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Whilst attending University in the United States (prior to commencing my TV Producing career in New York), I worked in hospitality – this is where my interest in Weddings and Events sparked. But back then, Wedding Planning and Styling as a career wasn’t popular or lucrative, so I ignored my love for this type of work to pursue a career in television and greater financial stability.
The decision to move into Events came after admitting to myself that this was where my real passion lay and by then the industry was growing. On reflection, I realised that what I gravitated towards most throughout my television career was organisation, planning and hosting – all things that apply to running Weddings and Events too. I found myself more interested in location scouting and design rather than writing. I also loved to create the rundown (TV term), most commonly known in the event space as the timeline or runsheet. Although I didn’t know it at the time, I was acquiring skills that I would later come to heavily rely on in my wedding work.
In 2018 my Australian husband and I made the decision to move to Australia and I subsequently launched the first incarnation of my business, Evenio Events. But after a year and a half, Weddings were calling me. In 2020 I relaunched the business as Evenio Weddings and Events and I haven’t looked back!
What’s one part of the wedding I can skip—and never miss?
I approach every wedding and every couple getting married as unique – so the answer to this question will potentially be different for everyone. Having said that, there are a number of traditions that many couples choose to skip – traditions that they, nor their guests would miss.
Some are simply outdated and others reflect a growing confidence amongst couples to plan a wedding day that is uniquely them and includes only the elements they connect with.
These traditions include:
– Not seeing each other before the ceremony in favour of a first look, getting ready together or walking down the aisle together
– Asking guests to choose a side to sit on at the ceremony based on who they are related to or were friends with first
– Having an Order of Service Booklet – this is rarely missed at a very short civil ceremony
– Traditional order of speeches in favour of just one or two speeches or none at all
– Garter and bouquet toss
– A formal exit from the reception prior to guests departing
What are some tips as an industry expert you can share about wedding planning?
Wedding Planning is always more seamless and less complicated when some important decisions are made before deciding on a venue or selecting vendors. When these decisions are made first, they provide a strong foundation for the rest of the planning. In fact, it’s difficult to move forward with wedding planning without the couple answering these questions first:
When do you want to get married? Every decision hinges on the date. Some couples have a specific date for sentimental reasons. Where possible I encourage some flexibility and 2-3 preferred dates.
What’s your budget? This is the step I see engaged couples overlook most often when they come to me later on in their planning process and it almost always leads to an issue – usually a shortfall in funds for the items that still need to be booked and paid for.
What’s your Wedding Day Vision & Priorities? Over the many months of planning a wedding a couple has many, many decisions to make. And whilst they don’t have to be on the same page about every one of those decisions it’s important to be on the same page about the important ones. And being on that same page requires a conversation about what’s important to them individually and as a couple.
Who would you like to invite? How many people the couple intends to invite will impact the budget, choice of venue and even the style of wedding they choose. There is no point planning an intimate wedding at the restaurant where they met and seats 35, if they simply can’t get the guest list under 120. Whilst they don’t have to draw up a final guest list now, they should have some idea of numbers.
How do couples make sure their wedding feels true to who they are?
In my previous answer I referred to Vision & Priorities. I encourage my clients to talk to each other about what these are before making any big decisions about the style of their day or what elements should or should not be included.
This conversation is an excellent way for a couple to share with each other what comes to mind when they think about their wedding. It’s normal to agree on some things and not on others. Which means the couple may need to compromise and even negotiate with one another. I consider this to be a good thing. Doing this work is the first step towards a couple having a wedding that feels true to who they are. A Wedding Planner like myself can guide the couple through this process. One of the things I enjoy most is helping my couples to design a day that is uniquely them – when the wedding day is a reflection of the couple it is so much more enjoyable and memorable for them and their guests.
There are a lot of over-the-top details in magazines—do brides to be need those in their wedding?
I love beautiful details and enjoy keeping up with the latest trends in weddings – and many of my clients do too. But, that doesn’t mean over the top details or following trends are must haves for any wedding. A couple’s wedding should be a unique expression of them and what brings them joy.
And here’s something else to consider; as beautiful as a detail you see in a magazine is, it can detract from the overall look of the wedding if not considered as part of the overall design. As a Wedding Designer I help my couples to design a day that’s cohesive, which means being intentional about each design element. I’m also a creative person. If my client has their heart set on an over the top detail, but they don’t have the budget or it doesn’t quite fit with the design, my job is to interpret what it is about the detail that my client loves and use that as inspiration for creating something unique that will work.
There is also a lot to be said for simplicity in wedding design. Many of my clients embrace the sophistication of simple details.
Any ideas for what to do the day after the wedding?
As a Wedding Planner it’s my job to help my couples relax and enjoy their wedding day alongside their guests. But there’s no denying that it is an intense day for a couple – they are the centre of attention for hours and hours and that can be very overwhelming and tiring.
The day after on the other hand – well that’s another story. It’s a day to soak it all in and enjoy the feeling of lightness that comes from knowing the big day and all the planning is over.
First things first on the day after – sleep in. Leave the cleaning and packing up to the professionals and spend the morning together.
And then, unless the couple is heading away on their Honeymoon, a nice way to spend the latter part of the day is with close family and friends. A late brunch or lunch is perfect and especially nice if they have ‘out of town’ guests who they’ll want to catch up with anyway.
I recommend keeping this event very relaxed. But in saying that, I also recommend planning it ahead of time – so all the couple needs to do is show up and enjoy themselves.
You can connect with Evenio Weddings & Events here:
https://www.facebook.com/evenio.com.au
