Chris Weinberg Events: 10 Questions with Chris Weinberg

Planner - Chris Weinberg

Business: Chris Weinberg Events
Location: Miami, Florida FL
Experience: 20 Years
Profile: Chris Weinberg Events
Website: chrisweinbergevents.com

1. Introduction: What's your story?

Hi I'm Chris Weinberg, founder, chief experience officer and lead event producer at Chris Weinberg Events. I’m passionate about entertaining, so wedding and event planning is a natural fit. I studied business and finance at Northeastern University and proceeded to work for multiple small business owners in various fast, upscale environments an industry, gaining invaluable business experience that helped me become a successful business owner. I started Chris Weinberg Events in 2003 by myself, as a home based business so that I could still be available to my children.

I’m a Miami native and knowing my people in Miami and word of mouth regarding the events I produce contributed to my rapid growth and success, In 2010, I moved to an office/studio location in Little River Business District which was a dream I had for many years. Having a physical office allowed me to expand in many ways. In the past four years, I’ve hired two additional event planners, as well as part-time event staff to assist with our events. The pandemic changed things a bit, as we have been working from home for the past year, but we are excited to getting back into events as things improve. As a team, we produce curated, bespoke weddings, social, not-for-profit and corporate events for our clients and corporations, globally, wherever their hearts desire.

2. What's your experience as a wedding planner? How many weddings have you planned?

My company, Chris Weinberg Events, has been producing fun and memorable luxury events in South Florida, and globally, for almost 20 years. As we typically plan up to 15 events a year, most of those are divided between weddings and milestone/social events.

3. What sorts of services do you offer (month-of coordination, full-service planning, or à la carte planning)?

We offer full-service wedding and event planning and management to produce bespoke, fun, meaningful and memorable once-in-a-lifetime celebrations for limited number of clients per year. We assist our clients in thoughtfully planning, crafting, and producing their wedding anywhere their heart desires! Intricate weddings and multi-day destination celebrations is our specialty.

4. How do payments work (a percentage of the wedding budget, a flat fee etc.)? What are the different packages that you offer and which one is your most popular package?

We do charge on a percentage, but we do not offer package pricing. Just as each of clients are unique, so are their events and each proposal is custom to each prospective client. Once we speak with a prospective client, we determine their event needs and create a proposal with custom pricing based on number of events, guest count, location, venue and more.

5. Who else is in your team and how many people on your staff will be at the wedding?

There are two other planners on my team, Sheryl and Sam. As, each event presents its own set of unique challenges and logistical concerns and our expert labor force is on site for load-in, set-up, and strike the day of the event to oversee each aspect and every carefully planned detail. Our entire event team includes principal planner, event producers, a production manager, catering manager, a bridal valet and approximately 7-12 additional event staff, depending on guest count and venue.

6. What happens if you're sick or otherwise unable to be there on the day of the wedding?

As a team of three planners, all of us are on site for each and every event. We never take more than one event per night and in the event that one of us is sick, there would still be two planners from my team on site to manage the wedding, as well as a production manager, catering manager, bridal valet and our entire team of staff. With such a large team, there is never anything left up to chance or any detail missed.

7. How many meetings will you have with the couple and how will they be involved?

The amount of meetings we have varies per client and their needs. We begin with a complimentary consultation so we can get to know them and determine that we are the right fit. We follow up the initial meeting by preparing a detailed cost estimate with a range of pricing that supports the overall vision and event goals. What they decide to invest in each budget line item is ultimately their choice. We are committed to letting our clients know, in advance of hiring us, what their wedding will cost to produce. We take only a limited number of client events each year to preserve the quality of our clients’ experience, so this process is crucial to us.

As soon as we receive a signed agreement and deposit, we immediately begin planning and designing the wedding and guest experience. Clients meet our full in house event planning team and we begin to introduce them to our range of creative partners (vendors) to select from and to develop tailored proposals for each area of service required. Months prior to the wedding, clients will approve the design plan and proposed budget and we enter into production. As production is under way, the event team places orders and finalizes proposals with your selections made during the design presentation. The creative team of vendors reserves inventory and builds any custom installations drawn up in the design phase. This is where the event details come to life!

The event team then creates and finalizes detailed load-in/strike schedules, troubleshoots logistics, and secures any necessary permitting and security for the wedding. We distribute detailed production schedule timelines to each member of the creative team and draft a thorough, by-the-minute run of show. In the few months and weeks prior to the wedding, clients will have their final vendor meetings including a decor sample and a catering tasting. Two weeks prior to your event, our staffing needs are finalized, your final head count is due to the caterer and all logistics are finalized.

8. Will you handle the invitations, from wording and ordering to the addressing and mailing? What about guest list coordination and RSVPs?

We work with printers and invitation designers who our clients meet with directly. We manage the guest list for our clients and assist with the invitation process from selecting a designer and design to mailing the invitation and everything else that goes along with that to the time they are sent out. Typically the vendor that creates the invitation will handle the addressing and mailing portion, which we will proof before they are sent. Our clients will update us on RSVPs as they come in and we will compile a final guest list.

9. Do you handle rentals? Will you coordinate delivery, arrival and set up times with the photographer, the florist, the musicians and the caterer/banquet manager?

We manage all vendors for our clients and coordinate all logistics for the day of. From a detailed timeline, to a run of show, load in schedule, vendor memo, contact list, rental and equipment list, processional, hair and makeup schedule, no detail is missed regarding logistics. While we typically work with event designers who provide the florals and order all of the rentals and production needs directly, we do have production manager to receive all vendors on site and assist with the set up. Our event managers are on site to manage the additional vendors like the photographer, cinematographer, entertainment, caterers, etc.

10. Can you create a timeline that tells everyone involved in the planning process (other pros, members of the wedding party, to-be-weds and families) what to do and when to do it? How will you make sure everyone sticks to the schedule?

We create a very detailed timeline and run of show for each wedding. The timeline is typically about 3-6 pages long and includes every detail from the first person arriving for set up until the end of the wedding. Each specific item is given a time and an assigned vendor and manager and staff person from our team to ensure the vendor takes care of the task. Additionally, we have a manager on our team who is responsible for managing the timeline and ensuring everyone is on schedule.