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Initial Consultation with Wedding Planner

A couple meets with a wedding planner for the first time to discuss their vision, budget, and general ideas for their wedding day.

Dialogue

Listen and follow along with the conversation

1
Wedding Planner (Female)
Welcome, Sarah and Tom! It's so lovely to finally meet you both. Thanks for coming in today.
2
Sarah (Female)
Thank you! We're really excited to discuss our wedding plans. We've heard great things about your work.
3
Tom (Male)
Yes, we're hoping you can help us bring our vision to life. We're a bit overwhelmed with all the details.
4
Wedding Planner (Female)
That's perfectly normal! My job is to make the process as seamless and enjoyable as possible. To start, could you tell me a little about your initial thoughts for the wedding? Any themes, specific dates, or a general guest count in mind?
5
Sarah (Female)
Well, we're thinking late spring next year, maybe May or early June. For the theme, we love the idea of a rustic, elegant garden party, but also something timeless.
6
Tom (Male)
And we're anticipating around 100-120 guests. Budget-wise, we're still figuring things out, but we want to be realistic and get a sense of what's feasible.
7
Wedding Planner (Female)
That's a great starting point. A rustic elegant garden party sounds absolutely beautiful! We can definitely explore options that fit that aesthetic. Regarding the budget, it's helpful to have a ballpark figure, even if it's broad. That allows me to suggest vendors and venues that align with your expectations.
8
Sarah (Female)
Okay, we were thinking of a range between $40,000 and $50,000, not including the honeymoon. Is that a reasonable starting point for what we're looking for?
9
Wedding Planner (Female)
Yes, for 100-120 guests and that aesthetic, it's definitely a workable range. We can create something truly special within that. My next step will be to put together a preliminary proposal based on our discussion, including some venue and vendor suggestions. How about we schedule a follow-up call next week to go over it?
10
Tom (Male)
That sounds perfect! We really appreciate your guidance.
11
Sarah (Female)
Yes, thank you so much! We're already feeling much more at ease.
12
Wedding Planner (Female)
Wonderful! I'll send you an email with some available times. It was a pleasure meeting you both, and I'm very much looking forward to planning your dream wedding!

Vocabulary

Essential words and phrases from the dialogue

vision

An idea or dream of what you want something to be like, often used in planning events like weddings to describe your ideal picture.

overwhelmed

Feeling unable to handle something because there is too much of it, like too many wedding details to manage.

seamless

Smooth and without problems or interruptions, often used to describe a well-organized process like wedding planning.

theme

The main idea or style that defines an event, such as a 'rustic' theme for a wedding to guide decorations and atmosphere.

rustic

Simple and natural, like countryside style, often used for weddings to create a relaxed, elegant outdoor feel.

timeless

Something that never goes out of style, like classic wedding elements that remain beautiful over time.

ballpark figure

An approximate number or estimate, useful when discussing budgets without exact details.

vendors

People or companies that provide services or products, like caterers or florists for a wedding.

preliminary

Initial or early stage, as in a first proposal before final decisions in planning.

Key Sentences

Important phrases to remember and practice

We're really excited to discuss our wedding plans.

This sentence expresses enthusiasm using 'excited to' followed by a verb, useful for starting conversations about future events like meetings or plans; it shows positive feelings and politeness.

We're hoping you can help us bring our vision to life.

Uses 'hoping' for polite requests and the idiom 'bring to life' meaning to make an idea real; great for asking for help in creative projects like weddings, showing collaboration.

That's perfectly normal!

A reassuring response with 'perfectly' to emphasize normality; use this to comfort someone feeling stressed, common in service situations like consultations.

Could you tell me a little about your initial thoughts?

Polite question using 'could you' for requests and 'a little about' to ask for brief info; ideal for interviews or consultations to gather details without pressure.

We're thinking late spring next year, maybe May or early June.

Describes time using 'thinking' for tentative plans and 'maybe' for uncertainty; useful for suggesting dates in planning, with 'late/early' to specify parts of seasons or months.

We were thinking of a range between $40,000 and $50,000.

Discusses budgets with 'range between' for approximate amounts; practical for negotiations, using past continuous 'were thinking' to soften suggestions.

That sounds perfect!

Simple agreement using 'sounds' to express approval; very common in casual responses to proposals, quick and positive for ending discussions.

I'm very much looking forward to planning your dream wedding!

Shows anticipation with 'looking forward to' gerund; useful for positive closings in service talks, emphasizing excitement about future collaboration.