The most important part of this decision is to recognize the difference between the two.

On-Site Coordinators: Simply put, an on-site coordinator has a bit less “skin in the game” and his/her first priority will, for better or worse, be to the venue itself - since after all, they are employed on site. 

That is not to say that I have not worked with fabulous on-site coordinators!  They have an intimate knowledge of the space, what can/cannot be done and what has already been tried before.  Often, they have good working relationships with local vendors – a.k.a. “the regulars.” 

Sometimes, though, it can be difficult for them to step outside of the proverbial box that they’ve created onsite.  Additionally, venue coordinators have limited motivation to suggest or try new things (i.e. menu styles, timeline orders, special décor accommodations, seating/banquet layouts, etc.) because it may mean a bit more work for the location and their staff…plus a step away from “the regulars.”

Private Wedding Planners:  Like Planned by Cristina Capone, private planners are employed by YOU, and therefore have YOUR vision, priorities and overall event’s success at heart.  We will not only create and carry out a Wedding Day that is uniquely yours but also build a relationship working with the on-site team to accomplish your overall event goals. 

Additionally, if your Wedding Day incorporates a ceremony that is not at the reception venue, or you are looking for help with transportation, accommodations, and other off-venue planning, a private wedding planner would be suited for you.  However, even beyond those off-venue components, having an advocate for your vision and luxury-event-level expertise in partnership with the venue has its perks!

We are happy to work on both large and small-scale events.  The weddings that we plan typically cost no less than $95K total budget spend.  Our more extravagant weddings may have total budgets north of $250K. 

For full design, the average industry-wide wedding planning cost is roughly 10-20% of total budget.  For partial planning, we recommend allotting 5-10% of your total wedding budget to incorporate professional planning expertise. 

As we are based in NYC, within driving distance of the Hamptons & eastern Long Island, our busiest months by far are June & September– prime wedding season.  For these months, we tend to book out 10-14 months in advance.  May, July & October are our next most busy months.

For all other times of the year, we primarily book destination events and will often have the greatest flexibility for bookings.  Of course, we encourage clients considering our services to reach out as soon as possible to see what is available or let us know that you are interested in a particular date!

Our policy is not to hold wedding dates without a deposit.  That said, we will place what we call a “soft hold” on your date for one week following an initial consultation.  What this means is that for one week following our complimentary introduction via phone / in person, we will give you the right of first refusal on booking your Wedding Date, if we receive another inquiry during this time.

1. Have a Look! We highly recommend that you take the time to peruse our portfolio and details available throughout the site, as well as our most current posts on Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook @plannedbycristinacapone to learn about the brand.
2. Let’s Connect! Let us know that you are interested in learning more and ask us any questions via your preferred contact method:
   • Event Inquiry Form
   • Instagram Direct Message
   • Email
   • Phone
3. Schedule a Consult! Once we connect, we’ll schedule a Complimentary Consultation (typically via conference call) during which we are able to personally or virtually meet and exchange details. You will learn more about Cristina and the services we offer at Planned by Cristina Capone. And, very importantly, we will learn more about you and your event! Together, following our consult, we are able to more clearly decide if we are a perfect fit!

[Note: All consultations include and are followed by an Event Summary & Proposal sent to the prospective client via email.]

Our clients often are successful professionals who are organized and timely.  They typically do not have the bandwidth in their schedule that professional planning requires, and value a luxury service + expert advice. 

We love working directly with the parents/families of our bride and groom to easily facilitate all planning efforts into one cohesive design resulting in a stress-free day!

Please understand that we will only discuss event details with clients of Planned by Cristina Capone (as designated by our planning contract).  This not only legally protects Planned by Cristina Capone, but also limits miscommunications and supports creating a Wedding Day that is unique, personal and authentic to our Bride & Groom.

During peak season, we may take on as many as 4 weddings per month, but typically no more than two (2) or three (3) on a monthly basis, and never more than four (4) Full Design clients in one season. 

Our business is referral-driven and the quality of the weddings we curate is the main driver of our brand’s success.  Likewise, our client experience is a paramount priority.   Our number one commitment is to a first-class experience for our brides- & grooms-to-be.  The highest compliment – that we are proud to receive often – is that our clients feel that they are always receiving our undivided attention.

Each custom planning package includes a proposed planning schedule designed using your wedding baseline analysis and planning scope.  A set schedule for our meetings from contract signing through your Wedding Day ensures that we will have plenty of time blocked out on both your calendar and ours to work through your wedding check list at a comfortable pace.  We can always scale up or scale down from the initial schedule to meet your needs.  In-person consultations and special meetings are normally included in Full Design packages and priced into Partial Planning packages at the clients’ request.

Over the years, we’ve noticed a trend away from traditional wedding etiquette.  Couples are more apt to move away from formal timeline sequencing, seating arrangement, procession order, print/stationary guidelines, etc. However, our brand is centered on being proper wherever appropriate and strictly to the extent desired by each client. 

Planned by Cristina Capone follows The Emily Post Institute standard, as outlined in Emily Post’s Etiquette, 18^th Edition.  Authored by Post family etiquette experts, it is the time-tested definitive guide to American manners for social, business and wedding etiquette. 

In a word, no.  But let’s expand on that…We used to offer day-of and month-of planning, since these are highly sought after packages by very organized brides who are beginning to plan their event and “really only need someone to execute their fully planned day” or someone to “check that they aren’t forgetting anything.”  Then we quickly realized that our best events were those on which we began working with clients – even if only on a consultative basis – at least ninety (90) days prior to their event. 

So, while we love to help customize partial planning packages that give you exactly the amount of help that you are looking for and need, we only book packages that will give us ample time together, to ensure a well-planned Wedding Day!

Of course!  We book Full Design and Partial Planning for destination weddings, depending on what best suits your event’s needs.  The only additional charges included in destination wedding packages are the cost of travel/accommodations to/from the wedding location for the weekend of your event. 

If yours is a location/venue that we have not previously planned, we may do a virtual venue walkthrough with an onsite coordinator or feel more comfortable doing a “heels-on-the-ground” walk of the space! Should we choose to travel and explore your destination venue in advance of your wedding, the cost of this trip would be our own discovery expense and would not impact your package price.

Yes!  Happy to. 

We as a brand are ready for anything unexpected and will work through a wide network of planners to provide a qualified alternative service provider in the unlikely unavoidable circumstance that we are unable to support a contracted day.  Luckily, this has never happened before, but it is important to consider contingencies, which are outlined thoroughly in each Service Agreement.

Our Complimentary Day-of Rescue Kit is on-site with our planning team throughout your Wedding Day and available to clients and their guests for complimentary use at any time.

Absolutely not!  As a matter of fact, they often come packed full of free advice!  Following the consult, you’ll receive a summary of our discussion with any preliminary recommendations – yours to keep – along with your service proposal.

“I do!”  Because there are limited weekends in wedding season, and we book a limited number of full vs. partial planning clients each year, we are thankful to have a calendar that fills quickly!  For this reason, we do require a non-refundable deposit to hold your date.

For Partial Planning clients:

• 50% deposit at contract signing
• Remaining balance due on Wedding Date

For Full Design clients:

• 25% deposit at contract signing
• Three (3) scheduled payments outlined at contract signing, with final payment due on Wedding Date

Concerned with how the above payment schedules might impact the timing of your event budget?  We hear you and are happy to work with you upfront to negotiate a schedule of payments that meets your budgetary needs.

We accept the following payment methods without service fee:

• Check
• Cash
• QuickPay with Zelle from all major participating banks

If the following are more convenient forms of payment for you, we are happy to accept them, with standard service fees applied.

• Credit card (+2.9% service fee)
• ACH / Electronic Bank Transfer (+1.3% service fee)

Yes, you may!  It’s our pleasure, as your planner and “wedding concierge” to take care of small items for you directly and, on a case-by-case basis, front these charges, adding them to your planning invoice to be paid with your overall bill. 

Please note: We will never incur a charge with the intention of adding it to your invoice without your prior approval. 

Here are just few examples:

• Custom Wedding Website Domain – As part of Full Design, we offer complete wedding website creation, either using an in-house web designer or a third-party service provider.  Should you choose to purchase a custom domain for your site, we will search the domain, let you know if it is available, let you know the cost (and/or alternative options) and if you would like, we will happily add this domain fee to your planning bill. This way, we can keep working on your site without interrupting you to license the domain before we proceed!
• Day-of Supplies – Clients that offer shuttle transportation to their guests often wish to include bottled water for passengers.  Some shuttle companies do not offer this service, some overcharge, and our clients typically do not want to inconvenience a friend or family member to help with this.  So, we are happy to take on the responsibility and bill you only for the cost of the water plus staff to transport and place the bottles. 
• Fonts– When we are assisting clients with graphic design elements like wedding fonts & logos, we are able to front things like font download costs to make sure that once you have found the perfect elements for your logo design, we can forward them to your printer without delay. 
• Swatches & Samples – Although we have fantastic relationships with many vendors that will provide these at no cost to our clients, should you wish to view a sample, we can request one for you and cover the cost upfront, passing it through to your invoice due on your Wedding Day.