Each week during lockdown our General Manager, Sarp Gogebakan, has been going live on Instagram for Let’s Talk Weddings – a series of interviews with Château de Bouffémont vendors offering inspiration and useful tips on weddings and events.
For this first episode, we spoke to the internationally-renowned wedding and events planner, Billy Folchetti, founder of Luxe X Billy Folchetti, about wedding planning in general and during quarantine.
SG: Hi Billy, it’s great to have you with us today and I hope you are well. I’m sure like us right now you are busy handling weddings which have had to be postponed. What advice can you give to people currently having to adapt their wedding plans?
Focus on the fact that your wedding will take place
BF: Of course, it’s a huge disappointment for your wedding not to take place on the scheduled date, but that doesn’t mean it’s never going to happen. If you’ve had to postpone a wedding or any other special event, vacation or trip remember that this troubled period will come to an end and we will be able to do all these beautiful things, but for now the priority is to stay safe.
SG: For those who are planning a wedding this autumn or next year what can they be doing now?
You don’t need a firm date to plan your event
BF: Having a passion project during this time can give people something to focus on and look forward to. However, something non-professionals sometimes don’t realize is just how much goes into the planning process and how far in advance things need to be considered. The key thing to remember is that you don’t need to have a firm date to start the preparation. In fact, our process for destination weddings usually works like this anyway, we start with what the client wants, the destination, the venue and the vendors and then we set a date when everyone is available.
SG: Where do you begin when searching for a venue? How do you know when you’ve found the right one?
Choose a venue that has the required capacity, matches your budget and makes you feel great
BF: You need to start with some practical considerations: your guest count, the venue capacity and budget. It’s a shame for a client to fall in love with a venue that is ultimately unsuitable. Then it’s really a question of doing some soul-searching, asking yourself what you want to feel on the day and whether the venue evokes those feelings for you. Then you need to work out if it fits with the style of your wedding.
SG: Speaking of style, we are not all as creative as you or may not know where to start, so how can we go about determining the style of the wedding?
A professional wedding planner can articulate your style
BF: If you really don’t know what your style is then getting a professional on board is a must. Often people cannot articulate their style but I get them to show me things they like – their clothes, shoes, home decor, artwork – which speak to me and then I can put a name on the style: rustic, modern, Marie Antoinette!
SG: What was the most unique event you ever planned?
Don’t just follow trends, be yourself and go with what you really want
BF: Actually, it was a birthday party held here at the Château de Bouffémont! It really pushed the boundaries – each course served in a different room, multiple forms of entertainment, a range of color schemes and decors – but what made it really special was that the client just did exactly what she wanted, she didn’t care what anybody else thought.
SG: Any final thoughts?
BF: Don’t let this time stop you from continuing to plan your wedding, special event or vacation. Give yourself something to look forward to!
Keep in touch at @chateaubouffemont
