Ever wonder how a wedding planning business works its magic? How venues and vendors are contacted? How an engaged couples vision comes to fruition? I decided to give you all a glimpse into the process. From the moment you say "yes!" to the moment you say, "I do!"-it's hard work, yes, but it's beautifully worth, every step of the way.
Every couple has their own style, every couple is unique, and their wedding vision showcases that for their special day. I have worked with many different couples to know that each experience is different, yet vibrant in their own way. When I have a consult, I make sure to ask the all-important question: "What do you see when you think about your wedding day?", leaving no detail out. The answers are typically; romantic, whimsical, modern, classic, simplistic, warm, traditional, non-traditional, etc.
I have spent years studying and practicing how to bring through a couple’s vision perfectly for their wedding day. Whether it was studying art history, various religions, cultural history or even basic decor information-I'm constantly craving new information and new approaches fused with traditional concepts and romantic aesthetics.
A few weekends ago, myself and my head wedding coordinator, Irena had two appointments to speak with our brides as we embarked on planning their lovely wedding
day. Our first couple was Caroline and her fiancé, Ty. Caroline grew up in Princeton, New Jersey and they will be married at the house she lived in-it's absolutely stunning. A beautiful garden hugs the home, which makes it ideal for an outdoor wedding. Caroline and Ty both are in the military and served our country for many years, they even were stationed in different states for 4 years while they were dating and made it work.
They expressed their want for a country themed wedding: outdoor tent for the reception, bulb string lighting, romantic florals and a simple feel. Our job is to work through the details of drawing up a floor plan, creating the table arrangement, proper placement of the buffet station, the DJ station, where the dancefloor was going to be placed. Everything from soup to nuts. Every bit of the wedding planning process has to be perfectly executed by organizing every little detail. Other details we work out, that you probably wouldn't even think of are researching for eco-friendly mosquito repellents and treatments, outdoor lighting options, the thickness of the outdoor tent to ensure that the bride, groom and all of their guests are dancing the night away underneath the stars.
As Irena and I ironed out all of the possible wedding details, we hopped in our car and drove to Philadelphia to meet up with our second bride. Our bride is a medical student, so needless to say, her schedule is understandably hectic. We had been in contact with her for over 2 months and this was going to be our first official meeting and I couldn't have been more excited. Her and her fiancé are planning on hosting a Hindu wedding, encompassing all their cultural and wedding traditions and I was eager to jump in and help them organize everything.
Traditional Indian weddings are definitely an affair to remember. Normally lasting up to three days (at the family's discretion) and embody all things beautiful: color, entertainment, food, florals-absolutely everything. Fun fact: the first step to any Indian wedding is called "Muhurat", this is the moment where a priest decides the exact date the promised couple can be married. The bride and both her families spent hours choosing the perfect date and they decided on the month of September (we're keeping their exact date a secret!).
With assisting in planning a traditional Hindu wedding, accommodations like traveling, hotel blocking, and transportation are ESSENTIAL. Usually, Indian ceremonies and receptions call for up to 500 guests, if not more and all accommodations must be easily accessible-especially for the family members and friends who will be traveling. Our couple wants to showcase the elegance of an Indian wedding with the amazing entertainment, venue and detail in the best way possible and Irena and I will see to that. We spent the majority of our Saturday afternoon meeting, with Bride #2, going over the wedding date, decor and placement concepts and the overall tone she wanted to convey.
The background movement that goes into a wedding day is truly spectacular. The fact that I'm right in the middle of it all is what makes me fall in love with my business over and over again. The months, the days, the hours, the minutes that bring us all to this final product is incredibly rewarding. Not one wedding I've planned, coordinated and organized has been identical and I love that. Each wedding has its own special little identifier that sets itself apart from the wedding that came before it. This is the individuality and uniqueness that I was explaining in the start of A Day in the Life.
All the phone calls, all the dates being scheduled, all the floor plans, the confirmation emails, the meetings, the patterns, the textiles, the photographer, the cake creation, the running around, the 12-16-hour days-all worth it when you see the look on everyone's face when they say "I do" in a beautifully planned space.
