Planner Interview: Hitched by Haley

Photo by McCune Photography

You know those people you meet and you think, “Yeah, I like you.” They have good energy and you just like to be around them, you know? That is exactly how I felt when I met Haley. Which is why I am SO thrilled to have her on the blog today. Haley is a wedding planner here in Northern California and she is so epically talented. I am so excited for you to learn more from her! Take it away, Haley!

Tell us a little about you! Where are you located and what services do you offer?

We are located in bustling San Francisco. Most of our weddings are in Wine Country and Carmel. We offer Full-Service Wedding Planning to Coordination packages.

What would you say to a couple who does not think a planner/coordinator is important to fit into their budget?

Go Big Picture: Consider all of the collective money, energy, and emotion you are putting into a celebration of this nature! You need a seasoned professional to ensure every detail comes together effortlessly on the day of. We find hiring a planner from the jump invaluable: we are going to save you time, energy, and stress by guiding you step by step, making sure you are one million percent confident and calm on the day of your wedding!

What is the difference between day-of/month-of and a full wedding planning package?

Coordination: You spearhead your planning and decision making; we come in at the end to make sure all plans have been considered, tie it all together, wrap it in a bow, and execute!

Full Service: We will walk you through every step start to finish: Find your perfect venue, build your custom professional team, represent your story and style through design, and bring your dream to life from the ground up. Oh! We also really love to clink glasses with you at your Farewell brunch in celebration of an absolutely smashing event!

What are some wedding planning trends you see taking place this year?

OOOF! This is a tough question to answer right now given our current climate. One thing that is trending amongst couples right now: GENUINE KINDNESS. I mean, hundreds of thousands of couples are having to postpone their weddings! It is truly something heart wrenching we have never seen before. We are floored by our couples who are taking it in stride leading with compassion, understanding, and patience. These are the couples that remind you why you love what you do!

How are you unique in how you handle wedding days?

A lot of Bridal Parties, Families, and Vendors will ask me during a wedding: “How are you so calm?!” They usually follow that up with: “If the Wedding Planner if this calm, I guess it means that we have nothing to worry about!” It makes me laugh every time but it’s so true. Planners have a responsibility to set the tone and vibe on a wedding day for the collective team. To us, anyone involved (and I mean anyone), should be able to look towards the planning team for confidence, guidance, and reliable, patient support!

What is your favorite part of the job?

After a year plus working with a couple, I love to meet their family and friends! You get to see your clients in a new light being around the people who have helped shape them. It’s an incredibly unique experience each time. It’s a true honor that we get to meet so many lovely humans along the way.

What can a couple expect from you once they book your services?

We are going to dive right in; we don’t like to waste a second! It’s our personal investment to offer you the best of what we know: unique venues, incredibly talented professionals, and offer you refined tools on how to collaborate with us on giving your vision meaning. Please Note: We like to laugh and celebrate along the way with you so be prepared to have some fun! I mean what’re we doin’ if we aren’t having fun?!

What type of role do you have when it comes to wedding vendors? Do you handle contracts, payments, and all contact leading up to the wedding?

We will offer you our wealth of knowledge and relationships to the best of the best professionals in your area. We will share with you their pricing, availability, and also encourage you to develop your own relationship with them when on boarding them to your team. Your homework is to review, sign, and directly confirm and pay for all contracts. We will manage all event logistics and details!

What is a mistake you see couples make often that you can give some insight/help into? (For example, mine for photography would be not being realistic with their timeline and having to add hours down the road)

Formulating a realistic budget is really challenging to newly engaged couples because it’s often their first time planning an event like this! We get so many clients who start with $30k for 150 guests. $30k is a lot of money! In all transparency, the traditional wedding (popular Saturday in wine country / beautiful location / 150 guests / full vendor team), we encourage you to start realistically with $60k. It’s possible to go under $60k but we strongly believe only when cutting your guest list down by 50%. We know it’s tough but we have seen this exact scenario play out time after time, and we don’t like to initially discourage you with numbers! Another planning hack: 50% of your overall budget should go to your venue, food, and beverage.

If you could offer a couple one piece of wedding advice, what would it be?

On your Wedding Day, we want you to do one thing and one thing only: Let Go. I know! Trust us: it will serve you. During your wedding weekend, we will gently remind you of this often. We’ve got the details, your only job is to enjoy your loved ones!

Is there anything else you would like to share in addition to the interview questions?

When making a decision, my best piece of advice is to put a date on it! Decide, be confident, & move forward!

How can people find you and get in touch?

Website / Instagram / Email: haley@hitchedbyhaley.com

June 17, 2020

xoxo,

Morgan

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