Thank You!
So now that we have our planning dates set, what's next?
F.A.Q.'s (about the planning process...)
Why do we have to wait so close before the wedding to start the planning process?
I have learned through the years that starting the planning process too early carries with it several significant downfalls. For example, if you start the planning process several months in advance, more than likely there will be several obstacles and questions that you don't have the answers to yet. Also, since there are several "moving parts" involved in making your Big Day happen, there inevitably will be revisions that will be made throughout the planning process. My strategy is to start with "the basics," (Pre-Planner & Wedding Profile) 10-12 weeks prior to your wedding day. By this point, you'll have the information needed to successfully complete this survey and will enable me to start the process. Our next meeting is where we get down to the nitty gritty and really delve into the details of your wedding ceremony and / or reception. The target is to begin this phase of the process no less than 8 weeks (and no more than 10 weeks) prior to your wedding day. This is far enough out where I have sufficient time to coordinate your wedding day vision, but close enough where you have a good idea of what you want and don't want for your wedding day.
Can I reschedule on of our planning sessions if I need to?
Sure, but I would encourage you to do the best to schedule your calendar around these appointments because it may become increasingly more challenging for both of us reschedule our planning session the closer we get to your wedding. However, life happens and sometimes it does become necessary to reschedule. If you need to do so, please let me know ASAP. and I can modify our dates / times as needed.
Why do I need to fill out 2 surveys?
The purpose these surveys is to reduce redundancy and increase productivity of our in-person planning sessions. I would rather focus collaborating on your wedding day vision, rather than asking questions that are in the survey during our time together. Having the pertinent information ahead of time will ensure we have a fun and productive session together.
Can we meet in person instead of online?
Absolutely; however, my preference is to meet online for a couple of reasons. First, I record our online sessions together so that both of us can refer back to the recording whenever we need to. Second, is the ability to invite other members of the wedding to join in our online meeting as needed. All I need to do is send out an email invitation and they can join our session almost instantly. And last is convenience. No travel time, no traffic, and we can meet from wherever you happen to be as long as you have a computer (with camera) and an internet connection. That being said, we can still meet face-to-face if you prefer and I can always audio record our in-person session but it may be a bit more of a challenge to locate information on a pre-recorded audio file. The only prerequisite for an audio recording would be to find a meeting location with little to no ambient noise.
What if we don't have an answer to one of the survey questions?
No problem. Just provide the best answer you can on this question (or questions) and we can address them at the time of our meeting. Please keep in mind that you have about a week to complete each survey so if you will have the answer[s] to that pesky question[s] before the survey deadline (or before we meet), you can also return to the question and fill it out later. Instructions for this are given below.
Will I receive a copy of these surveys?
Your survey will be sent to me automatically once you have completed it. Since there is potentially confidential information provided on these surveys, particularly the Pre-Planner & Family Profile, I will be the only one receiving the survey results. However, If you would like a copy for yourself, no problem. Just reach out to me directly and I would be happy to send you one.
Can I save my survey and come back to it later?
Sure :-). In order to do so, you will need to navigate to the last page of the survey and then click the submit button at the bottom of the page. Clicking the submit button will create a URL link to your survey. You will then need to reach out to me so I can provide this link. I would advise against leaving your browser window open as a means of saving and continuing your work later. Without clicking the submit button on the bottom of the last page, your work will not be saved and is prone to being lost.