Frequently asked questions
We know that you may have QUESTIONS and we want to ANSWER THEM ALL for you!
As you browse through, you'll get a feel for whether we're the dream team to help plan your wedding. We've covered all the essentials here, answering the questions we've received from clients over the years. It's a fun and efficient way to see if we're on the same page!
THE GOAL is very simple.We're here to help you FALL IN LOVE with your WEDDING PLANNING
27 Questions
Can we book you for partial planning?
How long have you been planning destination weddings?
Can you help us with the paperwork for legal marriage?
Can we book you for day-of coordination only?
Where do you work?
Where are you based?
How many events do you do per year?
What languages do you speak?
How do you calculate your fees for the planning, design and coordination?
We would need someone to manage the communication with our guests and handle logistics for them. Do you also provide this service?
Will you handle all payments to vendors?
What is the retainer fee to secure your services?
Can you help us decide where to get married?
Can we work with you if we already found some of the vendors that we would like to book?
We plan a multi-day celebration. Will you plan, design and coordinate all activities?
We’re not sure if we want a destination wedding in Europe. Can you help us decide?
What if we don't know our wedding date yet?
What is the best way to get a quote from you?
Can we have friends or relatives as wedding vendors?
How long in advance should we book you?
What bank or credit card fees should we expect?
What payment methods are possible?
Who does the wedding design?
What are the steps of a wedding planning journey?
How do we communicate during the planning process?
How involved should we be during the planning process?
We decided to work with you. What do we do next?
Stationed in Vienna, Austria, we're in a prime location to swiftly access any of our top-rated wedding destinations. Whether by road or air, your dream venue is just a few hours away from us!
Where are you based?
We travel where the beauty is. We plan, design and coordinate international, multi-cultural events anywhere in Europe. Being based at one of the most important hubs in Europe - Vienna - allows us to create beautiful events not only in Austria, but to easily travel to any amazing European destination. Some of our favorites are of course Italy, France, Greece and Spain.
Where do you work?
We speak English, German, Italian, Romanian and a bit of Spanish.
When other languages come into play during the planning or on-site event coordination, we have the right connections to ensure smooth communication. The language of the event significantly influences how we assemble our teams for each occasion.
What languages do you speak?
On average, we work with 6-10 clients annually, the precise number depending on the intricacy of each project. Our "Quality First" mantra resonates in the number of weddings we undertake each year. We are drawn to the magnificent, the graceful, and the deeply emotive. Excellent aesthetics, robust ethics, and meticulous attention to detail are some of the defining aspects of our work, vision, and brand. We remain committed to these principles. Accordingly, we also take the liberty of selecting projects based on compatibility, rapport, and budget.
How many events do you do per year?
Since founding High Emotion Weddings in 2014, we've known that destination weddings and generally, international events with a 'wow' effect, are our true calling.
How long have you been planning destination weddings?
I'm afraid we don't offer partial planning services. Our team prides itself on providing comprehensive planning to ensure every aspect of your event is expertly handled. This complete involvement allows us to maintain the high quality and attention to detail that defines our brand.
Can we book you for partial planning?
Our primary focus is on comprehensive event planning, which allows us to maintain the high standards and attention to detail that our brand is known for. Therefore, we do not offer day-of coordination as a standalone service.
Can we book you for day-of coordination only?
Absolutely! As part of our comprehensive planning, design, and coordination service, we advise you on the type of ceremony that aligns best with your chosen destination (or vice versa). We coordinate with local authorities regarding the necessary documents and handle the submission of paperwork on your behalf. This ensures that you don't have to plan extra trips before your wedding.
Can you help us with the paperwork for legal marriage?
Absolutely, we can work with vendors you've already identified, though we strongly recommend that no contracts are signed with them before engaging with us. This preference is based on several key insights from our past experiences:
Firstly, we would like to review their portfolio and potentially have a conversation with them (if we aren't already familiar with their work) to ensure the quality of their work and their ethics align with your vision and our high standards.
Secondly, we might be able to suggest alternative options that could better fit your needs. We would like to present these options to you and assist in making a comparative analysis before your final decision is made.
Lastly, and rather surprisingly, a number of vendors in the wedding industry either don't have contracts or are unaware of what a contract should entail. Thus, we always make sure to check contracts, clarify any unclear terms, and ask for amendments as needed before anything is signed. Addressing unclear or missing clauses is easier before commitments are made - attempting to rectify them at a later stage could lead to significant work and potentially unpleasant situations for you.
Can we work with you if we already found some of the vendors that we would like to book?
Of course! One of the services we're thrilled to provide is assisting you in selecting the ideal country or region for your wedding. We'll consider factors such as your personal preferences, the desired ambiance, local legal requirements, budget, and travel logistics. We'll guide you through the options and share our expert insights to help you make a decision that perfectly suits your dream wedding vision.
Can you help us decide where to get married?
Absolutely, we'd be delighted to help. Initially, we can share with you the myriad benefits of hosting a destination wedding or elopement in Europe. We can also connect you with some of our previous clients who can share their experiences and shed light on the pros and potentially the cons - though, we can hardly imagine any downsides!
A great way to immerse yourself in the idea of a European wedding experience is by exploring potential venues, comparing options and costs, and imagining yourselves saying 'I do' in the unique ambiance each location offers. This is precisely why we offer Destination Consulting as a standalone service. You can take advantage of our custom consulting service without having to commit to the full planning process right away. This allows you to make an informed decision that best suits your desires.
We’re not sure if we want a destination wedding in Europe. Can you help us decide?
Absolutely! We thrive on crafting the full spectrum of your celebration. It brings us immense joy to advise on potential activities preceding and following the wedding, ensuring a sublime experience for both you and your guests at your chosen destination. Be it a 2, 3, 4+ days affair, each day will possess its unique charm while seamlessly blending into a cohesive wedding weekend or week. We're all about painting the bigger picture for your multi-day celebration.
We plan a multi-day celebration. Will you plan, design and coordinate all activities?
- Coordinating the design, envelope addressing, and mailing of save-the-dates and/or invitations.
- Creating and updating a wedding website, which can include post-wedding "thank you" pages with download links for wedding photos and videos.
- Overseeing RSVPs, collecting meal preferences, and accounting for dietary restrictions.
- Managing room allocations.
- Organizing transportation to and from venues.
- Sending reminders to those who haven't responded.
- Serving as the primary point of contact for guests, managing any last-minute questions so you can focus on travel preparations.
- Distributing personalized schedules to guests shortly before the big day.
We would need someone to manage the communication with our guests and handle logistics for them. Do you also provide this service?
Factors that affect the number of hours invested in a wedding include the number of event days (for instance, a single day compared to 2-4 days of activities), the number of guests and vendors, the intricacy of the design and entertainment concept, the chosen destination, and, of course, the budget.
Beyond certain budget thresholds, we base our fees on a percentage of the overall wedding budget. This approach ensures our services are priced proportionally to the scale and complexity of your wedding.
Keep in mind that travel time, travel and accommodation expenses, and meals for our team may add to the final cost. You can find more details in our general terms and conditions.
Please note that if the requirements, guest numbers, or budget increase during the planning process, an equivalent increase in the planning and coordination fees can be expected.
How do you calculate your fees for the planning, design and coordination?
What is the retainer fee to secure your services?
A wedding can involve anywhere from 10 to 30+ different vendors, resulting in 20 to 70 payments, and potentially substantial cash amounts to manage on the wedding day itself. By availing of our service, you can avoid this complexity and large banking fees by making only 2-3 payments to us, and we will take care of the rest.
If you choose for us to handle vendor payments, a vendor deposit fee will be required after booking our services. This amount usually ranges from €5,000 to €50,000, varying based on the total initial budget. We use this fee to make the deposit payments to the first vendors you will be booking.
Will you handle all payments to vendors?
To keep processing fees to a minimum, we recommend the following options, but you are free to choose your preferred method of payment. Simply let us know at the beginning of the planning process.
- For payments from non-European accounts: wise.com
- For payments from EU accounts: SEPA bank transfer
What payment methods are possible?
- Credit card payments are processed by Stripe: you will be charged 3,25% on top of the invoice amount + 0,25 €, if you’re paying with a non-European card, 2,5% + 0,25 € if you're using a UK card, or 1,5% + 0,25 € if you’re using a European card. See more on Stripe fees here and currency conversions here.
- Charges for bank transfers in euro within SEPA - Single Euro Payments Area - should not exceed your bank’s usual domestic electronic payment transactions.
- Revolut payments are also very convenient, fees may vary depending on the type of account you create - more about Revolut here.
- Wise charges much lower fees than most banks and credit card processors. Besides you always see currency conversion rates and transfer fees before making the transaction - more about wise.com here.
What bank or credit card fees should we expect?
What is the best way to get a quote from you?
- Carefully review all the details in our quote and general terms and conditions. These will form part of our service contract. Feel free to schedule a call or send us an email if you have any questions or concerns.
- Once everything is clear, formally accept the quote by entering your full name in the box at the bottom of the page and clicking "Accept". We will receive an automatic email notification about your acceptance.
- After this, you will receive our service contract and the first invoice. Please sign the contract electronically and proceed with the payment of the invoice.
- Once these steps are complete, we will introduce you to our planning platform and outline the initial planning steps.
Remember, we're here to make this process as smooth as possible for you. Let's start this exciting journey together!
We decided to work with you. What do we do next?
We can still start with a general time frame or preferred season, and work together on selecting the perfect date. We'll take into consideration factors such as venue availability, key vendor availability, and any personal or cultural preferences you might have. Remember, choosing your wedding date is a crucial step, but it's also a flexible one when you're in the early stages of planning.
What if we don't know our wedding date yet?
How long in advance should we book you?
If you intend to hire them solely as a wedding vendor, we're more than willing to review their portfolio and draft contract to assess their suitability. But before you make any commitments, we would like the opportunity to present alternative options, help you evaluate them, and guide you towards the best decision for your wedding.
However, if they are invited as guests and their role as a wedding vendor would require them to be on-site (like a photographer, videographer, musician, cake designer, florist, etc.), we generally advise against this. We believe it's better for them to fully engage in a single role and truly enjoy the occasion.
Can we have friends or relatives as wedding vendors?
However, if you have a renowned designer in mind that you wish to involve, we'd be more than happy to coordinate the design concept with them. We'll provide assistance with all the local logistics, source materials and act as their liaison with local vendors to ensure a smooth planning process.
Who does the wedding design?
Our primary methods of communication are via email and our dedicated online planning platform. Additionally, we schedule regular video calls for updates, or whenever there's a need to discuss specific matters. This ensures a smooth planning process regardless of the distance.
