The Bridal Blog

^ photo by Heather Bohm-Tallman

1.) How did you get into wedding planning?
I actually took a pretty roundabout path to get to where I am now. In today’s world every channel you turn on you see a wedding related show, but back when I was going to school (10+ years ago) colleges weren’t offering wedding or event planning studies so I really didn’t even know about this kind of career. I studied biology and sociology, and found myself in retail and human resource management after graduating. Through my work with some large corporations I was able to get involved in the planning and execution of some of their major internal and public events. I found myself loving these event planning projects much more than any other part of my “real” job! At that time I had several friends and family members getting married and I naturally fell into the role of the planner throughout their process. Wedding planning just felt like the perfect fit for my personality and skill set, and I really fell in love with everything about it from the very beginning. It was at this time that I realized that I had found my calling and with a little effort I officially opened Wedding Planning Plus in the spring of 2007. And the rest, as they say, is history!

2.) What’s your favorite part at every wedding?
What a tough question! There are so many aspects of a wedding that I love – standing with the bride in that last moment before she walks down the aisle, hearing my couples say their vows to each other, looking around the room at their family and friends when they start their first dance – all of it is just so wonderful! My couples are really so much more to me than clients and I honestly feel everything they’re feeling throughout their wedding day. And being a part of that day with them is really the most special feeling for me.

3.) What’s the biggest “bride emergency” you helped fix the day of the ceremony?
Ohhh boy! Last summer I had a wedding on the Colgate University campus for a bride and groom who had met there while at college. Everything was going perfectly that day – the guys were dressed and ready when I needed them to be, the tent was set up and the decorations looked beautiful, vendors were arriving on time – I was a happy planner. When it came time to begin the ceremony everything was still running perfectly – I tucked the bride to the side of the doorway so she wouldn’t be seen, I lined up and cued the parents down the aisle, and then each bridesmaid to go down. As the maid of honor walked through I turned and signaled my bride to come towards me and then I heard RIPPP! As she took a step forward my bride’s shoe caught and ripped a large section of the tulle on the inner layer of her dress and now the whole length of fabric was hanging out from under her dress in a pile in front of her. She gasped, looked down, and her veil fell out of her hair! This is all while her wedding song is playing and the whole chapel was on their feet waiting for her to walk in!! Not good! I always carry an emergency kit with me on wedding day which is filled with every little thing you could even possibly need, but when I am cuing people down the aisle for a ceremony I need my hands free so I always set it aside somewhere. My kit was right beside her so I opened it up, grabbed my travel scissors, took one look at her and said, “I’m going to cut it out, ok?” She nodded – I snipped and threw the torn fabric to the side – then I told her to pick up her head, I secured the veil back in, and then rushed her over to the doorway to make her grand entrance. The whole ordeal lasted a total of about 30 seconds and no one even knew what had just happened!! Thankfully she had a planner and her planner had a kit and all of that was resolved as quickly as it was! Man that could have been really bad but thankfully everything worked out and it made for a great story for her to tell everyone at the reception!! :)

^ photo of the actual ceremony by John Seakwood

4.) Why do you think couples should hire a wedding planner?
This one’s easy – Brides and grooms are busy people who want a perfect wedding day and don’t want to have to spend a second of their big day stressing or worrying. It’s really as simple at that! Most wedding planners in the area are like me, offering packages in wedding planning, day-of wedding coordination, and also offering packages of those two services together. It is 100% worth it to look into using a planner for some or all of the services we provide because no matter what your needs are or what your budget supports you will benefit greatly from having a professional by your side who can save you time, money, and unwanted stress. Ask any bride who has worked with a professional wedding planner and they will tell you it was the best decision they made – and any bride who cut a planner out of their vendor list and they’ll say they wish they never had.

5.) Which part do you enjoy most about the planning process?
Oh! End with another tough question! If I could answer “all of it” then I would, but I know that’s a bit cheesy. I guess what I love the most is seeing everything come together for a couple and really develop their vision in front of their eyes. That begins with our very first meeting talking about their likes and dislikes, their style, and what they want out of their dream wedding. From there I find them top venues that match what they like, and top vendors who will provide the services that they are looking for. As I work through each interview and each decision it’s like seeing another layer of the gift being unwrapped. One piece at a time they start to get an extra little glimpse at excitement until they finally can see the whole event in front of them and realize the grand beauty of what their wedding day will be. Of course, and quite obviously, the absolute best moment of all is seeing their faces as they stand together for a sneak peek of their reception tent, room, or banquet hall. Watching them take in that final moment where they realize it’s all real and it’s all absolutely spectacular – those are the moments when I really feel that I have the best job in the world and I truly know that I love what I do.