An honest word about cost.
Three principal ways to work with us, and the terms behind them. Every wedding is scoped to its guest count, events, and design — these are where the conversation begins.
Month-Of Coordination
You planned it; we land it- Planning handoff six weeks out
- Detailed production timeline
- Vendor confirmation & logistics
- Rehearsal direction
- Lead + assistant on the day
- Point of contact for every vendor
Full Planning & Design
The whole arc, held for you- Unlimited planning from booking
- Full creative direction & design book
- Vendor curation & budget stewardship
- Custom timeline & production schedule
- Two lead planners on the day
- Full weekend coordination
Destination Weekend
A celebration over days- Everything in Full Planning
- Welcome party & rehearsal dinner
- Guest travel & room-block logistics
- Transportation & itinerary design
- Welcome gifts & guest comms
- On-site team for the weekend
Investment varies with guest count, the number of events, design scope, and travel. We provide a written proposal and a clear contract before any work begins. A signed agreement and a retainer reserve your date.
Clear and in writing.
Proposal first
Investment figures shown are illustrative starting points for this template and vary with guest count, the number of events, design scope, season, and travel. You always receive a written proposal and a clear contract before any work begins. No work begins, and no date is held, without a signed agreement.
Retainer & contract
A signed planning agreement and a non-refundable retainer (typically 30–50% of the planning fee) reserve your date exclusively. The balance is billed on the schedule set out in your contract, with the final payment due before the wedding day. Retainers reserve our limited calendar and are non-refundable, as outlined in your agreement.
Independent advice
The Vow Atelier is an independent planning and design studio. We are not a venue and not a vendor: we do not own event spaces, and we do not accept commissions or kickbacks from the venues or vendors we recommend. Recommendations are made on fit and craft. Couples contract directly with their own venue and vendors.
Licensed & insured
The Vow Atelier is a licensed South Carolina business and carries general and professional liability insurance. We require the vendors we engage to be licensed and insured and can provide a certificate of insurance to venues on request. License numbers and insurance figures shown are illustrative for this template.
Before you inquire.
Full Planning is the whole arc — we design and run everything from your first call to the last dance. Partial Planning steps in once you’ve made a start (usually a venue and a few vendors) to refine the design, finish the team, and produce the day. Month-Of Coordination is for couples who plan it all themselves and hand it to us about six weeks out so the wedding day is run by a professional, not by family.
A signed planning agreement and a non-refundable retainer — typically 30–50% of the planning fee — reserve your date. The balance is billed on a schedule set in your contract, with the final payment due before the wedding. The retainer holds your date exclusively; we take a limited number of weddings each year, so dates are first-come.
By design, around twelve. We work largely by referral and limit our calendar so that a principal is in the room for every celebration and no weekend is ever double-booked. It’s why we sometimes recommend wonderful colleagues when our dates are full.
Our planning and design fees begin at the numbers shown on the Investment page. Your total wedding budget — venue, catering, florals, music, and the rest — depends entirely on guest count, season, and taste; our Charleston couples most often invest from the mid-five figures into the low six figures all-in. Part of our job is stewarding that budget so it goes where it matters to you.