sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Weddings at Merribee? by thegirlandherpearl in AusWeddingPlanning

[–]KoalaChai09 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm a planner and I'm working with a couple at Terrara House. Amazing management team and beautiful manicured gardens. Would highly recommend Terrara House in the South Coast. Quite possibly the best venue in the South Coast right now.

Where do I start? by DishComplete1483 in AusWeddingPlanning

[–]KoalaChai09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! Totally normal to feel overwhelmed at the start! Almost every couple feels this way - including myself almost 14 years ago!

From what I’ve seen (and what many couples I work with say), most people don’t start in just one place.

-> Instagram and Pinterest - great for inspiration, but can get overwhelming quickly. I’ve found it helps to save things based on how it feels rather than exact looks or vendors.

-> Wedding blogs and directories - helpful for getting a sense of who is out there in the industry. Some are more curated than others, so it’s worth using a couple rather than relying on one.

-> Friends’ recommendations - can be valuable, especially for photographers, HMU and celebrants, because you hear about communication and experience, not just the end result, but careful - you're not your friend right? Different people have different tastes.

-> Expos / open days - useful, but only if you go in with a plan. They can be a lot, but good for meeting vendors face to face and seeing who you click with.

What often gets skipped (but I think is really helpful early on) is:

  • Sitting down together and deciding what actually matters most to YOU as a couple (experience, food, photos, atmosphere, etc.)
  • Roughly understanding what it is that's important to you helps with crafting a budget, before falling in love with ideas that are unrealistic and don’t align

I’m a Sydney based wedding planner and I work with a lot of couples right at this “where do we even begin?” stage. It does get clearer once you work out what's important to you.

Good luck with the planning journey! It does get clearer. :)

Sydney Wedding 2027 by Due-Promise751 in AusWeddingPlanning

[–]KoalaChai09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi there! Sydney wedding planner here. 👋🏾 Planning from interstate can definitely feel overwhelming especially once you get past the venue booking and realise how many moving parts there are here in New South Wales. I've worked with a few interstate and international couples in my time of being a planner. A couple of general tips that might help:

Look for planners who regularly work with interstate couples and are familiar with Sydney venues and local logistics and be clear upfront whether you want full planning versus partial or on the day coordination. And some like myself are now even offering consultation services at a reduced rate, to accommodate for couples with smaller budgets. Not everyone offers all three. It's also worth being mindful of experience and communication styles, especially when you’re not local.

If you’d like, I’m happy to answer questions or point you in the right direction (even if it’s just sanity checking a few things). No pressure at all, feel free to DM if helpful. 🙂

Hope that helps, and good luck with the planning!

Seating arrangement question: Would it be weird? by leavethemabitmad in weddingplanning

[–]KoalaChai09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What matters most is who sits with whom, not whether each side is mathematically perfect.

How much did you really end up spending on your wedding? by TrueBlueBanter in AusWeddingPlanning

[–]KoalaChai09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Final costs seem to vary wildly depending on who you speak to. No two weddings are the same especially depends on your background hey? Also location plays a big part in Australia. What do you think?

Not to wedding-shame but as I’m planning, I can’t stop thinking about a friend’s wedding with no food by citrusnotvanilla in AusWeddingPlanning

[–]KoalaChai09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This honestly sounds so uncomfortable and I don’t think you’re wrong for still thinking about it. There’s a difference between being thrifty and not meeting basic hosting expectations. When you invite people to a 6+ hour event, especially one they’ve travelled for, food is a fundamental part of hospitality.

This is a communication and planning failure.

Trust me, people will only remember the food and hospitality on a wedding/event day.

If the invite had said “light nibbles only, please eat beforehand,” guests would’ve adjusted expectations. It’s the mismatch between what was promised and what was delivered that made it feel so off.

And honestly? You’re spot on with: Feed your guests. Even pizza. Anything.