What To Do When You Can’t Afford a Wedding Planner
Congratulations on your engagement and beginning to plan your wedding! We know it’s no easy task to find the perfect venue, book your vendors, and pull together every design detail. It can get stressful and overwhelming quite quickly… we’re here to help!
We know a full-service wedding planner is a luxury that might not fit into every couple’s budget, but every couple deserves the guidance and experience a professional wedding planner can provide. That’s why we offer Mini Wedding Planning Sessions — a personalized and budget-friendly option for couples who are ready to tackle the planning process on their own, but might need a little extra direction to bring their wedding dreams to life. Pinterest and WeddingTok can only help so much.
What Are Mini Wedding Planning Sessions?
These one-on-one consultations are designed for organized couples who want to self-plan their wedding but feel stuck on certain decisions or overwhelmed by all the details. You’ll meet with a Master Certified Wedding Planner for an hour or two to discuss any wedding planning questions you may have, and we’ll get your wedding planning process back on track. Think of it as having a professional wedding planner in your corner for the aspects where you need them most, without committing to a full wedding planning package.
Whether you need help with venue selection, vendor recommendations, timeline creation, or just someone to bounce ideas off of, our mini planning sessions are tailored to meet your specific needs. Before our meeting, you’ll fill out a questionnaire that will help us learn more about you, your partner, and your current plans. During our meeting, we will review the typical wedding planning process and determine what your next steps are for where you're at, and a majority of our time will be dedicated to answering all of your wedding planning questions. After our planing session, we’ll provide you with a detailed write-up of our notes, vendor recommendations, and a task list to guide your next steps.
Lily Brundin Photography
Mini planning sessions are for you if…
You’re newly engaged and trying to get a handle on this whole wedding planning thing (What do you do first after you’re engaged!? How do you find the best vendors? What is a realistic wedding budget in Minnesota?).
You’re feeling confident planning on your own, but you’ve realized there are a few specific questions and ‘problems’ that your friends and Google just can’t answer.
You’re an out-of-state couple celebrating in Minnesota! Let us be your trusted Minnesota go-to for all things weddings in Minne (the best venues and caterers, local photographers, accurate budget advice, where to book hotel blocks, and fun things around the city for guests).
You don’t have a wedding coordinator, but you want your day to go perfectly! To make sure all of your plans fall perfectly into place, book a mini-planning session so we can ensure your timeline is seamless and remind you of the tiny details and logistics that still need to get organized!
When you book a mini-planning session with us, you’ll receive the same professional advice and best-friend-level-support we give to our full-service clients. We want you to have the best wedding day, and we are so happy to help in any way we can!
What questions can you ask us during a mini planning session?
Here are a few common questions we’ve discussed with other couples:
What are the first steps to begin planning a wedding?
What is a realistic wedding budget in Minnesota? How much do vendors cost?
What percent of our budget should we spend on a venue?
What is the best way to inquire with vendors and what questions should we be asking them?
What do we do after booking our vendors?
What miscellaneous expenses should we prepare for?
Where should we host our rehearsal dinner?
Should we tip our vendors?
How do we determine our wedding design and where should we source decor and rentals?
How do we create a wedding day timeline? What timeline information do our vendors need?
How do we determine our ceremony processional? What order should our wedding party walk down the aisle?
What day-of signage do we need?
What should we be doing in the final month before our wedding?
What final questions do we need to ask our venue during the venue walkthrough meeting?
What is the best way to communicate information to your wedding party and vendor team?
Rachel Traxler Photography
At HappiLily Events, our mission is to help you create a wedding that’s memorable, stylish, and true to you. We want you to have a stress-free planning process and the best wedding day, even if we aren’t part of your day of celebration.
We’re making professional wedding planning guidance accessible for every couple with our mini wedding planning sessions. We specialize in Minnesota and Wisconsin weddings but are happy to help couples planning their wedding anywhere! Whether you want help finding the perfect vendors, crafting a realistic timeline, or troubleshooting logistical concerns, our mini planning sessions will provide you with the clarity and confidence you need to plan your own wedding.
