Wedding planning with Fanny Staaf
From engagement to wedding, part 1
photo: Cecelina Photography
With a childhood surrounded by beautiful flowers and winding green plants, Fanny Staaf developed an early interest in flora and the beauty of life. Today, Fanny works as a wedding coordinator and event planner in her own company, where weddings and flowers take center stage. Together with Fanny, we at VANBRUUN have sat down to discuss what happens after an engagement. Step by step - all the way to the wedding. Because where in the grand puzzle should one actually begin?
This article is the first in a recurring series where we highlight several important milestones in the jungle also known as wedding planning.
After several years of experience as a wedding coordinator in both New York and Australia, Fanny Staaf decided to start her own company back home in Sweden. Since 2016, Fanny has been running the wedding and event agency Fanny Staaf Events, with her four employees, she plans grand weddings and parties where imagination sets the tone. With several well-known names and further magnificent events in her portfolio, Fanny is considered today to be one of the most recognized wedding coordinators in the Nordic region. We sat down with Fanny to discuss planning and approach all the way from wedding to marriage.
Fanny Staaf
Runs the wedding and event agency by the same name, Fanny Staaf Events.
Favorite cut: Brilliant-cut diamonds
The five steps
Not everyone starts at the same place when planning a wedding. Many have a clear picture in their minds, full of thoughts, ideas, and dreams, while others aren't quite sure what or how they want their wedding to look like. Regardless of where one is in the thought process, Fanny typically guides her clients through five steps;
Prioritize
Fanny emphasizes that the most important thing is to start with individual priorities. Prioritizing abstract things, and disregarding emotions, can be a challenging initial stage, but Fanny suggests that these details, the priorities, will accompany the couple and hopefully be something they will remember a little extra. In today's digital society, photos and videos are often considered a higher priority. This is because couples want to be able to share and remember their special day. Fanny explains that priorities often vary greatly from person to person, but subjects that frequently reappear among her clients range from live bands to flowers or an open bar. She always encourages all couples who meet with her to individually list six things, three that should be prioritized and three that can be deprioritized.
Inspiring Words
The second step is to create a word board, like a mood board but with words. Here, creativity should flow freely. The words written down can clash and create exciting challenges; it's the contrasts that make it unique. If VANBRUUN were planning a wedding, our words would be playful and exclusive.
Guest list
The guest list is very important for many, and rightfully so. Celebrating your special day and sharing it with those who mean a little extra is highly valued, but like everything else, this also comes with a cost. According to Fanny, setting the guest list is an important decision to make early on. The guest list determines both the budget and the choice of venue. List those you would prefer to invite, your dream list, and then work your way down if budget constraints limit the dream list.
Budget
Budget is a point in planning that many couples fear. It's often perceived as difficult to calculate exact costs, and several unexpected expenses may end up costing more than initially imagined. Fanny explains that it's important to distinguish between what one can spend and what one wants to spend.
"I always encourage our clients to spend money on what's important to them. Some value food highly, while others prefer to allocate more money to entertainment, clothing, or flowers and décor," says Fanny.
Fanny's top tip is to consider that food and beverages usually represent about 50% of the total cost. She also emphasizes that this stage is not where the budget distribution should occur; it's just about laying the groundwork.
Dream Big
The final step in the planning's initial stage may seem a bit controversial because now you're encouraged to let go of everything you've talked about before and instead dream freely. Here, it's important to be limitless, to think outside the box. What elements have you always dreamt of? It could be a dinner under a starry sky, a wedding on water, or snow in the church. Fanny explains that many of her clients are often afraid to start fantasizing in this way, but once they do, there's no stopping them. These dreams can then be interpreted in different ways and become unique and beautiful parts of the wedding day.
In Conclusion...
The five steps above provide a good starting point for the work that takes couples from engagement to wedding. These steps serve as useful guidelines during the initial stage of planning, facilitating the thought process for couples who have a clear vision in mind, as well as those who are starting with a blank canvas. Regardless of how far along one is in their thoughts, all couples share a common goal: to complete this long, creative, fun, and sometimes demanding process - as spouses.
Top 3 tips
Wedding planning should be enjoyable. Try not to stress, and if it's difficult, ask for help from a professional, friends, or family.
Listen to each other and compromise. Compromises can create something entirely unique, a perfect combination of both of you.
Choose vendors you already love. It's important to select vendors who already deliver what you like. You should admire their work and not have to ask them to change their style to fit your preferences. Adjust expectations based on circumstances.
The article above is a part of a series in collaboration with Fanny Staaf. Would you like more inspiration? Sign up for our editorial letter at the bottom of the page or read some of our other wedding-related guides.
