Full Planning
Proposal to farewell brunch
Bilingual
Vows in two languages
10+ Years
In five-star hospitality
Guest of Honor
You enjoy your own wedding
Is This You
You want the day to feel effortless. That takes real work behind the scenes.
The couples we plan for are not looking for the biggest wedding. They want the right one, a day that feels unmistakably theirs and runs without a single visible seam.
Our job is to carry everything you would otherwise carry yourself, the vendors, the timeline, the hundred small decisions, so that on the day, your only job is to be present.
- You want taste and calm, not a stressful year of logistics.
- You are blending two families, or two cultures, and want both honored.
- You would rather trust one team than manage a dozen vendors.
- You want to remember your wedding, not run it.
What We Handle
Everything, or exactly the parts you want.
Full planning
From engagement to farewell brunch. Design, vendors, timeline, and every detail, start to finish.
Design & styling
The look and feel of the day: palette, florals, tablescapes, lighting, and the small moments that tie it together.
Partial planning
You have started. We step in, bring order, and carry it home.
Weekend events
Welcome party, rehearsal dinner, and send-off brunch, planned as one seamless arc.
Vendor sourcing
The right caterer, florist, and photographer for your vision and your budget, vetted and coordinated.
Day-of coordination
We run the timeline and the vendors so the day unfolds exactly as planned.
The Difference
Hospitality, at the level of a memory.
Karina spent years running the front of luxury hotels. That standard, anticipating a need before you feel it, is the standard behind every Only Once wedding.
And because we plan fluently across languages and traditions, in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, a bilingual or multicultural wedding is not an add-on. It is home ground, with both families genuinely at ease.
Plan Your Wedding →Kind Words
What our clients say.
From the beginning, Karina made the entire process feel manageable. Eric helped us stay organized on the business and planning side, while Karina handled the vendors, timeline, and details we never even thought about. On the wedding day, we were actually present with our families instead of checking what was happening next.
Emily Chen
We wanted a wedding that felt beautiful but still felt like us. Eric and Karina understood the vision immediately and knew which details mattered. By the time the wedding arrived, we trusted them completely.
Michelle Park
The biggest compliment I can give is that I barely had to think about logistics on the wedding day. Eric and Karina kept everyone aligned, our vendors knew where to be, and we got to enjoy the day with our families.
Daniel & Rachel Kim
How It Works
Simple from the first hello.
01
Inquire
Tell us the celebration you have in mind, your guest count, and what matters most.
02
Consult
We listen for the feeling you want, then talk through scope, vision, and budget together.
03
Design
We shape the plan, the design, and the sourcing, and send one clear, itemized proposal.
04
Event day
You are a guest at your own celebration. We run every moving piece behind the scenes.
Good To Know
Wedding questions, answered plainly.
How far ahead should we book?
For full planning, most couples reach out nine to twelve months ahead, and peak dates go faster. That said, we take on shorter timelines when the scope fits, so ask us regardless of your date.
How involved do we need to be?
That depends on the service you choose. With full planning, we handle the research, vendor communication, timelines, and logistics, and bring you the decisions that genuinely need your input. You stay involved where it matters, without spending your evenings chasing vendors and spreadsheets.
What is the difference between full planning and day-of?
Full planning means we are with you from the first decision to the last dance: design, vendors, timeline, everything. Day-of coordination means the planning is largely done and we run the event itself so nothing falls to you or your family on the day.
Do you plan bilingual and multicultural weddings?
Yes, and it is one of the things we do best. We plan fluently in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, run tea ceremonies and other traditions correctly, and build programs that both families can follow.
How do payments work?
A deposit secures your date, with the balance scheduled before the wedding. Everything is laid out plainly in one itemized proposal, with nothing hidden. You approve before anything is booked.
Do you travel to wine country or the coast?
Yes. We plan across the Bay Area and beyond, from San Francisco to Napa, Sonoma, and Carmel, and we coordinate lodging and transport for destination weekends.
What does a wedding with you cost?
It depends on your guest count, vision, and scope, so we quote every wedding to its own plan. Share what you have in mind in an inquiry and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit.
Where We Plan
We plan weddings across the Bay Area.
One studio from the coast to wine country. Find your area for local venue guidance, or tell us where you are celebrating.