Hochheuser Hochzeitsplanung

Hochheuser Hochzeitsplanung is the wedding planning business of Yvonne Hochheuser, based at Bergstrasse 1 in Schöfflisdorf in the canton of Zurich. The site's meta description calls her a "Hochzeitsplaner der ersten Stunde in der Schweiz" (one of Switzerland's first wedding planners), and what sets her site apart is how plainly it explains the money: a flat fee for the first consultation, two published hourly rates after that, and a clear statement that she takes no commission from suppliers.

From Weddings to More

The homepage says it all started with weddings, and that the business has since kept widening its field. On the private side it now covers births, jubilees and farewells; on the business side it organizes company events for small and medium-sized firms. The menu has three headings: Hochzeitsplanung (wedding planning), Zeremonien (ceremonies) and Eventorganisation (event organization). Hochheuser describes her work as advising, designing concepts, organizing, accompanying and training, "effizient, speditiv und mit unschlagbarem Preis-/Leistungsverhältnis" (efficient, quick and with unbeatable value for money), and above all with heart and plenty of emotion. The meta description adds that she supports a couple's wedding "mit Herz und Humor" (with heart and humor), and she signs the homepage personally.

The site's tab title pairs the German "Ihr Hochzeitsplaner" with the English "Your Wedding Planner", but the pages themselves are written in German and address couples with the informal "ihr".

How the Planning Starts

Whether a couple wants someone for the whole planning process or only occasional support, the planning page says everything starts with a first, detailed conversation. The couple first fills in a detailed questionnaire. They then meet Hochheuser at her office in Schöfflisdorf, where she explains the possibilities and any restrictions that apply to their wedding, tells them what costs to expect, and gives them plenty of tips. The page says this usually takes at least two hours and is charged at a flat CHF 150.

After that meeting, the couple decides whether and how to continue. The page is candid that sometimes this «Starthilfe» (jump start) is already enough. If not, she prepares a tailored offer, or supports the couple partially and bills by effort.

The Published Rates

The hourly rates are set out in one sentence on the planning page. Work that she can do without leaving her office is charged at CHF 100 per hour. Appointments elsewhere, such as venue visits, are charged at CHF 120 per hour plus travel costs at CHF 1 per kilometer. That makes it possible for a couple to estimate what a given amount of help will cost before committing, which is especially useful for a couple budgeting from abroad. Because partial support is billed by effort, a couple can also buy help for one part of the preparations only, such as desk research on suppliers at the office rate or accompanied venue visits at the rate for appointments elsewhere, and keep the rest in their own hands.

Independence From Suppliers

The planning page is explicit about how she earns her money. She works alone, not on commission, and not with fixed partners but with the partners best suited to each couple. "Ihr zahlt für meinen Service; sonst aber niemand" (you pay for my service, but nobody else does), and commissions and discounts are passed on 1:1. For a couple worried that a planner's supplier recommendations are shaped by referral fees, this is as clear a statement as a planner can make.

She also writes that she values her independence and therefore employs neither permanent staff nor interns. The practical consequence is that the planner a couple meets for the first consultation is the one who does the work.

Training Other Planners

Hochheuser also trains wedding planners. The planning page says she offers a distance-learning course for wedding planners, in which she mentors her students personally, and points to a separate site, hochzeitsplanerschule.ch, and a downloadable brochure for details.

Tools, Blog and Ceremonies

A postscript on the planning page invites couples to download various planning aids that may be useful in their preparations. The site also links to a blog about her work and an about page. The Zeremonien section appears in the menu, but the planning and home pages do not describe what it covers, so a couple interested in a ceremony should ask what she offers. The footer notes that the photos on the site were taken at real weddings by various wedding photographers.

What the Site Does Not Settle

The rates are clear, but the site gives no estimate of how many hours a full planning job usually takes, so the total for complete planning is only known once she prepares an offer. The site does not say how far she travels for weddings, beyond the per-kilometer travel charge, and it does not list the venues or suppliers she works with most often. It also does not describe a service for couples who live abroad: the first consultation takes place at her office in Schöfflisdorf, and the pages do not mention holding it by video.

Language is the other open point. The site is written in German, and apart from the English tab title it does not say whether planning can run in English. An English-speaking couple should ask when making contact.

Contact

The contact details on every page are Bergstrasse 1, 8165 Schöfflisdorf ZH, mobile +41 79 373 67 58, and the email address yvonne.hochheuser@hochzeitsplanung.ch. The homepage closes by saying couples learn most about her work in a personal conversation.

Who It Suits

Hochheuser Hochzeitsplanung suits couples in the Zurich region who want experienced, independent advice and like to know what it costs. The flat-fee first consultation is a sensible option for couples who want to organize the wedding themselves after a single session of expert guidance, while the hourly model allows anything up to full planning. Couples who want a large team, a fixed package price or a planner who works mainly in English may find the fit less natural. For a couple living abroad, the realistic way to use her is to plan the first consultation into a trip to Switzerland, fill in the questionnaire beforehand, and then decide whether the tips from that session are enough or whether to continue with her on an hourly basis.