Viola and Máté contacted us to help them quickly organize their wedding. It was the end of April 2021, still during the COVID-19 restrictions. We had no idea what kind of wedding would be possible a month later, at the end of May.
They had two options in mind: a civil ceremony for 10 people, or, if restrictions eased by then, a small family ceremony with around 20 guests followed by a meal. As for the wedding venue, they were considering registry offices in Budapest or nearby municipalities in the surrounding area.
During our conversations, it turned out that early in their relationship, they had a memorable meeting in Visegrád, and the original plan was for the proposal to take place there as well. I like to include as many personal touches as possible in weddings, so in addition to their requests, I suggested the Visegrád registry office and a local restaurant where everything could be held in one place a charming outdoor ceremony followed by a shared meal.
They initially selected two venues: the registry office in the 13th district and the restaurant in Visegrád. We were lucky with the dates, as both locations still had availability at the end of May. I prepared two separate budgets for the two options to make the prices and conditions clear and easy to compare.
The initial consultations, site visits, collecting feedback and quotes, and preparing a summary budget can usually take quite some time. Under normal circumstances, creating a detailed and accurate wedding proposal with budgets takes at least one to two weeks. In Viola and Máté’s case, however, everything moved very quickly the pandemic situation actually “helped” us in this regard, as venues were responding much faster than usual.
Which task was the most challenging?
Viola: Choosing the decorations, including the flowers, headpieces, bouquets, and table arrangements.
Máté: I think organizing the guests’ travel to and from the venue was the hardest part because everything kept changing.
Here’s exactly how the events unfolded:
The couple decided on Friday afternoon that they would get married at the end of May. On Saturday, we had our first phone consultation, where we outlined their ideas and the planning process. On Monday, I contacted all potential venues, and by the afternoon, the list of options with available dates and prices was ready. That evening, they narrowed the choices down to two venues. By Tuesday, I had prepared detailed budgets for both, allowing them to finalize their wedding date — May 21 — and choose the Visegrád location. That same day, the surprise proposal took place. On Wednesday, we discussed the details and possible additions to the civil ceremony. By Thursday, they were already on their way to Visegrád to book the registrar and visit the venue in person.
The Visegrád wedding venue, Nagyvillám Restaurant, immediately won their hearts
What impressed you the most about Nagyvillám Restaurant?
The atmosphere of the restaurant, the view, the large windows, and the beautiful plants and flowers. Even without decorations, the place felt like something out of a fairy tale.The restaurant is located on a hill, surrounded by lush greenery. The venue can accommodate a variety of setups, from small, intimate weddings to events with up to 120–130 guests. For the civil ceremony, they chose the restaurant’s shaded yet open terrace covered with a vine arbor, offering a stunning panoramic view of Visegrád Castle on one side and the Danube on the other.
Once the venue was confirmed, it was time to take care of everything else: the bride’s dress fitting and shoe shopping, the groom’s shirt and shoes, ordering the wedding rings, designing and sending out invitations, selecting the wedding menu and drink package, choosing and wording the menu and place cards, arranging floral and textile decorations, booking the photographer and DJ, cake tasting and ordering the wedding cake, booking accommodation, and so on.
How long before the wedding would you recommend a couple start planning?
We managed to organize everything in just over a month because we agreed on almost everything from the start. However, for couples with different ideas or preferences, we think it’s best to start planning at least six months before the wedding ideally with a wedding planner.
What most couples have six months or even a year to plan, they managed to do in just days and weeks. Despite the tight schedule, they remained calm, cheerful, and decisive throughout the entire wedding planning process. I really admired their attitude: both of them work a lot, and during that period, Máté was managing several demanding projects on top of planning the wedding. Instead of making quick decisions on her own just to move things along, Viola took the time to research each topic and waited for Máté so they could decide together. They made every decision jointly and despite their busy schedules, they did it all remarkably fast.
Did you have enough time for the wedding tasks alongside your daily work? Did you feel overwhelmed?
Not really. Without you, we probably would have ended up having a 10-person wedding 🙂 With your help, though, it was completely manageable — even though there were many decisions to make, you always introduced each one, provided pros and cons, and made it as simple as possible for us to decide.Despite the short deadline, the wedding planning went smoothly. Only one thing made the situation challenging for all of us: the number of vaccinations wasn’t progressing as planned, and even two weeks before the wedding, we still didn’t know whether a 10-person wedding would be allowed or if they could invite more guests. The guest count affected almost everything the venue layout, the length of the event, the decorations, all the printed materials, the number of cake slices, and the accommodation. In short, nearly every detail depended on it.
Why is it useful to work with a wedding planner?
Because a wedding planner thinks of things a couple without experience wouldn’t, helping to avoid unpleasant surprises. You also saved us a lot of time and helped guide our more unrealistic ideas in the right direction.Viola and Máté’s wedding vendors:
Venue: Nagyvillám étterem, Visegrád
Wedding dress: Európa szalon
Getting ready location, accommodation: Villa Harmónia
Registrar: Variházy Orsolya
Photographer: Szabó Levi
Flower: Two Sisters Flower & Events
Ceremony décor, textiles: Ancsa Virágboltja, Visegrád
Cake: Egy csipet torta
Graphic materials: invitart.hu
DJ: DJ Lupi
Wedding planning: Reflow Events
Author: Kinga
