So last year, I had a wedding at Hidden Meadows in Snohomish, WA….and I got to meet Brittany. She was running around, keeping things going…all with a great attitude and a smile! The wedding was amazing…..and she still had enough energy at the end and jump into the Funbooth! That is when I knew we would be great friends! Because I have been shooting weddings for 7+ years, I have seen the value in having a point person for the day of the wedding, so the bride and groom can jump on the Wedding Day Ride, and just enjoy! A common misconception is that a Wedding Planner is just too expensive for an average bride. But the truth is that this is Brittany’s everyday job….which means she knows the ins and outs, tips and tricks that can help you get your dream wedding, while staying in your budget.
I got to hang out with Brittany the other day and we did a little shoot at Western Washington University.
Here is more with my interview with Brittany…Wedding and Event Planner Extraordinaire!
- What makes you happy?
My husband, my faith and my dog-from there life pretty much rocks, especially when it involves a really great pair of shoes (and I mean GREAT pair of shoes!), evenings spent with friends, great wine, wii parties (great wine AT wii parties ;), sunny afternoons, the great outdoors, movie nights, cooking and, of course, my job!
- What do you love about weddings?
Weddings, no matter how simple or over the top, are all about two people from different lives and backgrounds coming together to show to world that this is the person they want to spend their lives with. There’s something so comforting and at the same time so amazing about that.
- Why did you decide to start a wedding planning/event planning business?
I have always loved weddings and entertaining. As I finalized my BA I was torn between the security of a full time job and starting my own company. After spending a few years taking the “secure route”, I realized that being passionate about what I did each day, meant so much more. I enjoy waking up each day with enthusiasm, I enjoy helping couples coordinate and design one of the biggest days of their lives and I absolutely love what I do!
- Do you have any favorite wedding blogs that you like to read and get ideas from?
Oh, so many! It depends on what I’m researching for a client, but some of my favorites include Style Me Pretty, Snippet and Ink, Once Wed, Wedding Bee Pro, Earth Friendly Weddings and Eco Chic Weddings.
- Do you come up with the ideas for the weddings, or does the bride? How does that work?
It depends on the bride. I have the occasional client that knows exactly what she wants and how it’s going to happen. But for most of my clients, they simply have an idea of what they want and we take it from there by compiling ideas that are in keeping with their theme and budget, creating storyboards that include décor, layout, food, etc and bringing our clients the resources to begin visualizing their day!
- How does do you charge? By the hour, flat fee, percentage of the overall cost?
My company charges a flat rate for coordination based on what the client needs from us and how much labor we need to provide to make their day come to life. Every bride deserves her dream day and pricing our services this way allows us to work with a variety of clients..
- What if the bride wants something really cheezy or something that just doesn’t really work?
If something will cause issues at the event, I will always talk to my brides about it. I want them to have a perfect wedding and they want to have a perfect wedding. Sometimes they don’t realize that something they have chosen might not work well and that’s ok! If I ever have to talk to my brides about a problem, I always have an alternative choice available so they can still have the wedding they want.
As far as any cheese…well, cheese is in the eye of the beholder! It’s not my wedding, it’s my clients’ and if they want something that I find totally cheesy, that’s fine, if it makes them happy. Now if it’s something that will just throw off the event visually, logistically, emotionally, I opt for the plan above ;)
- Do you ever meet a client and decide that you can’t work with them?
Yes, although it doesn’t happen often! I love working with people and there are very few in the world that don’t get along with! But if it doesn’t work out, that’s totally fine. This is the biggest reason that we prefer to offer our pricing and additional company information at face-to-face consultations. We want to make sure that we are going to be a good fit for and want the same for our clients.
- What are your ideal clients like?
Our ideal clients begin working with us early in their engagement-this allows us to help them find the right vendors from the beginning and bring in unique and detailed ideas to make their wedding all about them and completely unique. We also love brides and grooms that aren’t afraid to try something different and are willing to let us bring in some new ideas and décor pieces that will blow them away when they arrive at their wedding!
- Has there ever been a potential total disaster that was avoided with your amazing skills?
Occasinally, there have crazy things that have happened but I’m happy to say, our brides never knew about them! We’ve had vendors that forget parts of the buffet, bouquets not delivered, DJ’s setting up in front of guests when the ceremony is supposed to be beginning, a ripped groom’s shirt, and more! At every event we have two mondo emergency kits that resolve almost anything. If not, we always have an extra staff member on hand that will get flowers to us so we can whip up a bouquet to match the others, or move décor around so that the bride doesn’t lose the look she wanted and most of all stay calm so the bride can continue relaxing and enjoying her wedding day.
- Is there anything you wished brides knew about wedding planners that they might not know?
Many brides think of a wedding planning as a luxury or someone who’s going to take away the fun of planning their wedding. Not true! Wedding planners do more then set up tables and chairs: we research vendors for you so when it comes to scheduling vendor meetings, we’ve already found ones that have demonstrated quality work, fit your style and are available on your date. We also review contracts and negotiate with other companies, schedule appointments, attend meetings, and offer etiquette and overall wedding advice.
When it comes to design, we help create an overall look so brides have the wedding they want, even if they don’t know how to achieve it. We can often visualize the final product and work with our brides to find the right level of event décor to fit their style.
You don’t get married everyday and we offer the know how and advice to help you plan your wedding beautifully so you can enjoy every second!
- Do you have any favorite venues that you’ve work at, or would like to?
Loved working at Hidden Meadows, Lairmont Manor and Semiahmoo Resort
A few places I would love to work in include Herban Feast at Sodo Park in Seattle, Treehouse Point in Issaquah or Pravda Studios: three very different places with a LOT of possibility!
Here’s just a few more from the 
FlipBooks are one of my new favorite things to try with clients now! I just love them (so expect to see a few coming up!).
