You’ve chosen your wedding planner, signed the contract and confirmed your date. Now what?
Once your wedding planner is booked, the real planning begins. This is when we move from the initial ideas and conversations we had into the details that will shape your celebration.
At Chic Croatia, we follow a clear planning process, but every wedding is different. Some couples already have a very clear vision, while others discover their style as the planning progresses. Our role is to guide you through each stage, keep the practical side moving and make sure that everything comes together into a beautiful celebration.
Here are the nine steps we usually take once your wedding planning is officially underway.
Step 1. Define Your wedding vision
Even though we have already discussed your wedding during the initial consultation, this is the time to go deeper.
We take time to talk about the atmosphere you want to create, your personal style, your priorities, your guests and, most importantly, what matters to you as a couple.
Which details are important to you, and which ones are not? What do you want to remember from your wedding?
We want to understand your vision rather than simply create a Pinterest brief. Inspiration is helpful, but your wedding should feel like you.
Step 2. Discuss your wedding budget and priorities
Once the overall vision is clear, we revisit the budget.
A wedding budget is not something that is set once and never looked at again. As we start selecting venues, vendors and design elements, priorities can change and the budget needs to be adjusted accordingly.
We discuss where it makes sense to invest, where there may be flexibility and which elements are most important to you. Our aim is to keep the planning realistic while staying as close as possible to the vision we have created together.
Step 3. Select your wedding vendors
With the main priorities established, we begin selecting and confirming the vendors who will bring your wedding together.
The order can vary depending on the wedding, but we will usually start with the key elements such as the venue, photographer and videographer, entertainment, catering, florals and design.
We guide you through the options, make recommendations and coordinate the communication and booking process.
You remain the person making the final decisions. Our role is to help you make those decisions. This part of the wedding planning process usually takes the most time, as finding the right vendors for each celebration is an important part of creating a wedding that feels personal and cohesive.
Step 4. Develop your wedding design
Once the main planning elements are in place, we can start developing the visual side of your celebration in more detail.
This is where we discuss florals, linens, stationery, colours, lighting, table design, décor and all the smaller personalised details that make a wedding feel complete.
We will ask you to share your likes and dislikes, colours you are drawn to, images that inspire you, ideas you want to include and things you would rather avoid.
Step 5. How we communicate during the planning process
Good communication is absolutely essential, so we take time to discuss the best ways of communicating from the beginning.
Depending on what we are working on, this may include email, scheduled Zoom calls, Asana and occasional WhatsApp communication.
We use a combination of these tools to keep information organised and make sure decisions, deadlines and next steps are clear.
Throughout the planning process, we keep things moving while making sure you are involved in the decisions that matter to you.
Step 6. Your role
Your wedding planner takes care of the planning, coordination and management, but there are naturally some decisions that remain with you.
These may include your wedding website, guest list, wedding attire, music preferences and Spotify lists, ceremony readings, stationery wording and your personal travel or accommodation arrangements.
We are always happy to provide recommendations and advice where we can. However, these are elements where the final decisions and arrangements remain with the couple.
Step 7. How often will we talk/meet?
Some periods are naturally busier than others. There may be weeks when we are discussing several decisions together, followed by a quieter period while we wait for proposals, contracts or confirmations.
The planning process is continuous from the moment you sign your contract until your wedding day.
During the Croatian wedding season, communication with future couples may sometimes be less frequent as our priority is the weddings taking place at that time. However, we continue to monitor each wedding in the planning process and make sure that important decisions are addressed on time.
Step 8. The Final Months Before Your Croatia Wedding
As your wedding approaches, we communicate more often.
This is when we begin discussing the details that need to be finalised: your final guest count, seating plan, menus, timeline, transportation, logistics, vendor schedules and the plans for your wedding week.
We usually aim to have the majority of the planning and key decisions in place around three weeks before the wedding. This gives us some breathing room for those inevitable last-minute changes. Because destination weddings often involve guests arriving from different countries, the final weeks are also about making sure everyone and everything is where it needs to be.
Step 9. Wedding week details
And the wedding day is almost there.
By this point, the months of planning, conversations, decisions and checklists come together. During the wedding week, our focus shifts from planning to execution. We coordinate everything with your selected vendors, oversee the setup, follow the timeline, double-check everything and, yes, sometimes triple-check it — making sure that all the details we have planned come together as they should.
And then, finally, it is time for you to enjoy it.
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If you are still at the beginning of your planning journey and are looking for more guidance on planning a destination wedding in Croatia, our Weddings in Croatia Guide takes you through the key things to consider, from choosing your destination and venue to budgeting and planning your celebration.
Chic Croatia is a boutique Croatia-based wedding planning company specializing in bespoke destination weddings across Croatia, from Dubrovnik and Hvar to Brač, Split and beyond.