Frequently
Asked
Questions
COVID IS ALMOST IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR, BUT ARE YOU ALL EQUIPPED IN CASE WE NEED TO ADJUST THE PARAMETERS OF OUR GATHERING?
Abso-freakin-lutely! Undoubtedly, these are not normal times and we completely understand and empathize that plans have changed, and are changing. We spent all of 2021 navigating how to put on events safely, so you’ve got pros at the wheel.
We’ll be following city, county, and state guidelines when it comes to social gatherings, and practice and advise on best practices that keep everyone safe.
Sounds good so far. What do I have to do to kickstart the process of working with you?
First, you'll want to visit our Contact page to complete our intake form, and ensure that we’re the right fit for one another.
Then you can see if you want to book a consultation. It’s not a sales pitch. It’s just us, listening to you and your needs.
At the end of the consultation, we’ll typically talk about drafting a proposal based on what you just discussed with us, and schedule another appointment to touch base.
We want to be sure the proposal matches with your expectations and goals before we enter into any signed agreement.
“If you are asking yourself should I work with a wedding planner for my special day, the answer is absolutely.
They are worth every penny.”
What sorts of budgets do you work with typically?
We work with budgets from $80,000 to $150,000 on average. Remember that’s just an average, so if your wedding falls below, or above, try us and let’s chat!
Why choose Lily Spruce over other planning firms?
Our clients choose us because we have 13+ years of knowledge in weddings and social events. We've executed over scores of weddings in 12 seasons in business where we’ve driven events all the way to success.
Our portfolio also extends beyond weddings; we've planned 1,000+ street festivals; 850-person galas and award shows; opening night parties; 40th birthday parties, and more.
We are super committed to complementing your planning know-how and vision, and make sure your gathering runs as smoothly as possible, in the most organic way. We are here to share our best advice and practices so that you can hand things off with complete trust and confidence.
As a proud woman- and minority-owned business, we love working with communities of color and different cultures.
We love seeing and celebrating diversity and representation in all aspects of our work, and adore working with rule breakers who want to shake up the weddings and event industry!
Bring. It. On.
What does it cost?
We don't have packages, simply because we believe every event is a custom build. Instead, take a look at our Services, and pick out what works closely to what you need. We'll talk more about next steps in our complimentary consultation.
Customizable services start at $6,000 and can go up to $22,000 depending on your needs and the scope of work. If your budget doesn't quite fit into this spectrum, don't lose heart!
We can work the numbers and come up with solutions like working with one of our senior team members instead of the principal or perhaps you'd like to take more of the lion's share of work with us in a consultant capacity.
We feel strongly that that first inquiry is really the start of many fruitful conversations.
How far do you travel?
Lily Spruce is based in San Bruno, California (a suburb just minutes south of San Francisco), but services all of Northern California. We go as far north as Mendocino and as far south as Big Sur (and can go beyond these borders if you must have us!). Lodging and travel fees may apply for locations greater than 30 miles outside of San Bruno. For the right couple, we will absolutely travel outside of these areas.
Do I really need a wedding coordinator or planner?
Yes. Of all the milestone events in your life, your special event, especially if it is your wedding day is not the place to gamble. You need a professional in the ring.
“There was great value in having a wedding coordinator, because I learned as a bride there are things you simply cannot avoid doing yourself (visiting with family, attending beauty appointments, writing vows), and so it was phenomenal to have Lily Spruce there to take care of the things me and my fiance did not have to do ourselves. ”
BUT THERE’S SOMEONE THAT COMES WITH THE VENUE. CAN’T I JUST PLAN ON MY OWN AND WORK WITH THEM?
Yes, and no. Typically this staff has titles like Sales Director, Sales Manager, Venue Coordinator or Manager, or even, confusingly, Events Manager. A more apt description of this job is probably facility planner, who is simply responsible for the arrangements that are defined in a contract, or are promised by the facility or venue. Their responsibilities can include:
Coordinating rentals (probably in-house or, what the facility already owns, and then loans)
Pricing all costs related to the facility (e.g. security, extra rental window time)
Recommending vendors
Staffing your day with their staff
So YES, you’ll be working with them, but NO, not intimately as a wedding planner or coordinator might. Same goes for your catering manager, who is more concerned with getting the meal counts, selections, layout, rentals, kitchen, and everything related to food service.
However, as your planning team, we are interested in making sure you are getting exactly what you need and want. We uphold your vision and blueprint for the day.
Finally a quick intro on industry terms you’ll hear a lot:
Coordinator= Someone who coordinates aspects of planning during the planning process (usually what you get in our Month Of/Day Of package)
Planner=Someone who plans from the get-go, from the very beginning stage all through the very end.
Do you do events other than weddings?
Absolutely. In fact, we love mixing up our event portfolio! Holiday parties, christenings, fundraisers, vow renewals, anniversaries, milestone birthdays--consider us your party godmothers.
What about LGBTQI+ weddings?
A thousand times shouted from the mountains: Y-E-S! We believe in marriage equality and celebrations of love in all forms (ask about the surprise Star Wars wedding we did). Let us help you achieve your vision.
“On the day of our wedding, I felt like everything went so smoothly and I worried about nothing, which is exactly what I wanted!”
HOW GREEN ARE YOU?
Very! Lily Spruce was built originally in response to the tremendous waste we saw (and still see) in the event industry. We knew there were folks out who wanted to plan events that considered the impact on Earth and wanted to make very intentional decisions around purchasing while having meaningful, personal details.
For awhile, we had "Sustainable Event Planning" on our business cards, fully intending to differentiate ourselves from other event firms. We've since dropped the tag line, but we will never ever drop our core values.
We believe with our whole heart that you can have the event of your dreams, create zero to little waste, and support and hire artists, makers and vendors who share in our vision and our values.
We want to be sure that our children, and children's children, and many generations after them have a planet to keep celebrating on, long after we're gone.
WHERE DOES THE NAME “LILY SPRUCE” COME FROM?
Genevieve wanted two names and in 2009, two names were ALL. THE. RAGE. She knew she wanted “Spruce” as a name and liked it had a double meaning: a tree (went with our sustainability angle then) and to improve. Check.
But the first name was a doozy… maybe… name it after her maternal grandmother (another very 2009 thing to do!)? Her name was Mila, and that didn’t flow. Milly maybe?
Then Genevieve’s husband suggested “Lily” and the name stuck.