Overview
General
What does a wedding planner do?
A wedding planner helps you plan, organize, and coordinate your wedding. This can be full-time or partial. In my case, it depends on your wishes.
What is the difference between a wedding planner and a master of ceremonies?
A wedding planner helps you organize your entire wedding, from start to finish, while a master of ceremonies primarily ensures that the wedding day itself runs smoothly and according to schedule. Often, your wedding planner is the master of ceremonies. That is often the case at Weddings & Events by Raymonde.
Who is a wedding planner suitable for?
For anyone getting married who wants to organize a wedding party. It is especially for people who lack the time, knowledge, and peace of mind to plan this themselves. A wedding planner is also suitable for couples seeking professional guidance or looking for someone to brainstorm with them.
Do I have to work with a wedding planner?
Of course, you don’t have to. Most people organize their wedding themselves, without the help of a wedding planner. So, if you are looking for professional support, collaborating with a wedding planner can offer a solution.
Method
What is your working method?
If you are interested in a collaboration, you request a no-obligation introductory meeting. You are not committed to anything yet; we are simply checking if we click. If you are enthusiastic, a second meeting follows in which we discuss your wedding in detail. Depending on your location, this can be in person or online. Based on this meeting, I will write a proposal in the form of a quotation. Once you agree to this, the collaboration begins.
A collaboration is always custom-made, but the starting point is one of the four packages. I say custom-made because no one is the same. One couple likes to keep the reins in their own hands, while another wants to be relieved of the burden. Based on your wishes, I will help you in a way that suits you.
What does a collaboration look like in practice?
I will create a schedule for your wedding that includes a timeline for the various tasks. I will handle these myself, or I will check with you to see if you have taken on certain tasks. This depends on the agreements we have made. I do like to be kept informed of everything so that I am not faced with last-minute questions. We will stay in touch via email and WhatsApp, and every now and then we will meet to discuss the main points. I am always available to you, as I like to keep communication informal.
Which working method suits me?
I offer four different packages: In Love, Engaged, Married, and ‘A crush on’. You choose the package that appeals to you most and let me know when you submit your request. In short, with ‘In Love’, you hire me quite late for the final wedding planning; with ‘Engaged’, we plan your wedding together; and when you choose ‘Married’, you opt for a full service.
With ‘for a crush on’, you only hire me as a master of ceremonies on the day itself.
I don’t identify with your packages, what now?
I also offer Customization for couples who do not identify with my packages. This is usually the case when your wishes are greater than what a package like ‘Engaged offers. Share your wishes with me via the contact form, and together we will see how I can best help you.
What do you do?
What does Weddings & Events by Raymonde do?
I organize private festive events such as weddings, anniversary gatherings, and birthdays.
What type of weddings do you organize?
I organize weddings like those you often see in the Netherlands, consisting of a ceremony, reception, dinner, and party. Of course, the program can vary, but I do not have experience with cultural weddings, such as Persian weddings. However, I do enjoy delving into that specifically for you.
Can I organize a wedding with you at your own venue?
Yes, I have experience with that. Will you ensure that you have the necessary permits to do this? I can help you get started with my to-do list or give you advice on planning an event at your own location.
What is the maximum number of guests you work with?
Weddings & Events by Raymonde organizes private events for up to 250 people.
Do you also organize small weddings?
Yes, I organize large and small weddings. I also organize weddings without too much fuss as well as completely luxury weddings. I enjoy the fact that no wedding is the same.
What do you take off your hands?
I can take care of everything you want to delegate. I can select your suppliers, send out your wedding invitations, and choose a wedding venue. I can do everything for you. But… don’t forget that it is your wedding. I love involving you in organizing your wedding, because you need to look back on what was the perfect day for you. So, choose the cake you like best and the location you find most beautiful. I’ve already had my dream wedding!
Do you also handle styling?
If desired, I can also take care of the styling for you. I can do this myself based on your preferences. But if you really want to make an impression, I can also hire a stylist for you. Naturally, everything we do is done in consultation.
How does communication work?
We stay in touch via WhatsApp, email, and in person. I like to share and receive updates via email. I keep all this information in a folder on my computer bearing your names; that way, I like to maintain an overview. Quick questions and requests are best handled via WhatsApp. That way, I can see your questions, even if I’m sitting on a terrace somewhere. Additionally, we have in-person contact every now and then. Depending on your location, this will be online or in person.
You will see that we have a lot of contact in the beginning. This decreases once the basics are arranged, and contact increases again as the wedding date approaches. In the meantime, I am always available for you.
Where and when do you work?
Where is Weddings & Events by Raymonde based?
My office is in Waalre, where I also live. From my home, I organize weddings throughout the Netherlands.
Where do you work?
I work throughout the Netherlands; additionally, I work in Flanders and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Unfortunately, I do not travel further than that. So, you cannot hire me for destination weddings.
How do I know if you are available?
You can only find out by submitting a request. Fill this in on the form once your wedding date is known, and I will let you know immediately whether I am available or not. If your date is not yet fixed, we can see if we can plan your wedding on a day when I am not booked.
When should I hire a wedding planner?
The internet tells you that you should do this 12 to 18 months in advance, but you can hire me up to three weeks before your wedding. Provided I am available, of course. However, the later you submit your request, the greater the chance that I will no longer be available. But feel free to fill out the contact form to check my availability.
Do you also plan last-minute weddings?
Yes, I can even help you get married within two months. But… I do expect you to be easily reachable during this period and able to make quick decisions. It is also possible that you will have to make concessions because (depending on your wedding date) many suppliers and venues are not available. If you are willing to do this and can switch gears quickly, I can plan a last-minute wedding with you.
Can I also hire you just as a master of ceremonies?
You can hire me as a master of ceremonies for just the day itself. This is possible between three months and three weeks before the wedding. You can find more information about my services as a master of ceremonies under ‘A crush on’.
Suppliers
Do you work with fixed suppliers?
No, I do not work with fixed suppliers. I listen to your wishes and look at your budget; based on that, I recommend suppliers that fit your needs. I usually choose suppliers in the region where you are getting married, so that your costs are lower than if they come from far away. I do this in consultation. If you want to work with a specific photographer who comes from far away, I will of course contact him or her on your behalf.
Can we choose our own suppliers?
Of course, you can choose your own suppliers. I would love to hear from you about who you would like to work with.
Wedding Day
What will you do on my wedding day?
I am the point of contact for the suppliers and oversee the schedule. Should anything unexpected happen, I will resolve it. I decorate the venue and clear away items you no longer need. I act as a hostess for your guests and ensure they feel at ease. And, of course, I am there for you, so you can enjoy yourselves without a care in the world.
Will you be present all day?
In principle, I am present for ten hours, often from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and I leave shortly after the start of the party. You can also hire me for more hours or even days, as everything is arranged in consultation.
What do we have to do ourselves?
If I do not stay until the end, you will have to clean up the party items yourselves. Think of the props for the photobooth or gifts from guests arriving later. You also have to clear away the party venue decorations yourselves. If you hire me to stay longer, I can take care of this for you.
What happens in case of bad weather?
During the planning of your wedding, we always make a plan for bad weather. What that plan is depends on your wishes and the wedding venue.
A few days before your wedding, we monitor the weather forecasts. If they are bad, we will make a decision a day in advance and go for plan B.
If I am not involved in the planning process, I would like to know in advance what your plan is for bad weather.
How do you ensure that everything runs on time?
During the wedding planning, I will let you know if I think your timeline is unrealistic. In that case, we will adjust the program so that there is sufficient time and peace for the ceremony, reception, dinner, etc. It would be unfortunate if your entire day felt hurried and left you with no time to do anything else.
On the day itself, I will be wearing a watch and keeping an eye on the time.
What does it cost?
How much does a collaboration cost?
A collaboration with me starts at €1,495 including VAT. This is when you hire me as your master of ceremonies. After that, the price goes up.
Most couples spend around €2,895. I list all costs in my brochure, which you will receive from me when you submit a request.
People organizing an event in Waalre or the Waalre area receive a discount because travel times and costs are lower. The investment may turn out higher for you if the travel time* is longer than an hour or if you live in or beyond (from my place of residence) Antwerp. * +/- 100 kilometers
If you have many requests, a large guest list, or are using multiple locations, I can hire an extra person to support me on your wedding day. I do this because I want you to have a relaxed day. This is always done in consultation, so you won’t face any surprises. You can also ask someone in your circle of friends to help me on the day to save on these costs.
How do I know if working with you fits within my budget?
Based on your budget and guest list, I can quickly see if investing in me is too much for you. The last thing I want is to put you in financial trouble. So, if I feel that it would be better for you not to do this, I will tell you honestly. After all, I want you to look back on this day without regret, and I would find it terrible if you regretted it.
Do you have a related question that I haven’t answered on this page? Feel free to send me a message.