How can we help?

Answer 7 questions about your wedding, including your setting, guests, budget and style. You'll get up to 5 venue suggestions, with an explanation for each.

All planning tools are free, with no subscription or trial period. A 2.9% processing fee is added when you pay an invoice through Novia.

Novia introduces one vendor per category based on your budget and wishes. We send them your wedding details, and you can continue the conversation in Messages.

Yes, the planning tools are free to use before you choose your venue or vendors. When you're ready, Novia introduces vendors who fit your budget and wishes.

Most couples start 12 to 18 months before their wedding date, but our checklist adapts to your timeline. Whether you have two years or two months, the tool will prioritise the tasks that matter most for your schedule.

Yes. You can update your wedding date at any time from your dashboard. Your checklist deadlines and timeline will automatically adjust to the new date.

Apply through the application form on the For Vendors page. If we've already created a profile for your business, claim it at novia.wedding/claim.

No signup, listing or subscription fees. Commission is 5%; partners joining in 2026 pay 2.5% through 31 December 2026, then 5%. For VAT-registered vendors, we calculate commission on the amount before VAT. We deduct it when funds are released.

Venues, photographers, videographers, florists, decor vendors, caterers, hair and makeup artists, cake makers, musicians, DJs, entertainers and stationers in South Africa. Novia handles the planning.

Couples can send enquiries from venue pages. Novia selects one vendor per category for each couple and shares their date, guest count, budget and style. Vendors need a starting price and signed Vendor Agreement to be introduced.

Yes. Set your prices and include Novia's commission in them. Couples pay your quoted price plus 2.9% processing at checkout. Venue prices appear on public profiles; vendor profiles are private, and couples receive your pricing through Novia.

Sign the Vendor Agreement first. Then open the enquiry in your portal, prepare your quote and send it to the couple. They can accept it and pay through Novia.

Each payment stays held by Novia for 14 days after payment, with the final payment held until at least 7 days after your wedding. Without a wedding date, the 14-day hold applies to every payment. Confirm delivery to release funds sooner, or raise a dispute in your dashboard while funds are held.

If a vendor fails to deliver the agreed service, you can raise a dispute through your dashboard. Our team reviews the case with both parties and works towards a fair resolution. For confirmed non-delivery, we issue a full refund from the held funds. For partial delivery or scope changes, we mediate an appropriate adjustment. Our goal is always to protect your investment.

Scores reflect published reviews, completed bookings and lost disputes. The levels are New, Verified, Trusted and Elite. Higher levels require more reviews or completed bookings and a qualifying score.

Each milestone payment is held by Novia for 14 days after you pay, and your final payment is held until 7 days after your wedding. During the hold you can confirm delivery (which releases funds to the vendor), or raise a dispute and request a refund through our resolution process. Once a milestone auto-releases, refunds are no longer available through the platform and any concerns need to be resolved directly with the vendor. For cancellations before payment, refund terms follow the vendor cancellation policy in your booking agreement.

Novia chooses which vendors to invite and puts forward a partner for each category based on your brief. Partners sign our Vendor Agreement. Vendor profiles are private; you browse venues and receive vendor proposals through Novia. We do not currently verify CIPC registration, insurance or portfolio authenticity.

When a couple accepts a vendor quote, they can pay directly through the platform. Payments are processed securely by Paystack, South Africa's leading payment gateway. Deposits and interim payments are held by Novia for 14 days from receipt. The final payment is held until 7 days after the wedding, or 14 days from receipt if that is later. Funds go to the vendor (minus commission) sooner when the couple confirms delivery, or automatically once the hold ends if no dispute is raised. A 2.9% Paystack processing fee is added at checkout to cover the card-network cost.

All payments are processed through Paystack with bank-level encryption. Novia never stores your card details. Paystack is PCI DSS compliant, which is the highest level of security certification in the payments industry.

Couples pay a 2.9% processing fee when paying an invoice through the platform. All planning tools, matching, and messaging are completely free.

Yes. Many vendors offer milestone-based payment plans, for example a deposit to secure the booking, interim payments tied to deliverables, and a final balance for the wedding itself. Each instalment is held by Novia independently. Deposits and interim payments release 14 days after you pay them. The final instalment is held until 7 days after your wedding, and falls back to the 14 day rule if we do not have your wedding date on file.

If you have a concern about a payment or a vendor, you can raise a dispute through your dashboard or contact our support team at hello@novia.wedding. Because payments are held by Novia, your funds remain protected throughout the resolution process. We review every case individually and work to find a fair outcome.

Click "Start Dream Builder" or sign up from the homepage. You can register with your email address. The process takes less than a minute.

Yes. Invite your partner to plan with you using their own login.

Click "Forgot password" on the sign-in page and enter your email address. You will receive a password reset link within a few minutes. If you do not see it, check your spam folder.

Yes. Novia Weddings is free on the App Store, for iPhone. It carries the venues, your messages and the planning tools, and it tells you when a vendor replies. Everything works in a browser as well, so the app is never required. There is no Android app yet.

Novia works on all modern browsers including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. The platform is fully responsive and works on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.