We recommend booking 6-12 months in advance to allow adequate time for both logistical planning and energetic preparation. However, we have facilitated ceremonies with as little as 3 months notice when the timing is right. Intimate ceremonies (under 20 guests) can sometimes be arranged with shorter timelines.

Yes, we travel! We are based in Chicago and Texas, but facilitate ceremonies throughout the United States and internationally. Travel fees apply for ceremonies outside a 50-mile radius of our home bases. Destination weddings are welcomed and celebrated.

Full Planning means we're with you from the beginning: venue selection, vendor sourcing, design direction, timeline creation, and everything through day-of coordination. This is ideal if you're starting from scratch or want comprehensive support.

Partial Coordination means you've already secured your venue and major vendors, and we step in 2-3 months before to finalize details, create the ceremony, handle energetic preparation, and provide day-of coordination. This works well for couples who enjoy the planning process but want expert support for the finish line and sacred ceremony design.

Both levels include our signature sacred ceremony design and energetic work.

Absolutely. Many couples choose to have an intimate legal ceremony (courthouse, small family gathering) and then celebrate with a larger Medicine Matrimony ceremony later. The sacred ceremony and community witness matter regardless of legal timing. We also facilitate vow renewal ceremonies for couples who want to recommit or didn't have the ceremony they wanted the first time.

Yes. We facilitate commitment ceremonies, handfasting rituals, and soul union celebrations for couples who choose not to legally marry but want to honor their partnership with sacred ceremony. Love is love, and commitment deserves witness regardless of legal status.

This is one of the most common questions we receive, and we have multiple approaches to honor both your vision and your family dynamics:

1. Separate Ceremonies
Private plant medicine journey the night before with your closest circle (or just the two of you), followed by a "pure presence" ceremony the next day that everyone can participate in comfortably. This allows you to experience the medicine's depth without asking family members to stretch beyond their comfort zone.

2. Gentle Introduction
Offer a cacao ceremony for all guests. Cacao is legal, gentle, heart-opening, and accessible to most people. It creates connection and presence without the intensity of stronger plant allies. Many families who are initially skeptical find cacao ceremony surprisingly moving and meaningful.

3. Optional Participation
Create a ceremony where plant medicine is available to those who are open to it, with alternative ceremonial elements for those who prefer not to partake. This honors everyone's sovereignty and comfort level while still allowing medicine to be part of your celebration.

4. Education and Invitation
We can help you communicate with family about what plant medicine ceremony actually is. This isn't a party or recreational use. This is sacred healing work, intentional ritual, and communal heart-opening. Sometimes, understanding the "why" and "how" helps family members feel more at ease, even if they choose not to participate themselves.

5. Heart Opening vs. Deep Journey Work
It's important to understand that when we incorporate plant medicine into weddings, the intention is to open hearts and create a circle of love around you, not to facilitate deep therapeutic processing or intense journeys. This is about presence, connection, and collective witness. We're opening the container, not taking your guests into the depths. The medicine serves the ceremony, not the other way around.

We'll help you navigate these conversations with care, discernment, and respect for all involved. Our goal is to design an experience that honors your vision while maintaining healthy relationships with the people you love.

We intentionally limit ourselves to 4-6 Medicine Matrimony ceremonies per year to ensure each couple receives our full presence, energy, and devotion. This isn't assembly-line work. Each ceremony is deeply personal and energetically intensive. Quality over quantity, always.

Deposit: To lock in your event date, we ask for a 25-50% deposit (based on size and scope of contract).  

Once the planning work begins, deposits are non-refundable but can be applied to future ceremonies if you need to reschedule. See our full Terms & Conditions for details.

Rescheduling Policy:

• More than 90 days before ceremony: May be rescheduled without penalty, subject to our availability

• 60-90 days before ceremony: Rescheduling fee of $500 applies to cover administrative costs and potential travel rebooking expenses

• 30-60 days before ceremony: Rescheduling fee of $1,000 applies, plus client is responsible for any non-refundable travel expenses already incurred (flights, accommodations, vendor deposits)

• Less than 30 days before ceremony: Rescheduling is subject to availability and approval. Client is responsible for all non-refundable costs incurred, including travel, accommodations, and vendor commitments

Travel Arrangements: Travel is typically booked 60-90 days before your ceremony. Once travel arrangements are confirmed, clients assume financial responsibility for any changes to non-refundable bookings.

Deposits: Non-refundable, but may be applied toward a rescheduled date when possible.

Cancellations: Deposits are non-refundable. Cancellations within 90 days of the ceremony may result in forfeiture of payments already made, as preparation work is underway and vendor commitments may be non-refundable.

Force Majeure: If we must cancel due to emergency, illness, or circumstances beyond our control, a full refund will be provided.

Our service is comprehensive coordination and sacred ceremony facilitation. We help you design, source, coordinate, and manage every element of your wedding. However, the actual vendor services and products are contracted and paid for directly by you:

Vendor Services & Products:

• Venue rental fees

• Catering and bar service

• Photography and videography

• Florals and decor (we design and coordinate, vendors invoice you directly)

• Rentals (tables, chairs, linens, sound equipment, etc.)

• Entertainment (musicians, DJs, etc.)

Guest & Legal Costs:

• Guest accommodations and travel

• Marriage license and filing fees

Additional Expenses:

• Our travel costs (flights, lodging, meals) for ceremonies beyond 50-mile radius

• Plant medicine materials, if applicable to your ceremony

Think of it this way: We're the conductors who design and direct the entire symphony. We select the musicians, arrange the score, and ensure every note lands perfectly. But the musicians themselves send you their individual invoices.

Our coordination fee covers our expertise, time, presence, and devotion to creating your ceremony. The vendors you work with bill you directly for their specific services.

Yes! Every couple receives a complimentary 30-45 minute consultation call before booking. This is a sacred space to share your vision, ask questions, feel into alignment, and determine if we're the right fit. We also offer optional in-person meetings (local couples) or video calls for those wanting deeper connection before committing.

Absolutely, wholeheartedly, and with deep reverence. Love is love. We celebrate and honor all expressions of committed partnership: same-sex, opposite-sex, non-binary, polyamorous commitments, and any configuration of humans choosing to bind their lives together. Our ceremonies are customized to reflect your truth, your pronouns, your identities, and your love exactly as it is.

We always have a backup plan. We work closely with venue coordinators from the very beginning to ensure alternate arrangements are secured and ready if needed. For outdoor ceremonies, this means:

• Covered contingency location identified and confirmed during venue selection

• Tents or indoor space secured as backup (we coordinate sizing, setup, and logistics)

• Venue coordination for seamless pivots (we're in constant communication with venue staff about weather forecasts and timing)

• Flexible timeline that allows for weather-related adjustments without disrupting the flow

• Our calm, grounded presence when plans shift, holding the container so you can stay present

We build relationships with your venue team so that if the weather turns, everyone knows exactly what to do. The transition happens smoothly, communication is clear, and you never have to manage the logistics yourself.

Weather changes don't ruin ceremonies. Rigid attachment to specific outcomes does. We hold the flexibility, coordinate the contingencies, and work hand-in-hand with your venue so you don't have to stress about a single thing.

This is part of why couples hire us. We:

• Discuss family dynamics during initial consultations

• Identify who might need boundaries or support

• Create energetic clearing sessions specifically for family patterns

• Designate "support people" for challenging family members on the day

• Intervene with grace when needed (we're not afraid to redirect inappropriate behavior)

• Hold the container so you can be fully present, not managing people

We've navigated divorced parents who hate each other, family members in active addiction, religious relatives uncomfortable with "woo," and everything in between. You're not the first, and we've got you.

100%. Every Medicine Matrimony package is customized. We start with your vision, your budget, your needs, and build from there. Want more integration sessions? Need help with guest travel logistics? Want to add a post-wedding couples retreat? Want ceremony only, no coordination? We'll design it together.

We offer ceremony-only packages for couples who have their logistics handled (DIY, family help, or separate coordinator) but want the sacred ceremony design, officiation, energetic work, and ritual facilitation that makes Medicine Matrimony unique. Investment starts at $1,000 for ceremony-only services.