Wedding Planning FAQs
Planning a wedding involves many moving parts, and we know couples often have questions about how the process works. Below are answers to some of the most common questions we receive from clients planning weddings in the Tri-State (NYC, Connecticut, Hudson Valley, New Jersey and beyond!)
If you have additional questions, we are always happy to discuss them during your consultation.
What services do you offer and which clients do you work with?
Alinato Events specializes in luxury wedding and event planning, offering full-service coordination, full service wedding weekend planning, partial planning, design guidance, consulting (case by case) and month of coordination to ensure your event is seamless and memorable.
We frequently work with couples planning multicultural and interfaith celebrations and are experienced in coordinating traditions from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds.
Alinato Events proudly welcomes couples of all ethnicities, faiths, and identities, including LGBTQ+ couples, and we are committed to creating celebrations that reflect the values, traditions, and stories of every family we work with.
If you have a question- reach out! We don’t bite.
How far in advance should I book your services?
We recommend booking our services at least 12 to 18 months in advance for full service weddings, weekend productions and larger events to ensure availability and ample time for full service planning.
That being said we love a challenge and have planned full service weddings in under 4 months more then a few times! We go at your pace but expectations need to always remain realistic and a shorter timeline means you need to come in ready to book vendors and make tough decisions quickly.
The only offering with time constraints is our Wedding Day Production option- we do not accept these clients more then 6-9 months in advance as it limits dates for our full service clients. We also will not take on any weddings past the 10 week mark in this offering so please contact us a few months out so we can make sure to properly plan and staff our events.
Do you work with vendors we have already chosen?
Yes. Many couples come to us after securing a venue or one or two key vendors.
When working with existing vendors, we collaborate closely with them to ensure the planning process remains organized and the overall vision for the celebration stays cohesive.
What makes working with a luxury wedding planner different?
There are many reasons why we are differnt then the average luxury wedding planner.
We have made our own planning materials (The Alinato Toolkit) which is where all your planning items will live. This has been heavily curated over the years to help us keep track of all your planning documents that we will manage.
In addition one of the biggest elements that distinguishes Alinato Events is our in-house design perspective, led by founder Alyssa Pettinato, a trained artist.
Alyssa’s artistic background informs the way we approach event design—considering not only individual décor elements, but how color, texture, proportion, lighting, and spatial flow come together to shape the overall experience of the celebration.
Rather than selecting décor from a catalog or following trends, we develop a thoughtful visual direction for each wedding that reflects the couple’s personality and story. The result is a celebration that feels highly curated, cohesive, and deeply personal. If you need more assurance just check out our gallery 🙂
How do your planning fees work?
Our planning services are customized based on the scope, location, and complexity of each celebration.
Depending on the service selected, our fees are typically structured as either:
• a flat planning fee, or
• a percentage of the overall event budget
This allows us to tailor the planning process to the scale and needs of each event.
During our consultation, we discuss the details of your celebration and provide a proposal outlining the planning services and associated fees.
What is your minimum wedding budget?
Our work is best suited for couples planning highly personalized weddings and we will always do our best with the budgets clients bring. That being said, we recommend the overall wedding event investments (for 150 people or more) beginning around $200,000 and above for full service wedding planning.
Luxury weddings involve a significant number of vendors, production elements, and logistical considerations. Working with clients planning at this level allows us to deliver the elevated design, thoughtful guest experience, and seamless execution that define our events.
If you are hosting a smaller event or a corporate/ social event the budgets are for sure different and we recognize this and strive to assist.
How many weddings do you take on each year?
We take on a limited number of weddings each year in order to provide a highly attentive and personalized planning experience for every client.
This allows us to remain deeply involved in each event and ensure the level of detail and organization that our clients expect. Every year varies but we find our sweet spot with under 15 weddings a year.
Do you plan destination weddings?
Yes. While the majority of our weddings take place throughout New York and the Tri-State area, we also plan select destination celebrations.
Destination weddings require careful coordination and logistical planning, and our team works closely with local venues and vendors to ensure a seamless experience for our clients and their guests. Our owner not only speaks English and Italian but we have coordinated events all over the world in places such as Portugal, Italy, London, Mexico, the Carribean, Greece, France, Spain and many more!!
What is included in your day-of coordination package?
Our day-of coordination package includes timeline creation, vendor management, on-site coordination, and troubleshooting to ensure everything runs smoothly on your special day.
Do you offer services for corporate events?
Yes, Alinato Events provides comprehensive planning services for corporate events, ensuring a professional and polished experience for your business gatherings. This is our bread and butter and for many years since our 2011 conception we have worked with many companies all over the world. Wether your company is a hedge fund, charity or start up- we have you covered.
We also happily work with social media artists and influencers and brands who are in need of aesthetic designs and fun and seamless experiences.
How do I get started with Alinato Events?
The first step is to complete our contact form here, which allows us to learn more about your wedding plans.
From there, we will schedule an introductory consultation to discuss your vision, priorities, and the planning services that would best support your celebration. We appreciate candor on these calls as we will never start our relationships with clients by misleading to get a sale so we will ask your budget, size and vision on these calls and we will then point you towards the best offering and walk you through the entire process.
Testimonials
Alyssa and her team are without a doubt the best in the GAME!
From our introductory call to when we left our wedding at the end of the night Alyssa was there with me every step of the way this past year and a half. She's a rockstar, and she executed my alternative, moody, non-traditional yet classy and upscale NYC wedding perfectly to a T. She was more than just a planner, she became a friend and confidant, and I'm going to really miss her trying to keep me on track now. Alyssa saved us so much money, time, and stress by negotiating and handling so much for our wedding it allowed us to truly relax and enjoy the day. She kept me calm and on schedule day of and made sure the wedding went off without a hitch. She is incredible and I highly highly recommend her to any couple in need of a planner.
~ Nicole C.
Wedding Planner
“I have been working with Alyssa on corporate events for my bank since she was just starting Alinato. She surprised me then with her professionalism and work ethic and through the years she has only perfected herself. She is very dedicated and continues to deliver stellar results. All my events were full of happy guests and she REALLY knows her way around food recommendations. I will continue to work with her until she tells me she is retiring.”
~ Kevin
Corporate Events
Kind of cannot believe I am finally married. Alyssa and her team seriously made the last 1.5 years so easy for us. The day of the wedding she was seriously amazing. I know she was dealing with some tough things for us but I felt super shielded from the headaches (which I found out after the fact and was super annoyed at other vendors over but story for another day!) Everything went off without a hitch and we had no idea! Outside of that all the planning for over a year was super seamless. I looked forward to getting all our recommendations it was the easiest process ever! Thank you from the bottom of my heart seriously!!!
~ Rachel C.
Wedding
At first we didn’t think we needed a wedding coordinator, we thought we had everything taken care of but after some suggestions from others, we decided to inquire about a coordinator. After speaking with Alyssa from Alinato, everything just became easier. I don’t know how else to describe it - our list of stressors quickly went down to zero. We knew we were in good hands and the day of coordination was so amazingly smooth. I could not recommend Alyssa and her team enough!!
~ Dominic M.
Wedding
Alyssa and her team helped me pull off the wedding of my dreams!
I hired Alinato as a partial planner and Alyssa helped connect with various vendors (DJ, bubble tea, catering, rentals) to build a perfect wedding. On the wedding day, everything ran so smoothly and I didn't have a single worry - I loved being able to just enjoy my wedding. Alyssa and her wonderful assistant handled all the setup and keeping us on schedule. Highly recommend Alyssa and Alinato for your event planning needs!
~ Annie W.
Wedding
