Interview with Irina Retunskaya – Founder of Inside Wedding Agency in Bulgaria

Question: Irina, while preparing for our meeting, I tried to put myself in the shoes of a couple. I thought that if someone recommended your agency to me, the first thing I would want to know is how your brand was born and how long you’ve been on the Bulgarian market.

I decided to start my own wedding agency in Bulgaria after many years of working in this industry in Ukraine. It wasn’t an easy decision because there I had a proven and working system, connections, a strong team, and I knew every restaurant and venue down to the smallest detail. The decision was delayed for about a year, during which I analyzed the wedding market as a whole, visited various restaurants, and spoke with professionals in the field to understand the specifics of working in Bulgaria. I fell in love with Bulgaria for its hospitality and intimate charm. It’s a beautiful country with unique natural wonders, and I wanted to share this love with our couples who enjoy traveling and are open to having their wedding abroad or in their homeland, where they or their relatives live. The name of the company came naturally. Our philosophy is about immersing ourselves in our clients’ weddings, which is why we chose the name Inside Wedding. When you want to be fully involved and play a leading role in this event, the bride and groom are the main characters, and everything around them works like clockwork. We’ve been on this market since 2018, and we’re still searching for our style and path for development, especially as one of the wedding agencies in Bulgaria.

Question: What sets you apart from other wedding agencies?

Over the years we’ve lived and worked in Bulgaria, we’ve tried different formats and taken on various projects, but since 2020, we’ve settled on a special formula. We now only take on projects that we can execute at the highest level. We decided to work with couples who want tender and touching wedding celebrations, delicious and cozy dinners, and fun, unforgettable wedding parties in Bulgaria. For those who appreciate intelligent decor and stylish floristry. We value harmony and genuine, sincere emotions. We want our clients to feel completely at ease, knowing their wedding is organized with quality and professionalism.

This is a full immersion into every wedding and a truly individual approach, not only to the couple but to every guest.

Question: How is the work with couples organized?

When we first started working here, it was challenging because we didn’t have our usual system, which included in-office meetings, outlining requirements, and organizing them into a separate folder.

We came up with a survey system – we have an initial organization questionnaire, which is quite extensive, but it’s worth it because it gives us a clear understanding of the couple’s expectations and how they envision their wedding. Then we create a Google folder where we collect all the tables, briefs, and presentations. This becomes our virtual office, where anyone can log in at any time to make adjustments, leave comments, or add requests. Additionally, at every stage of preparation, we send out different surveys with a series of questions that we incorporate into the plans and discuss during online meetings.

I become the bride’s friend, almost like a bridesmaid, no matter how much time we have left for preparation. This means I’m always available, 24/7. I know all the couple’s habits, keep up with their hobbies, and know how they spend their free time. Sometimes I even have to act as a psychologist, mother, and friend all at once. Often, our conversations last for hours, and we can spend three hours just discussing the wedding dress. Once, I even had to mediate between a couple and give them advice. We take every point on our list very seriously. For example, we always plan the menu with the couple in mind, and sometimes we even customize it individually for the guests. This is very difficult to do, but when we see the results, we’re convinced it’s worth the effort. Honestly, we couldn’t work any other way. That’s why we don’t take on many projects. Our maximum per season is 20-30 events.

Question: What is the foundation of your work, and what directions do you offer?

Since our couples live all over the world, we don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach. We try to develop a unique style for each couple. We approach not only the couple but also their guests individually. It’s very important for us to understand the couple’s mood and wishes. This year, we decided to divide our services into four categories:

Intimate weddings – when the guest list ranges from 15 to 40 people.

Adventure weddings – when the couple wants to spend this special day without guests or invites a maximum of 10 close friends.

Wedding parties – when only the wedding dress and cake remain from the traditional wedding.

Elegant weddings – when the bride opts for classic style.

Question: Irina, let’s talk a bit about numbers. Could you share the budget range your agency comfortably works with to create a unique wedding?

Of course, everything is individual. Let’s assume we have 30 guests, and they’re all coming to Bulgaria. The wedding, including arrival and departure, lasts at least 4 days – so we need to reserve at least three nights. We need to choose a hotel or villa – that’s around €3,000. The banquet is one of the most important parts for all couples. The banquet menu per person ranges from €50 to €125, so the maximum would be €3750. Photographers start at €1000, videography at €1700. The rest depends on the couple’s wishes – decor, floristry, DJ, additional programs, etc. So, the costs are very individual. Most couples fit within a budget of €15000 to €20000. Usually, everyone appreciates the work of the photographer or decorator, but no one sees how much work goes on behind the scenes – the directing, scenography, script, and coordination. Honestly, a large part of the budget goes to non-traditional ceremony locations and various interesting ideas. We strive to create unique weddings in unusual places.

Question: What kind of weddings are clients looking for now?

Now, it’s very popular to organize weddings abroad or in a new location in their homeland for their closest people. That’s why we’re very interested in turning weddings into parties, into celebrations where the atmosphere of a holiday reigns, where there are no formal obligations or just traditions.

Today, couples seek personalization and individualization, not only for themselves but for every guest. They want the celebration to be built on their personal story, ready to rediscover their happiness and share it with their loved ones. In the age of social media, everyone wants something more personal and in the present. I’m sure the value of big weddings is gradually fading, and in the future, we’ll see more conscious, rational, but very heartfelt celebrations.

Question: What kind of weddings do you have now, and what are you aiming for?

This year, we organized a wedding for a couple that lasted three days, and each day was unique and innovative. We really want to introduce the couple and their guests to Bulgarian culture and cuisine, to show them some of the natural and historical reserves. Our goal is to organize wedding parties in an individual style in the most beautiful corners of Bulgaria.

Question: What do clients love you for?

They love us for our comfortable service and trust. During the preparation for the celebration, we become one family, we bond and become friends. And, of course, they love us for budget optimization – we know what and how we can save, where we can cut the list, and where, on the contrary, we need to add something to ensure only good memories remain from the wedding.

Question: We often hear from organizers how important it is to create the right mood at a wedding. How do you create it?

90% of a wedding’s success depends on the couple’s mood, and their mood depends on how well the guests feel. For us, it’s very important to communicate with the couple, to understand what they love, what music they listen to, what emotional details resonate with them. We work very seriously on this to create the perfect picture of the wedding celebration, so the guests can relax and enjoy themselves. The playlist is also of huge importance to us because it also determines the success of the celebration. Some couples send us a full list of about 300-400 songs, and we mix them. Absolutely everything matters – starting from the stylist who works on the bride’s look, to the guest reception, zoning, and various entertainment moments. The outfits, calling taxis, relaxation zones – all of this gives guests a sense of special care, and then they and the couple can fully enjoy the celebration and experience new emotions.

Question: Can you share some of the force majeure situations you’ve faced?

An organizer, first and foremost, needs to assemble a professional team from different fields or, if the couple has already found them, to coordinate the team’s work, write a script that clearly outlines the wedding’s theme, prepare a working and technical timeline, take care of the couple and every guest, and, of course, not forget about force majeure situations, because there’s always the human factor and weather changes.

Since our weddings are mostly held outdoors, we face climatic or landscape challenges. This year, we organized a wedding in the mountains. The preparation lasted 9 months, and the 3 days we planned for the celebration promised thunderstorms. We checked the forecasts all week, but the locals told us that in the mountains, the weather has its own rules – there would be a storm, but no one knew exactly when. To give you a better idea, the ceremony was supposed to take place at the very top of Valtchev Kamak in the Rhodope Mountains, which we could only reach with special jeeps, and the ascent took up to 40 minutes. On the wedding day, we saw that the sky gave us no guarantees, so within 30 minutes, we had to find a new location for the ceremony. The view there was also stunning. After the ceremony, we handed out raincoats and invited everyone to climb the peak together. While the guests enjoyed the beautiful views, we experienced torrential rain twice and had to move the tables and chairs prepared for the festive dinner twice. Can you imagine how this would have been possible without an organizer? I can’t – the celebration would have been ruined very quickly.

We also had a situation with a Russian-speaking host for a wedding who was detained at the border the day before the ceremony for reasons beyond his control. We spent the whole night writing a script for another person. On the day of the celebration, we also had to buy him a suit that matched the dress code.

We’ve had other smaller issues that we can’t always predict, which is why we work as a big team so we can support each other.

Question: Do you write a script for the wedding, and if so, who writes it?

Yes, we always write a script for the celebration. This document is called the "Conceptual Content of the Wedding." In it, I describe the entire day, starting from the morning with the bride until the finale. Additionally, I write a script for the host and plan the direction of the celebration, deciding when and how each of the elements we’ve come up with will be most appropriate and well-received by the guests and the couple. At such weddings, we always invite a Bulgarian folk dance group, which later conducts a masterclass on Bulgarian dances. This is very interesting and fun – just imagine all the guests participating in this dance. It’s very touching and joyful to watch.

For me, as an emotional organizer, it’s very important for each partner to prepare a surprise for the other. The first surprise is the vows they prepare for the ceremony, and the second is something they show during the evening program.

Question: How does the wedding day unfold through the eyes of the couple?

It’s better to ask one of the couples and read the reviews published on our page, but for me, everything is always clear without words when they smile, and there’s calmness in their eyes. It’s clear that they’re nervous, very worried before the first dance or the ceremony itself. Usually, couples can’t understand how time flies – the day passes before their eyes, and only when they receive their wedding photos they feel the excitement and true joy again. Recently,

a groom wrote to me that if they had the opportunity to change something, they wouldn’t change a thing, that we truly did a perfect job. And that they’re ready to write recommendations! These words are the most important for a wedding organizer.

Question: What does success mean for your work today?

Success, first and foremost, is what you feel. Success for us is that we founded this agency with our own style and philosophy, and in a very short time, in a foreign country, and from scratch.

Success is the recommendations and feedback from our couples.

It’s the friendship we build with them, not only during the wedding organization – we become part of their family, remember their family events, and stay in touch. We know when their children are born – now I have friends all over the world.

In such a short time, we’ve organized dozens of weddings, and that can be considered a success, although for us, quality comes first, not quantity.

We’re waiting for kindred spirits – clients with a similar life philosophy, an understanding of beauty, and family values, because only then will the result be 200%.

With love,
Irina Retunskaya