WHAT DOES A LUXURY WEDDING PLANNER DO?

What does a luxury wedding planner do? What exactly are you paying for when you hire someone like me?

Wedding professionals refer to themselves as many things and the titles they select often indicate the services they provide. A wedding coordinator, for example, is going to specialize in simply organizing and executing the contracts that you have entered into. A wedding planner will provide you with an overview of your wedding planning needs, introduce you to vendors, and offer some light design work. As you move into the luxury market, things do begin to get a little more complex. Whether referred to as a luxury wedding planner, event designer, or celebrity wedding planner, you expect more from a wedding professional operating at this level.

From the time that I began my business in 2011, I always used the word “luxury" to describe the services that I offered. My tagline reads "Celebrating life, luxury, and above all else… Love."

But what exactly is “luxury” in this space? Many people confuse luxury with money. Luxury is not solely about money. Luxury is personal and on purpose. Luxury is about intention and exclusivity.

Wedding coordinators are available to tie up your loose ends and execute whatever it is that you have planned on the day of the wedding. They take the reigns and simply run your timeline so that you don't have to.

Wedding planners, in many cases, or available to help you complete the tasks on your to-do list. They know what needs to be done from a logistical standpoint, have access to a well-curated list of vendors, and wedding planners will excel at managing the logistics of a day. Generally speaking, wedding planners will be available to answer questions, expose you to services you may not be familiar with, and manage your budget.

A luxury wedding planner is different. Often times considered an event designer, a high-end, luxury wedding planner is the

Celebrating life, luxury, and above all else… Love.  

That statement resonates today. I believe that life is a special occasion, and always worth celebrating. I enjoy luxury in all of its forms. But always, and above all else, the guiding force behind my work is love. Love of what I do, love of the community, and love for the sake of love. What else is there?

My couples are very specific. They are highly educated, successful, and they have a high net worth combined with a level of celebrity and esteem. As such, they require a very specific and specialized level of service. This is not just about checking boxes; our work is about attention. We begin with a phone call; just some time to get to know one another. It is important to me that we communicate well, that we get along and that our conversation flows. Once we decide to work together, we move through the business side of things: contracts, budgets, etc. Then, the real work begins.

Spectacular weddings don’t just happen; they are the product of deep conversations. In the beginning, we don't even talk about the wedding. We start by simply getting to know one another. I want to understand who my clients are on a cellular level. How do you live day to day? Why are you hosting this event? How is your home decorated, and what brands do you love? I want to learn about how you see the world. Tell me what it is that you wish were true. And if the world was a perfect place, what would that look like and feel like?

Once I have a true understanding of your worldview, then I am able to move on to the planning and design process. From the beginning, I have committed to never doing the same event twice. I stand for what is next, not what is now. By that, I mean that I am never going to knock off the work of another planner or designer. Instead, I work to design a room that speaks to you and only you. We begin by sketching the broad strokes and then filling in the smallest details. I will identify the creatives that most strongly align with your vision and work with you to build a team that will bend the world to your will.

Your wedding will, of course, be pretty. But what is pretty without the process? Nothing, it falls flat. It is for that reason that you will never work with an assistant or a coordinator. Our connection, yours and mine, is absolute. We will communicate by phone, email, and messaging. We will share stories and ideas, along with lunches and dinners. Some days will be spent shopping, while others will be spent honeymoon planning.

As we get closer to the date of the wedding my focus will shift away from the creative and on to the logistical. Our timeline will include a comprehensive list of all vendors and partners that will be working on your wedding. We will create an itemized list of deliveries, schedule labor, and bring all of the players to the table so that we can ensure everyone is able to load in and move around properly.

Execution is a dance you perfect over time. There needs to be an understanding of who is doing what, when. Once we begin the load-in process, it is my job to manage the logistical teams that are setting up the room. At any given time, we can have as many as 200 people trying to install carpet, add power drops, build walls, and create custom chandeliers. At the same time, I am checking in with my couple, taking care of their guests, moving them through the process of the rehearsal, and executing our other events. It is a constant cycle of moving between worlds, shifting from left brain to right, while keeping all of the balls in the air.

It is in this controlled chaos that I feel the most alive. There is this ephemeral magic to watching a dream come to life. The emotional return when I reveal the space to my couple, and the excitement of guests as they walk into a space that they could never have imagined. And then, overnight, to watch is all…just…disappear…Fading away, almost as if it were never really real to begin with.

What I do isn’t “box-checking” - it’s art and magic and lucid dreaming all wrapped into one. No words could ever fully explain what I do, which is why I create videos. Watching the process will show you more than I could ever say…

xoxo - a

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