Frequently Asked Questions
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Eastman Events, LLC is a full-service event planning and design studio located in Holmdel, New Jersey, led by CEO and lead event planner, Caitlin Eastman.
Our style embraces quality, simplicity and originality. We specialize in experiences where luxury meets al fresco charm, combined with thoughtfully curated details that are tailored to each couple. We love refined table scapes, creating memories, and approachable yet elegant parties.
Below are a few of the most common questions we hear, but we’re an open book. Feel free to connect with us and we’ll be happy to answer all your questions.
1. How long have you been planning weddings?
I earned my degree in Hospitality Management in 2011 and started my career in working in a luxury 5 Star, 5 Diamond resort.
I spent the next 11 years learning everything I could about event planning. I worked in venue management, catering, and floral design. I also spent time planning corporate events, educational conferences and trade shows. I learned a lot, but the thing I loved most and always came back to was weddings.
In 2022, I quit my day job planning conferences and opened my own full time wedding planning studio, Eastman Events. I am so excited to plan your wedding!
2. How many hours are you on site for our wedding day?
We offer an unlimited number of hours on your big day. We will be one of the first vendors to arrive and will make sure every detail is handled through the end of the evening. You're covered no matter how your day pans out.
3. Are you insured to work at my venue?
Yes! We carry $2 million in general liability insurance which covers us to work in any venue.
4. Why should I hire a wedding planner?
The two main reasons our clients tell us they choose to hire a wedding planner are: time and confidence. There are hundreds of decisions to make, lots of vendors to meet and manage. Our clients value their time and want to make sure it’s used wisely so they can enjoy the planning process.
5. What pricing model do you use for your packages?
Check out this blog to get the details of our pricing model for each service we offer: https://www.eastmanevents.com/blog/wedding-planning-for-nj-nyc-and-the-northeast
6. Do you have a required minimum budget that you’ll work with?
We don't have a minimum investment requirement, but for your reference it's helpful for us to share the average range of our clients. By sharing this information, you'll get a better understanding of the investments made by other clients and the level of quality and detail that goes into our events. On average, our clients start with an average spend starting around $1,000 or more per guest, especially for weddings in tents.
You can use some wedding math to see what a typical budget would look like based on your guest list.
# of guests x avg. spend per guest = budget
7. What services do you offer?
We exclusively offer full-service wedding planning and design for couples who want an elevated, highly personalized experience from beginning to end. By focusing exclusively on comprehensive planning, we're able to dedicate our time, creativity, and expertise to every detail, from developing your vision and assembling the perfect vendor team to managing budgets, logistics, design, and flawless event execution.
This approach allows us to provide the level of attention, responsiveness, and strategic guidance that exceptional celebrations deserve. Rather than dividing our focus across multiple service levels, we partner with a select number of clients each year, ensuring every wedding receives the care, intention, and white-glove experience that defines Eastman Events.
Check out this blog post for more details on each of our service: https://www.eastmanevents.com/blog/wedding-planning-for-nj-nyc-and-the-northeast
8. Can we hire you as soon as we get engaged or should we wait?
The ideal time to begin working together is shortly after you get engaged. Bringing us on early allows us to shape every aspect of your wedding with intention, from selecting the perfect venue and assembling an exceptional vendor team to creating a cohesive design and thoughtfully managing your investment along the way.
Because we accept a limited number of full-service weddings each year, our calendar often fills well in advance. We encourage couples to reach out as soon as they begin planning to ensure availability and to enjoy a more relaxed, collaborative planning experience from day one.
9. What areas do you serve?
Eastman Events, LLC is based in Holmdel, New Jersey. We serve couples throughout the Tri-State area and New England. We also love planning weddings in Colorado from time to time.
10. How do I book a date with you?
Please fill out the contact form on our website.
11. Why do I need a wedding planner if the venue already has a coordinator included in our package?
The easiest answer to this is that a venue coordinator is paid by the venue and therefore reports to them and has their interests in mind first, although they of course want your day to be fabulous. A wedding planner is hired by you to support you on your wedding day and puts your interests first.
A wedding planner will help you build the perfect vendor team that is curated especially for you, not just people who have been to the venue before. Wedding planners review vendor contracts, build out custom design plans, personalized floor plans and detailed timeline frameworks. The attention to detail that a wedding planner provides is so much more personalized and in depth than a venue coordinator.
We actually love when a venue has a coordinator. A great team is built when you have both a venue coordinator and a wedding planner. We work together closely to make sure you get the best experience at the venue and all of the pieces come together with every vendor.
We look forward to meeting you to make sure we are a good fit and that we can meet your needs.