Wedding Planner Organizing Boho Garden Ceremony for Couple

Congratulations! So exciting. I'd love to help. Have you started thinking about what kind of wedding you want?19:21

Love that aesthetic. Before we dive in, a few basics — how many guests are you thinking, and have you set a date?19:24

100 guests at 25-30K is a sweet spot — enough to do it right without going crazy. I have three venue options that would fit your boho garden vision19:33

Venue 1: Willow Creek Barn in Fredericksburg. Restored 1920s barn with an outdoor ceremony lawn and indoor reception. Very popular for boho weddings. $6,500 venue fee includes tables, chairs and a getting-ready suite. About 90 minutes from Austin19:36

Venue 2: Zilker Botanical Garden right here in Austin. Outdoor ceremony in the rose garden, reception in the garden center building. City-owned so fees are reasonable at $4,200. The catch is it's public — you might have tourists walking by during your ceremony19:41

Venue 3: The Greenhouse at Mueller. Industrial-chic glass greenhouse with string lights, exposed brick. Indoor-outdoor flow, really versatile. $7,800 but it includes a day-of coordinator from their team. Downtown location, easy for everyone19:41

Willow Creek books up fast for fall — usually 10-12 months ahead. Late September is their busiest window. If you like it I'd recommend locking it this week. I can call and put a hold on a date for 48 hours while you decide19:46

Let me check... September 27th is available! I'll put a 48-hour hold on it now. In the meantime let's talk budget allocation so you know where the money goes19:55

Typical breakdown for a 100-person wedding at this budget: venue 25% roughly $7K, catering 30% roughly $8K, photo/video 10% roughly $2.8K, florals 8% roughly $2K, entertainment 5% roughly $1.5K, rentals and decor 7% roughly $2K, planner fee 8% roughly $2K. The rest is your buffer for invitations, cake, and misc19:57

Absolutely. I'd bump photo/video to $3.5K and trim a bit from florals. With a boho style you don't need massive floral installations anyway — lots of greenery, dried flowers and pampas grass are gorgeous and more affordable. I'll adjust the breakdown19:58

For a boho garden vibe I'd actually suggest a hybrid. Live duo for the ceremony and cocktail hour (acoustic guitar and vocals — very romantic), then a DJ for the reception. Full band runs $5-8K, DJ plus live duo is about $2,500-3K total. Better value and you get the best of both20:00

Two popular formats for your guest count. Plated dinner: more formal, easier to manage dietary restrictions, runs about $65-85 per person. Food stations: more casual and social, fits the boho vibe better, similar price range. I'd recommend stations — a carving station, a taco bar, a seasonal salad table, and a late-night snack station20:02

I have a curated list of caterers I work with. I'll send you three options with menus and pricing — you pick the one that fits your taste. I handle all the coordination from there20:10

Good news — Willow Creek Barn is locked for September 27th! I also have a revised proposal with the adjusted budget, full day-of timeline, and vendor recommendations. Ready when you are14:00

Day-of timeline: 11am hair and makeup starts at the getting-ready suite, 2pm first look at the barn's oak tree, 2:30pm ceremony, 3:15pm cocktail hour on the lawn with live duo, 4:15pm guests move to reception, 4:30pm toasts, 4:45pm dinner, 5:45pm first dance, 6pm open dancing with DJ, 8pm cake cutting, 8:30pm last dance and sparkler send-off14:04

Floral concept: ceremony arch with eucalyptus, pampas grass and dried palm leaves. Mason jar centerpieces with wildflowers and greenery. Pampas grass arrangements at the entrance. Simple, organic, boho14:08

Yes! Dried floral chandeliers from the beams would look stunning. Adds about $800 to the floral budget but totally worth it for the photos14:13

Absolutely. A small two-tier cutting cake for the ceremony plus a donut wall as the main dessert display. Best of both worlds and the donut wall doubles as a decor piece. I know a local baker who does both — about $650 total14:18

Invitation timeline: send save-the-dates by mid-March (6 months out), formal invitations by mid-July (10 weeks out), RSVP deadline August 15th. That gives us 6 weeks to finalize the headcount with the caterer before the wedding14:22

I'll put together a wedding party info sheet with everyone's contact info, dress code, and responsibilities. Day-of I'll have a separate group chat going with the wedding party so you don't have to manage logistics on your big day14:31

To get started I'll need a $2,000 planning deposit — $1,500 goes toward the venue deposit and $500 is the initial planning retainer. The rest of my planner fee is split into two payments: half at the 3-month mark and half two weeks before the wedding. I can send a secure payment link or you can Venmo/Zelle14:35

I'll send my Venmo handle and the booking confirmation for Willow Creek. Once the deposit clears I'll start reaching out to the caterers and lock the photographer and entertainment14:36

That's my job! I'll be in touch with vendor options by end of the week14:37

Quick update — everything is moving. Photographer is booked (Emma Lane Photography, 8 hours coverage with a second shooter). Acoustic duo confirmed for ceremony and cocktail hour. DJ locked for reception. Contracts are in your email10:30

Two things: menu tasting with the caterer is available February 8th or 15th — pick a date and I'll schedule it. Also need your invitation suite design direction — I have three options from the stationer for you to review10:30

Perfect, tasting is booked for the 8th at 2pm. Invitation options coming your way. Also — I set up a shared Google Drive folder with a vendor contact sheet, inspiration photos and the running budget tracker. You'll get the link in the email10:35

Happy to hear that! Feel free to add anything to the shared folder — Pinterest screenshots, fabric swatches, whatever helps. This is going to be a beautiful wedding10:42

Of course! Talk soon10:46