Q: How do you start the process with a new couple and what are the most important questions you need answered early on?

We always start with a “getting to know you” questionnaire followed by an “face-to-face meeting; whether in-person, via Skype, or even over the phone - whatever works best for you. We love to learn about our couple, their personalities, and the biggest priorities for their wedding. Beyond that, we always gather some general information; such as date, location (if you’ve chosen one), budget, and if you have a vision/theme in mind. 

Q: What does a basic wedding planning timeline look like?

You want to start by determining your budget - this will serve as a great guide in setting priorities and making decisions. After that, you’ll want to set a date and choose your venue. From there everything else tends to get booked sometime between eight and 12 months out from the wedding date. 

If you'd like to know more about how we work with our couples, we are working on creating a planning process guide on the About page. Until then, feel free to contact us.

Q: Do you offer "Day of" Coordination?

While “day of” is a well known phrase in the wedding industry, there is so much more that goes into executing a wedding than can be accomplished in a single day. Because of this, we offer Wedding Day Management which can be described better as the coordination for your wedding day. I know… semantics.

Basically, four to six weeks before your wedding day we assemble a detailed timeline, reach out to all your vendors to ensure everyone is on the same page, run through all the details with you and your partner to make sure all the T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted, and make sure everything is tied up in a nice neat bow for a relaxing experience and the perfect day just as you envisioned it.

Q: My venue provides a Venue Coordinator or Catering Manager, do I need to hire a wedding planner?

While Venue Coordinators and Catering Managers can be helpful when locking down details with a specific venue, they do not confirm your vendors, run your rehearsal, oversee the vendors on your wedding day, cue you down the aisle at your ceremony, and make sure all of the day’s events are running according to schedule. An important thing to remember, the Venue Coordinators and Catering Managers work for the venue, we work for you!

Q: We’re getting married in the DC area, but live out of state, can we still hire you?

Certainly! DC and the surrounding metro area is a wonderful destination wedding location. Thanks to today’s technology we are able to provide a peaceful planning experience whether you live five minutes or a five hour flight outside of DC. Through the use of email, phone calls and Skype you will still get the full OME wedding planning experience.

Q: Does hiring you as our wedding planner mean we will lose control of our own wedding?

Nope!  We pride ourselves on working collaboratively with our couples throughout the entire planning process, removing the stress that comes along with taking on a large scale event, but never losing sight of the fact that this is your unique day. We provide as much or as little help as you want.

Q: What makes OM Engagements Different from other planning companies?

Although there are several wonderful options of planners in and around the DC area, we cater to a very specific type of couple - those looking for engaging weddings not held in “traditional” locations, such as grand ballrooms or modern churches. Our couples take advantage of the natural beauty of the outdoors, find vintage stone chapels, or host tented receptions on the grounds of a historic manor house.

Additionally, our planning style is to collaborative with our couples. While we can take on the heavy lift of monitoring the budget, coordinating with all the contracted vendors, and ensuring the wedding day runs smoothly, what we love most is partnering with our couples to create a truly personalized experience. We’re not a “here’s our budget, please plan the whole wedding” type of company. We work with couples throughout the whole process to ensure that at the end of their wedding day they look back and say “that was even better than we had imagined.”

Q: What’s the next step?

That’s completely up to you. If you’d like to learn more about our roots and owner, feel free to visit our About page. Want to know what our more popular packages look like? Then check out the Services page. Ready to get started with the planning process? Contact Us and let’s see if we’re a good match.