down the spread. No one is happy about the sacrifices that everyone has had to make, but here we are. Let’s work together to help get it under control.

“Why is there such a disparity between what Wedding Planners charge?” That is a question we even ask ourselves, but let’s see if we can give you a few reasons:

-Experience: The first and foremost reason. Like anyone with a skill they have honed, a wedding planner who has more experience will likely charge more because they have spent the time and expense to be good at what they do. They have the contacts, knowledge and talent to execute your wedding and can handle any situation that comes up. And more often than not, we can save you money through our contacts, or because of experience in helping our clients avoid bad, costly decisions.

-Tools: Many Planners use various tools such as their websites, Client Management Systems, bookkeeping systems and other tools that not only make their job easier, but will also likely benefit the client in some way. It might be as simple as automating their process, therefore freeing the Planner up to spend more time on their clients, but other tools can help as well. These tools cost money, so the amount the Planner charges needs to reflect that.

-Livelihood: Some Planners do their businesses full-time, some as a side-hustle while building towards full-time, and some just legitimately do it on side more for fun, and have another job or source of income and have no intention of making it into a full-time business. Those who fall into the last category (and some who fall into the middle) are likely going to charge less because they don’t have to live off of the money they make from wedding planning. Those of us who do this full-time can be more available to our clients, and can spend non-client time working on networking and building relationships that will ultimately benefit our clients.

So what happens when you get quotes from a few Planners with similar services that seem to vary greatly in price? Ask them why they are so much more or less than their competitors. It’s a legitimate question to ask and will likely help you make your decision.

The Guidance for Safe Celebrations and Events was updated on October 5th. There are not any major changes to it, but some language has been added to specifically address dancing at events. The biggest change is that masks are now REQUIRED on the dance floor. Other notes:

“Dancing has a higher risk of spreading COVID-19 because vigorous physical activity results in heavier breathing. With high exertion and breathing, the potential for more respiratory droplets to be released in the air is increased. Because of this, dancing at social gatherings and events is not recommended. If you choose to include dancing as a part of your event, maximize safety for attendees by following these precautions:
>Everyone must wear face coverings while dancing at the event.
>Consider limiting dancing to ceremonial dances with designated participants according to your particular tradition and culture.
>People from different households must maintain social distance while dancing. In order to do this, consider the following options:
▪ Limit the number of people on the dance floor at the same time.
▪ Designate a person (DJ, performer, host, planner, or combination) to monitor and enforce the limited number of people on the dance floor at the same time.
▪ Interrupt the music if crowding occurs. Resume the music and dancing when the crowd is appropriately spaced.
▪ Divide participants into groups using nametags or other methods, and allow them access to the dance floor at different times.
▪ Repeat or split popular songs if necessary so everyone can share the experience.
▪ Consider only playing music that encourages touchless dancing rather than dancing while embraced.
▪ Encourage socially distanced line dancing or other forward facing dances where people are able to maintain 6 feet of distance between people.:

They have not outright banned dancing, but with this new order, it would seem that it’s the next step if things don’t get better. It’s time to start considering alternatives to having a dance.
https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/safeevents.pdf

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The Guidance for Safe Celebrations and Events was updated on September 18th. There are not any major changes to it, but some language has been added to specifically address photography, which we know many people have had questions on.

“Event photography: Standing close together is a high-risk activity, even when it is a shorter period of time. Consider taking individual photos and using editing software to combine them into a group photo.” - MDH has not ruled out large group photos, but are also not encouraging them either. They give much more guidance on the PDF that talks specifically about wedding ceremonies, and is linked in this PDF.

“Standing close together is a high-risk activity, even when it is a shorter period of time. Consider taking individual photos and using editing software to combine them into a group photo. Consider using a longer lens to increase distance between the photography staff and the people being photographed. Group photos should be taken outside if at all possible. If indoors, use a space where people can be separated to allow for as much social distancing as possible. Prepare for the photos before people arrive. For example, identify the site (i.e., bleachers) and premark the spots where people should stand for a group photo to minimize crowding together while coming into the area. People should face forward in the same direction. People should wear masks as they get into position and keep the mask on until the photographer provides a command to remove masks and take the picture. Time without masks should be very brief. People should replace their masks as soon as photos are done. When the photo has been taken, people should quickly separate from others.”

As we move into colder weather, these things will need to be kept in mind when talking with your photographer and videographer about your plans for capturing the day.
https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/safeevents.pdf