READING TIME: 3 min 21 sec
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/17/2024
UPDATED: 09/17/2024
Founded by lifelong friends Andrea and Laura in 2013, Lovehaus began as a humble design firm with a passion for orchestrating friends' weddings before evolving into a comprehensive wedding planning powerhouse. Today, Lovehaus stands as a testament to what can be achieved when creativity meets logistical expertise in the world of wedding planning.
At the core of Lovehaus's operation lies a clear and compelling philosophy: "Form and Function." This guiding principle ensures that their events are not only aesthetically pleasing but also flawlessly functional. Andrea describes their approach with clarity, "While we love making an event look spectacular, it still has to function and flow. We love an estate wedding. This is when we bring in tenting, flooring, and every detail to create our own venue. While it takes an intensive amount of planning, we are able to plan and ensign every aspect."
Lovehaus is renowned for its comprehensive service offerings, which range from full planning to specific final touches before the big day. The signature Lovehaus Package encompasses planning, styling, and design, providing control over every aspect of a wedding. Laura explains, "We are managing vendors, venue, wedding design + styling, rental selection and install, day of coordination as well as additional services like rehearsal dinner planning and design and post wedding brunchesю"
For those who have already begun their planning journey, the Partial Planning package offers vital support as the wedding day approaches. "The Partial Planning package is tailored to the couple that needs help with the finishing touches. They are organized and can handle the demanding load up until the last few months where Lovehaus steps in and creates the timelines, managing the day of coordination," says Andrea. “Our packages are custom to our clients' needs. During our discovery call, we will ask questions that help us provide custom proposals tailored to our clients' needs,” they add.
During their initial discovery calls, Lovehaus focuses on understanding the unique needs and preferences of each couple. "We value our clients' trust in us and our team. During the planning and design process which consists of monthly meetings with our couples, we get to know them and their parents. We send questionnaires that ask them fun questions about themselves and their relationship. This way we can really create a special and unique wedding experience for them," Laura adds, emphasizing the bespoke nature of their service.
One of Lovehaus's most unforgettable weddings took place against the backdrop of a city-wide celebration in Philadelphia. As the Phillies clinched the NL Championship, Lovehaus was orchestrating an elegant wedding at The Union League of Philadelphia.
"We have an elegant wedding, complete with opera singers, Loren Allred singing Never Enough from The Greatest Showman and it was a surprise for the bride from her father," they recall. "A strict reception timeline had to be in place for everything to go off without a hitch. During the wedding, The Phillies win, the city goes wild and guests are trying to party on Broad Street (as well as climb the polls) all while our surprise singers are about to perform. Two minutes until they are about to go on, we can’t find the bride and groom. They were about to go onto Broad Street to see the sea of people outside and almost missed the surprise performance. Luckily we caught them before getting on the elevator, and everything went off without a hitch! The performances were amazing and the energy of the city had everyone in a fantastic mood."
One of the biggest challenges in wedding planning, according to Lovehaus, is managing budgets. "So many couples have ideas on Pinterest but unfortunately aren’t familiar with the pricing structure of the wedding venue world. Educating our clients on actual costs and how to delegate is something we excel at through years of practice," they note.
Lovehaus's advice for staying on budget is straightforward yet invaluable: "Hire your planner FIRST and let them work with the numbers and negotiations when sourcing your vendors. We unfortunately see so many inquiries come in that have core vendors booked, and they could have saved in one area or another," advises Laura.
When asked about their dream wedding to plan, both planners share a vivid vision. "Our dream wedding would be a custom conservatory tented outdoor soiree. Building a venue on the coast as a part of an epic destination weekend," Andrea shares enthusiastically. "Each day would be branded with an itinerary for the events. Guest would arrive to welcome swag as a part of their wedding weekend. Planning the weekend through a farewell boat trip for guests to unwind after the wedding day."
A final piece of advice from Lovehaus: “Create your guest list first then look at venues that can hold that list. Make sure parents if they are contributing check the list. More importantly, hire a planner first so they can talk you through all of this first.”
