How Much Does a Wedding Planner Cost in Grand Rapids?

Michigan is a big state, and every planner/coordinator is different. Depending on the level of help you are searching for (coordination vs some help with planning vs full service)… expect to pay between $2k-$10K and up. Our biggest recommendation is to remember “you get what you paid for”, so please don’t go with the cheapest option! Instead, find someone with experience, good reviews, proper insurance and systems, and who you vibe with!

When Should You Hire a Wedding Planner? What Is A Good Planning Timeline for West Michigan Couples?

We live in a seasonal state here in Michigan. Typical wedding season for us is May-October. Therefore, we recommend booking your big vendors (such as venue, planner) around 18-12 months prior to your date. Immediately follow with all remaining vendors, aiming to have all vendors booked by 6 months out. Then you can focus on smaller details and decor. Invitations are usually sent out about 3 months prior to your wedding date.

What Does a Wedding Planner Do?

Great question! There is a big difference between a wedding planner/ coordinator / and venue coordinator. A planner will have their hands in most aspects of planning and back end (depending on what you book them for). Think ; sourcing and booking vendors, decor and vision board for design, organizing the RSVP’s/timeline/and all details. They will work your entire wedding weekend and focus on you every step of the way.

Coordinators are there to assist with those final details a few weeks leading up to wedding day. You do all the planning and hand over the info for them to execute a smooth and stress free wedding day.

Venue coordinators are there to oversee the venue. They will make sure the building is prepped and ready. Tables and chairs set up, trash and restrooms maintained, and light monitoring of the events of the day.

*All are great options, choose which service best fits your needs/budget/and capacity/.

What Is Your Experience? How Many Weddings Have You Planned?

We are seasoned vets over here! Kristen (our company owner) has been doing weddings and restaurant work for 20 years. From managing restaurants, bartending, event catering to being the director-of-operations to 4 downtown venues, she’s seen it all. Amethyst x Emerald is in it’s 4th year of operation, and we take on approx 25-50 weddings a year!

We also have a strong team of event planners, event day leads/coordinators, a social media team, and a creative team that assists with our other services such as camcorders, content, beauty, and decor.

Everyone has strong event backgrounds and are incredibly fun and talented!

Do You Have Business Insurance? What Is The Back Up Plan If There Is An Emergency?

100%… and to back up this point further. All of your vendors should have business insurance. Make sure to ask this!

Not only is our business fully insured, but all of our staff is TIPS certified with the MLCC in the event we need to assist with bar/alcohol.

We have a large team of qualified event planners and lead coordinators. Meaning emails and calls never go unanswered. On top of that, if there were ever a major issue (illness, injury, car trouble)… we have a large team to lean on to jump in and help on event day.

We have you covered!

When Is The Best Time Of Year To Get Married In West Michigan?

As previously mentioned, Michigan is a seasonal state! Typical wedding season is May-October. Keep in mind the rainy/colder months are May and October (they can be unreliable). We recommend not going with a fully outdoor venue in any instance without a tent and back up plan!

Off season (Nov-April) is still a great option and many indoor venues offer discounts during this time of year.

We offer venue selection, and we can assist you with navigating all aspects of weather.

We also specialize in unique venues such as backyards, private properties, campgrounds, and beach events!

Do You Offer Venue Selection? Do You Have Preferred Vendors You Work With in Grand Rapids and West Michigan?

Absolutely! We love being with our clients from the very beginning. We typically assist them with narrowing down venue choices, touring, and booking their venue and date. All of our clients get our exclusive list of favorite vendors we love to work with (fully inclusive).

Working with a great venue and vendor team is the recipe for success. If they succeed, we all success and we want the best for you!

What Is It Like Working With You? What Is Your Communication Style/ Approach to Design/ What Systems Do You Use?

We strongly feel that good communication is the key to successful and stress free wedding planning. We use a CRM system called Honeybook to handle all of our contrcats, payments, questionnaires, and major info.

We also use Google Suite (google drive, calendar, gmail, google meets) to schedule all calls, meetings, and work on important information.

We are very comfortable with working with out-of-state clients, handling destination weddings, and working around difficult schedules and other time zones.

What Makes You Different? What Are Your Company Values?

The main reason Kristen started this company, is literally so she could say “YES” as often as possible. We truly believe in saying “yes” to as much as we possibly can for you and your wedding planning experience. We focus on strong communication, being detail oriented, and what we call radical customer service. We want you, your family/wedding party/ and guests to all noticeably have a wonderful experience.

We specialize in clients who;

-are queer

-out of state, destination, other time zones

-back yard, personal property, campground, or full weekend events

-who have a unique vision or difficult circumstances to navigate.

We are very loud and proud about the fact that we are an INCLUSIVE business. We truly believe all love should be honored and celebrated and we would love nothing more than to plan your queer wedding!!

What Is Required To Reserve Your Services?

We make booking with us quite simple.

We start with lining up a call to determine 3 things

-that we are available on your date

-that we are a good fit for you and your needs

-provide a custom proposal for exactly what you need in terms of planning and services

From there, we send a digital contract and payment link. Once that is all set, we cross sign and onboard you into our system. We clearly outline a payment schedule, and usually kick off planning within a few days to a couple weeks of you officially booking.

We’d love to work with you!

Don’t hesitate to send a contact form today