164 Spring Street, Suite 2B · Charleston, SC 29403 · Studio visits by appointment(843) 718-2465 · Mon–Fri 9:00 am–5:30 pm ET
Ivy & OysterWeddings · Celebrations

Home / Process

Process

From first note to last dance.

Seven steps for a full-planning wedding. Shorter packages start at step four.

  1. Week 0

    Inquiry

    Send the form. We reply within two business days with availability and a suggested package.

  2. Week 1

    Consultation

    A free 45-minute call or studio visit by appointment. We ask about guests, budget, priorities and worries.

  3. Week 2

    Proposal & agreement

    A written proposal with fixed fee, scope, payment schedule and refund terms. Nothing is charged until you sign.

  4. Signing

    Retainer & portal

    Your retainer reserves the date. You get the planning portal, budget sheet and planning calendar.

  5. Months 1–10

    Vendors & design

    Shortlists, tours, bookings and the design board. We collect each vendor's certificate of insurance.

  6. 8 weeks out

    Timeline & weather plan

    Draft timeline, floor plan and weather plan. Three review rounds, then sent to every vendor.

  7. The day

    We run it

    Lead planner and assistant on site from load-in to last vendor out. Afterward, we close vendor payments with you and ask permission before sharing any photos.

Hurricane season

The weather plan is part of the plan.

June through November, every event has three written layers.

  • Hold: tent or indoor space reserved, with its release date.
  • Decide: a go/no-go call 48–72 hours out, using National Weather Service forecasts.
  • Postpone: if a storm makes the date unsafe, the force-majeure clause in your agreement applies. We recommend third-party wedding insurance.

Cookie settings

Essential

Needed for the site and to remember your choice. Always on.

Analytics

Anonymous statistics that help us improve pages.

Marketing

Lets us measure ads. Treated as “sharing” under state privacy laws.

Global Privacy Control detected: marketing cookies are disabled.