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All planned & catered for

A little expert advice

September 12th, 2007 issue

Photo courtesy of Golem
Anyone who’s organized a wedding knows the planning can seem like an endless litany of tasks, so much so in fact that sometimes getting to the altar looks more like the prize at the end of a race than the union of two individuals.
From arguing over china patterns to haggling over video contracts, the months leading up to the big day are often riddled with pitfalls.
And, if you aren’t native but intend to marry here, the planning process can seem even more daunting, starting with the very first step — mounds of paperwork that must be completed entirely in Czech.
“Originally, I thought we would go [at] it alone,” explains Hazel Twomey, an Irish national who recently married in Prague, where she and her husband live. “But then the legal documents need a lot of translating, and the language barrier can be an issue also.” The couple turned to Petra Hofman, who runs her own wedding planning agency in Prague 10, for some advice, and ended up signing on immediately.
“We were so impressed, and we got to work planning what turned out to be a fantastic event — more than we imagined,” Twomey says.
Hofman got into this business a few years ago. Two friends who lived in Prague — one Swedish and the other Israeli — asked for her planning expertise in helping them organize their nuptials. She enjoyed the experience and continued getting requests for help from other non-Czech friends. In 2005, she decided to make wedding planning her full-time job and opened the White Agency. In the past two years, the company has grown from just one employee to four dedicated wedding planners.
Experts in this field find themselves increasingly in demand as expats from various backgrounds decide to marry here instead of returning home for the special day.
Wedding planners can provide full-service assistance, from navigating the paperwork of marriage licenses and contracts to guiding couples to the best vendors in town. They are on hand for the weekend events to handle any crises that may arrive, and sometimes even schedule activities and airport pickups for visiting guests. These services usually come as a package price or a percentage of total costs that many brides and grooms say are well worth the price tag.
“To get a truly memorable experience — we can arrange that,” Hofman says. “We can be there as a partner. … Most of our clients are expats or tourists, so we specialize in that.”
Her clients have been more than pleased with the results.
“Petra just took on every detail, and I mean every little request,” Twomey says. “It allowed us to relax and concentrate on our guests and enjoy the buildup, which is not normally the case. Usually brides end up so stressed and frustrated.”
Hiring a wedding planner to do the heavy lifting, though, doesn’t necessarily mean that the affair won’t be personal.
“The initial stage is to sit down and really discover their wedding wishes,” Hofman says of her approach to new clients. “That’s the whole philosophy. We really care about the personal touches.”
Hofman and her team at the White Agency prepare a customized budget breakdown, options for venues, vendors and other elements, as well as a planning schedule.
“Each wedding is different,” she says. “We really want to give them a tailor-made proposal.”
Zora Kounovská of Adam a Eva, another Prague planning firm, agrees.
“We try and work with people, to get to know them and do something different every time,” she says.
This may come as a relief to expats who’d like something unique for their wedding but don’t exactly know where to start. Turning to a planning agency just might be the best solution.
“You’d probably need someone who is Czech to help you with it anyway, especially the documents,” Kounovská says.
But trying to stage a one-of-a-kind wedding in the Golden City can sometimes hit an unexpected snag that planners warn clients about. For foreigners looking to tie the knot in Prague, the wedding is as much about showcasing the city as it about celebrating the couple’s love, which often leads to similarities in ceremony venues and reception locations.
For instance, local wedding planners are quick to name Old Town Hall and the Church of St. Nicholas as very popular, highly requested wedding sites. They also say that weddings held in castles and chateaux are favorites among foreigners, too.
“The number of chateaux and castles is very high here, so it’s easy to find one for a wedding,” Kounovská says.
In addition, more and more non-native brides and grooms are expressing interest in incorporating local wedding traditions into their own ceremonies and receptions. Some of the more popular traditions, planners say, include breaking a plate at the reception party or having the bride and groom share a bowl of meatball soup during dinner.
Twomey, for one, is thrilled friends and family could take in the highlights of her adopted city while helping to celebrate the beginning of her new life as a married woman. Twomey’s wedding ceremony was in Old Town Hall, followed by a champagne reception in the palace gardens, and dinner just under Charles Bridge.
But, she stresses, this magical day wouldn’t have been the same without some major help.
“I honestly would recommend a planner in Prague. It is so stress-free, and you get to relax and enjoy the most special day of your life,” Twomey says.  Brooke Edge

 

When Iva Macháčková first wed in 1975, she was confronted with pretty basic catering options — ham roll with horseradish, svíčková sauce with dumplings or sandwiches with smoked salami.

When she planned her second marriage in 2004, it was a whole new ballgame.
“The restaurant we picked prepared four different menus for us to choose from, and the owners were even concerned about which color tablecloths we would prefer.”
These days, catering — roughly 30 percent of the total wedding cost — is about more than just cold cuts and club soda. According to the local experts, before even deciding which catering agency or restaurant to use, couples first need to have their guest list at least partially nailed down. They also need to have an idea of how much they would like to spend and what kind of food they’d like served. 
A professional should be ready to answer any type of question that might arise during the planning process and, based on the couple’s requirements, will put together a list of five or six suitable locations for a beautiful ceremony. Many of Prague’s top agencies usually even provide pictures of the venues and layouts of the gardens and seating arrangements so it’s not necessary to visit them all.
When the final decisions on the menu are made, caterers encourage clients to decide on the types of cutlery, glass, China and coverings they’d like on the tables.
The Golem catering agency, for instance, has a showroom in the courtyard of New Town Hall in Prague where couples can see examples of what type of settings the company offers.
Sampling the menu is a necessary part of the planning, too.
“Clients can bring their parents along and see the real portions on the plate, and they will get half of the portion to eat,” Golem’s Radek Šál explains.
During the tasting, photos of all courses are taken and form part of the final documentation. At the same time, the couple can meet their chef and other staff, so that they can get to know each other before the big day.
Soňa Černá, who got married this summer, found this part of the preparation really useful.
“The photos helped our family to decide, as we sent them to my husband’s parents in the U.S. so they could see what they will have on their plates,” she says.
Šál points out that sometimes a couple, in an effort to avoid offending conservative relatives, will end up choosing a traditional menu even when they don’t want to.
“We always advise our clients to do what they really feel like; it’s their day with a capital ‘D,’ and they should have a great feeling from it,” he says.
Other helpful tips from those in the know:
Start planning the wedding menu between six and nine months before the big day. 
Poll your guests to find out if there are any vegetarians or if someone has a special diet or food allergy.   Hela Balínová


Other articles in Weddings (12/09/2007):

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