FAQ

Where did you get the name "Lily Spruce?"

Genevieve wanted a name that implied "green" and thought of dozens and dozens of names before landing on "spruce." She liked that it conjured greenery and the idea of sprucing and improving. She felt a second name was necessary-something on the girly tip-and liked "Milly" until her husband came up with "Lily" and there you go. In Genevieve's head Lily Spruce is a charismatic wedding planner dressed in a 60s-era, Audrey Hepburn-like floral dress and cardigan who's obsessed with do-it-yourself details, Copperplate calligraphy, vintage fabric backdrops for photo booths, homemade wedding cakes, succulents and wedding stumps as centerpieces, milk glass vases, backyard weddings and receptions, organic appetizers, lace shrugs and glass Mason jars. Simple. Classic. Timeless. Memorable.

Do I really need a wedding planner?

If you like someone who can "take the wheel" and is comfortable with us, then we're for you. Because no joke: wedding planning can be a full-time job, even more so as you approach the wedding day. You'll find yourself gung-ho one month and then ambivalent the next. That's wedding planning! We're here to help you stay the course, narrow down your choices, ease your stress, save you money and work with you to put your own unique stamp on your event.

If you're the kind of person that needs to be in control of every detail, but wants to hand it off for execution-then a day-of is more your style. Be honest with yourself and what you can handle in the months leading up to your day and the answer will reveal itself to you.

I can't imagine there's a lot that a day-of person does.
It's not complicated-right?

Yes, and no. What happens on the day of a wedding comes down to this: making a million and one rapid fire decisions throughout the day. It's crisis management and triage. It's being moral support and doing heavy lifting. It's moving furniture, stringing lights, lighting candles, setting up place cards, dealing with fussy relatives, creating timelines, making sure the ceremony starts on time, touching up the bride, prompting flower girls to go down the aisle-and doing it all gracefully and unbeknownst to your clients. Ask yourself: do you want to be the point person on your wedding day? Weddings are a compendium of things that happen minute to minute and it's our job to make it seem as organic and uncomplicated as possible. Most of all, we never, ever want our clients to worry. That's our job!

What time do you arrive on the wedding day and what time do you leave?

Ah yes, a popular question. This varies from wedding to wedding-some are more involved, some less so. We'll work with you to determine that.

How do you charge?

We have the a la carte services that carry an hourly fee of $50. For other packages, we first consult with a potential client, consider the client's budget, number of guests and locale to determine costs. With bigger weddings, we might have to bring in another planner or day-of coordinator to assist the principal planner, which could add to the bill. We understand that clients have tight budgets and want to spend wisely, so we want to charge what's fair for all the parties involved and are very open to negotiating.

What is the deposit requirement?

Typically half the total charge is due upon signing the contract. The final balance is due one week prior to the wedding date. Gratuity is not included in the contract-we leave that to our clients to decide if we've gone above and beyond.

Do you get payment from vendors you refer?

Our company does not practice this. We only recommend vendors that provide quality products and have proven service records. Quite frankly, we work with people we know and whose work we love.