An interview with Alex Voigt, the owner + Head Planner of Redwood Weddings
So you're considering booking with us, but you want to know our team and what to expect on wedding day. Or maybe you've already chosen us to take care of you but you want to know a little bit more about us that we didn't go over in your consultation! We have lots to go over here, so feel free to jump around and pay close attention to the questions that mean the most to you. Here we go!
Why did you name the business "Redwood Weddings and Events"?
I love this question! I chose to name the business 'redwood weddings' for a number of reasons. For one, my partner and I have a HEAVY love for national parks + adventure. Redwoods National Park was one of the dozens we have been to together. The reason that it holds a place in my heart the most, however, is because of how much I love redwood trees and sequoias!
Growing up in Wisconsin, I experienced up north camping trips and lake days, finding solace in spending my time outdoors. There is nothing that compares to being in a redwood forest though, iykyk.
How long have you been doing this and how did you get to be a wedding planner?
I started out in the wedding industry working at a winery in napa valley. My partner and I lived there in 2022 + I wanted to find a fun job while finishing my masters and caregiving for his grandmother. I was witness to dozens of luxury weddings and assisted the venue, catering and beverage team. I instantly knew that I found my calling. I got to work with amazing bands, DJs, photographers, videographers + of course, wedding planners and coordinators. I also got to pick the brain of so many people in the industry to find my niche.
When we relocated back to Wisconsin at the end of 2022, I took on a supervisor role in a restaurant, and slowly transitioned into a bar management role after that. I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't doing what I loved though, I got to assist a good friend (and cousin) of mine who is a wedding photographer a few times, and found that I was jumping into a coordinator role, telling people what to expect, where to stand, setting decor up, shifting things around, managing the timeline, and wa-lah, I knew what I needed to do. I started my business shortly after!
I recently went full-time with my business and in July 2024, it will be a full year of being a wedding planner on my own!
We love your vibe, services + portfolio.. Everything sounds + looks great, but can you tell me how you're different from all the other wedding planners out there?
When I first started Redwood Weddings, my main goal was to offer a budget friendly alternative for couples who felt like they were drowning in expenses planning their wedding. While I still strongly believe in this, and keep my prices lower, my vision definitely shifted.
After I booked a handful of weddings, I realized there was a gap in the planning industry. There is an ABSURD amount of information out there for future couples when it comes to planning advice, how-to's, diys, what you should be doing, what you shouldn't do, how to make your guests comfortable, how to treat your vendors, it can feel so fucking overwhelming. Yes, I said fuck. As a 2024 bride myself, I couldn't get enough of the information literally being shoved down my throat on tiktok, instagram, the shitty facebook groups, all of it. But why were we not getting this information from our planners? Our coordinator?
I can't say this goes for all planners or coordinators, of course, but no budget friendly wedding professional was giving out resources. Frankly, as a wedding professional myself, I have seen so many vendors "secure the bag" and then drop off of the face of the earth until wedding day, which seemed a bit odd to me. I wanted to be different. I pride myself, and also hold my team accountable for being available for their clients whenever they're needed.
A few things I did to stand apart from other planners in the area are: offering. an exclusive planning resource page (how to tip your vendors, do not play music list, shot list, decor guidelines, alcohol cheat sheet + more), a planning portal unique to each nearly-wed couple to house their contracts, guest list, and more, as well as a comprehensive planning checklist! Our team makes ourselves available to each and every person we work with at any stage of the process because, well, wedding planning isn't always this easy-going, stress-free glorious process. You deserve to know and feel like someone is in your corner, no matter what is happening. Whether you want to grab a coffee, rant over a phone call, or debrief in an email or text- we are there for you.
Do you take on more than one wedding per day?
With a team of 3 lead planners, the most weddings we take on in one day is 2, and we do this rarely. We will never do more than this to ensure that someone is ALWAYS available to take on the wedding in the case of an emergency happening or someone getting sick. We take notes + structure our timelines, questionnaires, decor sheets, and more the same ways so that if one of us needs to jump in for one another, we can! Most of our weddings consist of "day of coordination" bookings, which is never truly "day of". For full-planning weddings, we ensure that we take only 1-2 weddings that ENTIRE weekend, to be sure that we are fully dedicated to their big day.
We are on a pretty tight budget, are we going to be able to afford your services?
First of all, it is important to understand that the average couple takes about 300 hours planning their wedding (without a planner). From choosing a wedding venue, placing the postage on your invitations, searching through the tiring lists of vendors or creating your seating chart, wedding planning is just a lot. Our team has done this dozens of times, whereas the average couple that we work with has only planned a wedding once.
There are many ways that we, as a team of planners can make your investment in our team worth it. For one, we have developed relationships with vendor teams that meet our incredibly high standards of service. We expect nothing but the best for you, and if we aren't involved in this stage of your planning process, we still make it a point to work closely with your vendors to create the best day possible for you. Having a solid wedding team makes different planning processes throughout your engagement seamless. From questionnaires, to final meetings, you'll be taken care of.
The second best perk is that we partner with a variety of different companies to provide you with discount codes for other aspects of your wedding day. Sometimes this is videography, rentals, suits and tuxes, dresses, stationary + more! This alone makes it worth it, especially when you factor in a few freebies here + there!
We do whatever we can to make your planning process efficient and stress-free, whether we are full-planning or coordinating. This article may help you decide on whether you need a wedding planner or not. Trust me, it's worth the read.
Who do you work the best with?
We work with almost anyone. Offering a variety of packages allows us to work with couples who have different personalities, backgrounds, budgets, and everything in between.
We work well with so many different types of couples. Whether you're just looking for coordination services or needing a lot more help with a partial or full planning package, we are there for you. We love to work with couples who have their day planned but want to hire us to tie up those loose ends and ensure it runs smoothly. But we also love to work with couples who know what they want for their big day, but need more help with the design, vendor searching, and organizational aspects of their wedding day, too!
We mostly love to work with positive people who are not only in love, but also understand that their wedding is more than just decor, florals and good food and music (although these things are important). Ultimately, you're tying the knot forever with your person, and that's what we want to highlight through your entire planning process.
Will I still have some control over my wedding if I hire your team as my planner or coordinator?
Absolutely! We will do as much or as little as you want us to during your planning process. I have couples who love vendor searching despite us offering this as a service. We also have couples that are okay with us sending over our top suggestions and them picking from the selection we give. We will always ask you what you want first and make our decisions in your best interest.
What if we are on the fence about hiring a planner or coordinator?
Honestly, if you're on the fence about it, join the club. I have so many friends, and hear from so many people that their wedding day went without a hitch, but that is mostly due to friends and family busting their butts to make that happen. What if your aunt Karen who offered to pick up lunch for you, doesn't show? And what if your groom + groomsmen don't set up the backdrop or centerpieces the way you wanted? What about your uncle jeff who has a "professional camera" offering to be your photographer but not getting photos of your dress, details, or any family portraits? We will cover ALL the bases for you, regardless of your circumstances. Every couple is different, and you may have people in your lives that are there for you and don't mind doing extra things for you on your wedding day. I've been that person for friends + family.
When my wedding day came around, I knew that I wanted my parents, friends, wedding party, and most importantly ME to have a relaxing ass day being pampered and getting tipsy on mimosas. That may not be your vision, and that's totally fine.
If you don't see the value in having someone helping to plan or at least pull it all together at the end, then we are definitely not for you. We are pretty flexible and open to working with mostly everyone, but if you're chronically skeptical, pessimistic, whiny, we aren't going to be the best fit.
We're getting married, but live in another state, can you still help us?
Abso-freaking-lutely! We work and have worked in the past with a few couples that either lived in different states and were/are planning on tying the knot in Wisconsin. Having a wedding planner is great in those situations because sometimes you don't have time to fly in to meet with vendors or do tastings, where we can stand in for you!
Do you do destination weddings?
Yes, we love them! We have been a part of weddings in California + Nevada in the past and would love to help plan weddings in other areas of the U.S. (or world)! We also offer DISCOUNTS for destination weddings to help counter travel fees!
What form of payment do you accept, and do you offer payment plans?
We accept checks, venmo, or credit/debit and bank payment through our booking system! We do require an initial retainer to hold your date, but can work with you to create a payment plan that works best for you.
This sounds great, how do we book with you?
To book together, you will fill out an inquiry form HERE. Then we would meet virtually over a consultation call to see if we are a good fit for one another. I always like to make sure that not only you feel good about me and our services, but that I also feel I am the best fit for you. There are times that couples are looking for something I do not quite align with, in which case I can recommend you to someone else in my industry! If we are a good fit, we can move forward with signing a contract + start to plan your fabulous wedding!
We have a few more questions, can. we call or email you to discuss this further?
Absolutely! You can reach me via email at redwoodweddingswi@gmail.com to get in touch and ask me any questions you may have. I may recommend setting up a consultation to go over the answers if they're lengthy.
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