FAQ

How do we book you?

We believe in making the booking process as seamless and personal as possible. First, we’ll have a chat to get to know each other better and ensure we’re the right fit for your needs. Once you’re confident we’re the team for you, just let us know the services you’d like to book in writing. We’ll then secure your date, send over all the necessary paperwork, and get everything underway!

Who will we work with?
At Storybook, authenticity and reliability are at the heart of what we do. That’s why you’ll be working directly with me, Kirsty!

While our vendors and teams may vary depending on the unique needs of your wedding, I will remain your constant touchpoint throughout the entire journey. From “save the date” to “thank you note,” you can trust that I’ll be with you every step of the way to ensure your day is everything you envisioned.

How much should we budget?
This is a great question! We work with a wide range of budgets every day, but we’ve scaled things back to reflect an ‘average budget,’ which is noted under your planning service field.

Currently, the average cost of a wedding in Australia is approximately $54,295. This typically breaks down to around $22,000 for your venue, $10,000 for styling and florals, and so on.

It’s essential to have open discussions about your budget – both as a couple and with any key vendors involved in your day. Experienced vendors can offer valuable tips and tricks for staying within your budget, so don’t hesitate to ask questions or seek advice!

When are wedding peak seasons?
Peak wedding seasons occur twice a year. The first runs from March to May, and the second is from August to October. These months are especially popular, so planning early is key to securing your preferred vendors and venues.
When should we engage a wedding planner?

The sooner, the better! We plan weddings anywhere from three years in advance to just three months before the big day.

With the ongoing backlog from recent years, many venues and vendors are still booking out quickly—especially during peak wedding seasons. Starting early ensures you have access to the best options and gives us plenty of time to bring your vision to life.

What do we have to pay upfront?
To secure your booking, we require a 40% retainer at the time of signing your service agreement. This ensures we can begin aligning every detail of your event right away.
Do you set up things as a part of your on the day coordination services?
While we love supporting our couples however we can, we focus on coordinating and managing your day to ensure everything runs seamlessly. To keep our attention fully on the flow of the event, we typically avoid splitting our focus with setup tasks.

For couples who select our styling service, we often bring in extra hands to assist with setup and decor management. This ensures that both coordination and styling are executed perfectly for your big day.

If setup and pack-down services are a priority for you, we highly recommend booking both our styling service and on the day coordination for a smooth and stress-free experience.

Do you charge travel fees?
For events located more than 50km from our Hatton Vale office, an additional travel fee may apply. For events over 120km away, accommodation fees may also be charged, depending on the service timelines.

We’ll clearly outline any additional fees during our initial quoting process.

Do you travel interstate or overseas?
Absolutely! We frequently travel for weddings and are well-versed in coordinating events both interstate and overseas.

We’ll work closely with you to ensure everything is as stress-free as possible. If you’re planning a destination wedding, let us know your ideas — we have a network of trusted contacts around the globe and would love to help bring your vision to life or point you in the right direction.

What sets you different to a venue coordinator, as we have one of these?

Our role as an On the Day Coordinator brings a personal and holistic approach that complements and enhances the work of a venue coordinator.

Here’s how on the day coordinators stand apart and provide added value:

Client Center Focus: While the venue coordinator ensures the venue operations run smoothly, your focus is entirely on the couple’s needs. This includes personal touches like morning check-ins, delivering refreshments, and managing last minute logistics that aren’t venue specific.

Comprehensive Coordination: We collaborate with all vendors, ensuring every detail aligns with the couple’s vision, not just the venue’s requirements. We manage and oversee the entire timeline for the day, covering every moment from getting ready to the last dance.

Family and Guest Management: Organising family and group photos (affectionately termed “herding cats”) and ensuring everyone is in the right place at the right time is a personalised service that the venue coordinator typically doesn’t handle.

Problem Solving and Stress Management: By proactively addressing any issues, we serve as a buffer, allowing you to relax and enjoy your day without worry.

Bridge Between Venue and Couple: We can serve as the liaison between the venue coordinator and you both, ensuring your personal needs, traditions, and visions are flawlessly integrated with the venue’s operations. Our role ensures that every element beyond the venue – personal touches, emotional well-being, and your overall experience – is taken care of, resulting in a day that’s as unique as their story.

Your pricing seems to be a bit higher than others, why is that?

Our higher pricing reflects the exceptional value and peace of mind we offer.

Here’s why:

Experience and Expertise: Our pricing reflects our many years of experience and ability to handle unforeseen challenges with grace.

Some examples of these challenges are managing a medical emergencies without disrupting the bride’s morning or swiftly relocating an entire event due to flooding within 3 hours. The only highlight our capability to navigate high stakes situations while ensuring the day remains stress-free and seamless for the couple.

Personally, if it was my day, I’d want someone who was experienced, chill under pressure, and knew how to fix things without adding any stress to the situation.

Crisis Management: Not everyone in the industry has the expertise or resources to handle emergencies like these. We pride ourselves on our ability to anticipate, adapt, and deliver under pressure, ensuring that no matter what happens, your day goes off without a hitch.

Tailored Service: Whilst our inclusions may appear ‘simple,’ we assure you they have been tried and tested with over 400 weddings during our 8-year journey in this business. They pack a punch in their value when working together.

Commitment to Quality: While some may charge less, it often reflects less experience or a more generic approach. We prioritise quality over quantity, giving you the attention and care you deserve to make your day truly unforgettable.

Community Over Competition: We have so much respect for our industry peers, and we believe in community over competition. That said, we’ve seen situations where less experienced providers couldn’t deliver, which is why we’ve structured our pricing to reflect our skills and dedication to your day.

Unmatched Dedication: Our role is more than just logistics. We’re your emotional support, problem solvers, and the team ensuring that no matter what happens, your day will be magical and stress-free.

We also have a ton of awards behind us because we know what we’re doing – or at least, we’d hope so … just kidding! At the end of the day, YOU BOTH are our priority.

Ultimately, our pricing isn’t just about what we do – it’s about the confidence you can have knowing you’re in the hands of a team that truly cares and will go above and beyond to make your day extraordinary.

We’re so keen to work with you, when can we get started?

Here’s a guide to when we typically kick things off for each of our services:

Planning: We can start almost straight away! Keep in mind that some vendors might not be open for bookings depending on how far in advance your wedding is, but generally speaking, we hit the ground running to get things moving for you.

Coordination: Coordination kicks off about 8 weeks out from your wedding day. This timing ensures we’re working with the most up-to-date details, as things can change closer to the event. Starting too early can create unnecessary back-and-forth, so this timeframe keeps everything streamlined and stress-free for everyone.

Styling: Styling is a bit of a mix. While florals might need earlier input, we typically hold off solidifying your overall design until 6-8 months out. This allows us to account for any shifts in trends, new Pinterest boards, or changes in your vision – ensuring we nail the vibe perfectly the first time.

No matter which service you choose, you’ll have access to our materials and your personalised portal as soon as you’ve signed the service agreement and paid the retainer. And of course, throughout the entire process, we’re here to guide and assist you however we can (within reason).

We can’t wait to get started and help make your dream day a reality!

I get stressed really easily - any advice?

First off, we completely understand how overwhelming the wedding planning process can feel, and we’re here to make it as stress-free as possible for you.

A lot of what we do happens behind the scenes, and honestly, that’s intentional. There’s so much nitty-gritty detail and running around involved, and we’ve found that showing too much of it can sometimes cause unnecessary worry. Instead, we focus on delivering seamless results without burdening you with the chaos that happens in the background.

We’ve successfully brought over 400+ weddings to life, in all kinds of timeframes and circumstances. If there’s ever an issue or something we think you need to know, we’ll absolutely communicate it with you. You can trust that we’ve got everything under control.

That said, if you’re feeling unsure or overwhelmed at any point, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re happy to help ease your mind and even put extra measures in place, like weekly updates or check-ins, to ensure you’re fully in the loop and confident that we’ve got it all handled.

Your peace of mind is our priority. You’ve got this, and we’ve got you!

Do we need to make decisions when planning?
We totally get that planning a wedding can feel overwhelming, and while we’d absolutely love to take every decision off your plate, there are still some choices you’ll need to make along the way.

The good news? With us by your side, those decisions will feel a whole lot easier. As your wedding planner, we’re here to guide you through the process step by step, helping you understand your options, offering advice, and ensuring everything aligns with your vision.

Think of us as your wedding planning compass – pointing you in the right direction and taking care of the heavy lifting so that the decisions you do make are simple, informed, and stress-free. We’ll make sure it’s as smooth as possible so you can focus on the exciting parts of planning your big day!

Do you offer adjustments to services and pricing?
Not really, no. Over the years, we’ve refined our offerings based on what works best and what doesn’t. The services we provide are carefully designed to deliver exceptional results, and our pricing reflects the time, expertise, and resources needed to make it all happen.

We’ve built our packages with intention, ensuring they include everything necessary to create a seamless and stress-free experience. This approach allows us to focus on quality and consistency while delivering the best value for you.

Why should we work with you?
Ultimately, this decision is all about you. We always encourage our couples to reach out to a few vendors to ensure you find the right fit – because this is a journey where trust, understanding, and a strong relationship matter. You’ll be working closely with your vendors, and since wedding planning can have its stressful moments, having someone you connect with makes all the difference.

If everything we’ve shared above resonates with you and speaks to what you’re looking for, then we might just be the perfect match! If not, we completely understand and want you to find someone who feels like the best fit for YOUR special day.

At the end of the day, it’s about creating a team you feel comfortable with – a team that makes the process smoother, more enjoyable, and stress-free. If that’s us, we couldn’t be more excited to embark on this journey with you.

Contact Hours

We pride ourselves on being quick responders, and if you don’t hear back from us within 48 hours, there’s usually a good reason – like being deep in the midst of peak wedding season or managing a packed weekend of events.

That said, we do aim to respond within 48 hours of receiving your message -sometimes even just to acknowledge it and let you know we’ve received it, we’re here, and we’re working behind the scenes to get things sorted. If there’s ever a delay, please know that we absolutely adore you, we’re not ignoring you, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we possibly can.