FAQ’s
You’ve got questions, We’ve got answers!
We believe in open and honest communication and want you to ask questions. Planning a wedding isn't something you do everyday (like us) so we understand, and expect, questions of all sorts. If you can't find answer to your questions below - feel free to reach out directly to us!
Q: What make Pomegranate Occasions different?
A: There are a lot of great planners out there and we have a great deal of respect for all of them. Here are three things that differentiate us from our fellow planners:
We respect budget-friendly weddings, budget-minded couples, and want to save you money where we can. We work creatively within all budgets and feel the most important part of any wedding are the smiles that your guests bring.
We approach the “unexpected things” that happen with patience and calmness. When change occurs - because it does - we have the positive mindset and make executive decisions on your behalf leading with positive intent, kindness, and respect. This establishes us as a role model in the industry.
We want to execute your vision! We plan with your personality and love story in mind coming from a judgement-free perspective. This is your big day! so we customize to fit your style.
Learn more about our approach here.
Q: Why should we invest with Pomegranate Occasions as our planner / coordinator?
A: With over a 50 years of combined experience on the team, we don’t just help plan your day’s most meaningful moments—we work diligently and discreetly to plan and account for the often-overlooked details that let your event flow in a rhythm that matches your energy, excitement, and vision. Our mission is for your enjoyment of your beautiful day.
The average couple (without a wedding planner) spends over 300 hours planning their wedding. Much of that time is spent looking and meeting with vendors. As wedding planners we know first hand the best in the business. By getting to know your preferences, we can match vendors to your style and budget. Here’s an article Do I Really Need a Wedding Planner that may help.
Q: What wedding planning service do I need?
A: That largely depends on the amount time you have to invest in the finer details of wedding planning and vendor management. Each service package is designed based on the amount of time you have to invest. In simple terms:
Day Of - you plan, we execute your well thought out plans. Up to 8 weeks in advance of your wedding day we ask for a list of your booked vendors and the communicated ceremony start time. We draft a timeline for you and ask for your completion of a number of wedding day preferences in our guided templates so we can execute on your plans.
Partial Planning - we guide you through your planning process by providing you a customized Project Portal with advised layouts, timeline, and design inspiration specific to your secured venue. We advise you in each consultation session and serving as an ongoing resource for you. After each consultation session a number of tasks are identified, you are responsible for those tasks and we stay up-to-date via notifications from your project portal to effectively guide all of your planning needs.
Full Service - we manage your planning process by providing you a customized Project Portal with advised layouts, timeline, and design inspiration specific to your secured venue. We execute on your vision on your behalf throughout the wedding planning journey. Each consultation session is designed to hear your vision and selections and we take responsibility for the tasks associated to the planning process and keep you up to date on the progress via notifications from your project portal. This frees up your time to focus on the ‘fun’ stuff.
Q. Can I add additional consultation sessions or upgrade my package after I book with you?
A. Yes, pick the package that feels right for you. If you find during your planning process that you need additional consultation sessions, these can be added on at any time for our hourly consultation rate or you can have the option to upgrade your planning package at any time.
Sometimes our “Day Of” clients will opt for an additional 1 or 2 sessions to ensure they are on the right track; or our “Partial Planning” clients will need additional assistance in the task management and opt to upgrade to “Full Planning”.
Q: Can I book one of your wedding service packages if I do not have my venue booked?
A: All of our wedding packages require your venue to be booked. Your venue selection drives your event date, headcount, and service level needs. Service needs vary by venue so we offer hourly Venue Consultation sessions to advise your venue selection based on your personal preferences and our in-depth knowledge of each venue in the local area.
Once your venue is booked, we hope to of service via one of our Planner or Coordinator packages.
Q. Have you worked a wedding at my venue?
A. Likely yes, if it’s in the Tahoe Basin, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Chico CA, or San Luis Obispo.
If we have not worked a wedding at your particular venue (and we are a match to the services you need) we take it upon ourselves to research and preview the venue to familiarize ourselves with your venue needs at no additional charge to you.
Pomegranate Occasions is honored to be on over 75 Preferred Venue Lists throughout Tahoe & Beyond. Here are just a few:
North, East & West Lake Tahoe
Allabi Brewing
Chateau Incline Village
Everline Resort & Spa
Granlibakken
Hellman-Ehrman Mansion - Sugar Pine Park
Palisades - High Camp & Olympic Village Event Center
Plumpjack Inn
Olympic Valley Stables
Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe
Round Hill
Sand Harbor
Skylandia Park
South Lake Tahoe
Camp Richardson
Chart House
Desolation Hotel
Edgewood Lake Tahoe
Forest Suite Resort
Heavenly Ski Resort
Idle Hour
Lakeview Social
Nevada Beach
Safari Rose
South By North Brewing
Tahoe Beach Retreat & Lodge
Tahoe Blue Estate
Tahoe Mountain House
Tahoe Paradise Park
Tahoe Tastings
The Arch
The Black Bear Lodge
The Bistro
The Coachman Hotel
The Hyatt
The Lake House
The Landing
The Ridge
Thunderbird Lodge
Valhalla Tahoe
Wylder Hotel
Zypher Beach
Q. What can I expect for communications?
A. We operate by our core values of: Kindness, Honesty, and Respect and communicate in this manner. Client communications must display mutual respect and kindness.
Pomegranate Occasions utilizes a cloud-based, industry leading software for documenting, organizing, and planning your event. Clients must have familiarity with cloud-based collaboration and willingness to engage in communications within the planning portal. This ensures no detail gets lost :)
Consultation Sessions: All planners offer a minimum of 10 hours of availability each week for client consultation sessions, which includes after business hours and weekends (when we are not at an event). Clients are responsible for scheduling meetings on their planner's calendar. Consultation sessions are for the Bride(s) and / or Groom(s) only. Additional friend and family members may attend up to (2) sessions in your respective package. We require this to operate at the highest efficiency. You are requested to email any pressing concerns to your planner in advance of the call for the planner to prepare, otherwise the planner will lead the planning call based on your service package.
Emails: Planners strive to respond to all non-critical event planning emails within three business days. Non-critical is defined as questions or concerns about your event that occur outside of one month from your wedding date. Emails are answered during working business hours of Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm. Critical event planning emails within one month of your event date are prioritized and planners strive to respond within 48 hours of receipt.
Phone Calls / Text Message: Non-critical event planning questions or concerns, outside of 14 days from your event date, should be communicated via email, your project portal, or your consultation session. Critical event planning questions or concerns, within 14 days of your event date, should be communicated via phone call and/or text message.
Q. Will there be additional assistants helping you on my wedding day?
A. If your wedding day needs / requires additional assistance we add on wedding day assistants to fill in logistical need gaps or extra support needs as an add on to your wedding service package because every wedding is different.
The need for an assistant is typically identified once your timeline is finalized (about 30 days from your wedding date). Timeline logistics, DIY components, venue shortages, and lofty personal decor are drivers for the requirement of a Day Of assistant. Professional Wedding Day Assistants are $40/hour with a 2 hour minimum.
Q. What personal decor set up is included in my wedding service package?
A. The following personal decor is included in all of our wedding service packages:
Welcome Station: Signage & Easel, Pre-assembled wedding favors under 100 quantity.
Guest Sign In / Gifts Station: Card box and/or Gift signage, Guest Sign-In related items.
Ceremony: Signage, up to 10 Items related to ceremony rituals
Reception: Table Seating Chart & Easel, Bride & Groom Table Decor,
*Name cards by an assistant.Memory Station: Personal Photo Frames (up to 10) Of Couple
Dessert: Dessert signage, Cake Topper, Serving items
Miscellaneous: Up to 100 candles and votives - if timeline permits.
Restroom touches
The above Personal decor items require 3 hours prior to ceremony for set up (2.5 for set up with a 30 minute buffer pre-ceremony for guest management needs). Additional personal decor items require an assistant to adequately accommodate for set up.
Q. Why does the price increase as headcount goes up?
A. As your guest list increases, so does the needs, scale, and complexity of your Big Day. We think about the needs and concerns of each guest and vendor and treat each as a client. Our pricing reflects the additional time we take in understanding, documenting, and verifying the planning efforts and the additional cost of the professional assistants we bring on for every 50 guests you have in attendance.
We think about it like this, if you have an event with 30 guests —> 30 guest feelings to consider, 30+ questions and concerns directed our way, 30 chances for unexpected situations to occur, 30+ decor and decorations to set up or clean up. If you have an event with 150 guests —> 150 guest feelings to consider, 150+ questions and concerns, 150 chances for situations to occur, 150+ decor and theme related items to consider. This additional consideration, responsibility, and legwork is what is represented in the price.
The amount of guests you are inviting is the number we invoice for. Pricing may decrease if your final headcount significantly falls below what was originally planned for.
Q: If we are a match, what are next steps?
A: You will receive a quote and contract to accept and sign. Upon receipt, we block off your date in our calendar and assign a planner on our team to your event.
For partial and full service planning clients, your planner will create a personalized Project Folder for you so we can assist in effectively and efficiently planning your special day.
Q: Do you take on more than one wedding per weekend?
A. Each planner takes on 1 wedding per weekend and 2 weddings per month so that you stay our primary focus and priority for that weekend / month. See our availability here.
Q. What is the average budget you work with?
A. We work with and respect budgets of all sizes while working within the realities of modern-day, wedding industry expense rates.
Please see our Wedding Budget blog to see the modern-day, wedding industry price ranges related to each wedding vendor category. We help you prioritize your main areas of focus so you can maximize your budget while still experiencing the most on your Big Day.
While we work with all budgets our median client budget is $80k for a 100 person wedding in Lake Tahoe.
Q: Which planner will I work with?
A: For our “Month Of/Day Of” Wedding Service Clients, a Lead Planner will be assigned to you 8 weeks from your Wedding Day.
For our Partial & Full Service Wedding Clients, a Lead Planner will be assigned at the time of booking.
We do everything in our power to keep you assigned to the same planner, however circumstances may arise requiring a reassignment. We utilize an industry leading event planning software to document each detail of your vision throughout your wedding journey, so should this occur, a new planner can step in seamlessly.
We are a professional planning team who share the same core values and follow the same planning process for each service type so that you can expect the best service. We support one another by taking on tasks as needed to operate at the highest efficiency.
Q. Is Design & Decor Services included in the Partial or Full Wedding Service Packages?
A. For our Partial Planning Service, we leverage our many Design Studios that we have curated over the last 12 years with designs and inspiration including but not limited to:
Color Pallets / Color Scheme
Floral Inspiration
Welcome Signs, Gift & Guest Book ideas
Table Seating Charts & Tablescape Inspiration
Bar & Beverage Decor
Lighting & Drapery inspiration
Dessert(s) Stations
Venue specific design considerations and more!
We use these templated design studios during our consultation calls and invite you to upload your own inspiration into your project portal so that we can build out a final design board together. Using the final design board, we then connect the right vendors, rentals, or purchases to make the vision come to life.
For our Full Planning Service, we custom build a design board with all the elements we feel you should consider to match to your specific vision that you share with us. Once we align the design board to match your vision, we then connect the right vendors, rentals, and purchases needed on your behalf to ensure the vision comes to life.
Q. May I have other VIP’s (Maid of Honor, Mother, Mother-in-Law, etc.) attend my consultation sessions?
Consultation sessions are designed for the couple only. We do allow other wedding VIP’s to attend up to two sessions during the planning process. Couples are allowed to share their planning portal and wedding planning progress with their VIP’s so they have insights and contribution to your wedding planning progress at any time.
We understand the value of family and friend contributions to your wedding day, however consultation sessions are designed with a specific agenda for optimal efficiency. Adding additional contributors to your consultation sessions, renders us unable to complete agenda items and leads to a need for additional consultation sessions.
Q. If I utilize any of the Rental Items from Pomegranate Occasions do you pick up, deliver, and set them up?
A. For smaller rental items (that can fit in the back of our vehicles, while still accommodating our Emergency Kit) there is no delivery or pick up fee. Dependent on the type or amount of items rented, an assistant will be required to help with the set up. This can be discussed with your Lead Planner based on your timeline and décor needs.
For larger rental items (arches, lounges, fire pits, etc.) that require the use of a truck and often an additional staff member we require a $300 delivery, set up, and pick up fee within the South Lake Tahoe city limits.
Rentals are an important component to our commitment to sustainability.
Q. Do you move or transition decor between areas as needed?
A. Yes, we maximize every detail of your beautiful day often by repurposing floral or decor throughout your event timeline. We advise within the consultation sessions on where and how we can make the most out of your personal details and focus on sustainability.
Q: Do You Travel?
A: Yes! We love travel. Several destinations we consider our “2nd home” and do not charge a travel fee. For locations that are over 50 minutes or 50 miles away we charge $50/hour for drive time and invoice for airfare / hotel fees associated to the travel.
Q. What services are ‘out of scope’ of your service agreement?
A. The following wedding areas we offer guidance for but do not take responsibility for as a part of our service agreement:
Guest Communications (sending out your wedding invitations or collecting RSVPs)
Booking of Hotel, VRBO, or Flight Accommodations. Prices, availability, and preferences change too much for us to be experts here.
Attire selections or purchases. Say “Yes” to the dress you love!
We are happy to partner on all other wedding related needs. See our Services page for more details.
Q. Where does the name ‘Pomegranate’ originate from?
A. … because they are amazing! They have a simple outside appearance, but when opened … reveal countless beautifully, meticulously packed seeds.
This is the sense of amazement we strive for. See more about our company and origins on our ABOUT US page.
Q. How do you focus on sustainability?
A. We present and advise on wedding planning options with the lowest environmental footprint. We have a number of in-house services in order to create additional sustainable options to our clients.
Ask us about our how you can incorporate tree saplings, wildflower packets, butterfly releases, and more into your wedding celebration.
See more about our commitment to sustainability on our CORE VALUES.
Q: How do you support LGBTQ couples, interracial couples, or couples with disabilities?
A: We are a bold ally to the needs of all of our community.
We believe everyone deserves love, connection, and celebration!!! On top of supporting the needs of ALL couples with our services, we give 10% of our annual proceeds to a charitable organization that supports efforts towards a just and sustainable world. See more of our CORE VALUES.
Q. Do you price match to other wedding planning companies?
A. Yes, we price match to local, reputable wedding planning companies. We aim to be a competitive marketplace provider of Wedding Planning and Coordination services and price match to local, reputable talent to stand by our CORE VALUES of serving our budget-conscious couples.