Being Bridget

image via Everly Event Planning & Design

Krystle, let’s start off with a little bit of your background! How long have you been in the business? How did you know you wanted to be a wedding planner? What are you favorite parts about being a wedding planner?

Gosh, growing up I always had a hunch, but after interning with a luxury event planning company throughout my senior year of college, I knew that I was destined for a career in planning and design! It was with five years of combined training and professional experience as an Events Manager and In-House Wedding Planner that, in early 2015, Everly Event Planning & Design, a New Orleans-based event and wedding planning Company was born to satisfy my entrepreneurial yearning and indulge my passion for connecting and creating on a grand scale. It’s so exciting to have started my own business in something I’m so passionate about – I adore listening to peoples’ stories, creating and inspiring.
I’m seriously passionate about love, life and people; so, I absolutely LOVE what I do. I consider myself a storyteller- enthusiastically sharing love stories through beautifully bespoke events! Don’t get me wrong, being a wedding planner isn’t all rainbows and butterflies like people often assume: the gig comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility. Two people {and their families!} are trusting YOU to make sure that what they believe is the most important day of their lives, comes to fruition exactly as incredibly as they’ve envisioned it to in their heads. With that being said, it is OH-so rewarding to hear the bride and groom tell you at the end of the day, and again on every anniversary, that their wedding was a dream and that they couldn’t have pulled it off without you. My heart literally skips a beat when I receive a Christmas card from a past client with a picture from their wedding day on it. That’s my favorite aspect of the job: Connecting with clients so genuinely that they turn into friends {who send Christmas cards!} and so closely that I’m able to bring their vision to life as precisely as they’ve imagined!

What are the top 5 things brides should ask their wedding planner?

Other than the obvious “How much and what does that include?”, I believe brides should be sure to ask:

1. Will YOU, the planner, be there on my wedding day?
2. How long will you {or your representative} be there for on my wedding day? 
3. How many events do you take in one day?
4. What are your office hours {i.e. when will you respond to email, phone calls, etc.}
5. Will I be collaborating with you directly, with other members of your team, or a mixture of both during the planning process?

How should I know when I’ve found the right planner for me? 

I’m a firm believer that connection is key! You can have the most beautiful vision in the world and the planner can be the most talented person in the biz,  but if y’all don’t genuinely like each other… well, it’s just not going to be a smooth or fun process. And, of course, that’s the whole point of hiring a wedding planner: to make the wedding planning process as carefree and enjoyable as possible for you! Do you actually want to hang out with this person? Is conversation easy? Do y’all laugh like friends and talk about your lives or is it very formal and strictly business? If y’all “click” and you’re confident in being able to not only develop the working relationship you would expect from your planner, but a friendship… you’ve probably found the right one!

Let’s talk about pricing (in general!) How do I know how much it will cost? Is there a flat feee? Is it priced out per hour? What do you think is best? 

Different planners offer different services and price their services different ways! Try saying that 10x fast! Some planners charge a flat fee while others opt for a flat fee plus a percentage of your vendor contracts. While a flat fee is a little more outrightly clear for budget purposes, if your planner is charging a percentage he/she should provide you with an estimate early on in the planning process so that you have an idea of what to expect overall. Generally, though, you should assume that the more complex your wedding day details, the higher the planning/design fee. For example, my fee would not be the same for a simple 50 guest buffet reception as an elaborate 300 guest sit-down dinner. A good rule of thumb is to expect the cost of your planner to be about 10% of your budget for full planning/design.

How many ‘types’ of wedding planners are there? (i.e., wedding consultant, coordinator, producer, stylist, architect….they often wear so many hats!)

Oh gosh, I probably couldn’t tell you all of the different types of planners out there! On one hand niche markets are popping up in the wedding planning industry all of the time. On the other hand, there are a handful of fancy titles us wedding planners use that are actually synonymous with each other. There certainly is a difference, though, between: A) Somebody who only plans/coordinates weddings {Think: logistics only}, B) Somebody who only style/designs weddings and C) Somebody who does both. Make sure that your “planner’s” abilities and offerings are inline with your needs! This should all be clearly outlined in the provider’s package information.

One common misconception, though, is that a couple doesn’t need to hire a planner if their wedding venue has a coordinator. An independent wedding planner and an in-house venue coordinator are very different. Ultimately, the venue coordinator is there to oversee the operations of the venue only {food and beverage stations if in-house catering, venue staff, the lights are on, the air is working, etc.} while the wedding planner is there to oversee your entire event from start to finish- to take care of YOU and make sure all aspects of your vision are carried out correctly. Take all of the preliminary planning out of it, on the day-of alone, the wedding planner will: Prompt the bride and groom of important moments {special dances, cake cutting, toasts, etc.}, oversee setup of rental items and décor according to design plans {tables, chairs, linens}, be the point of contact for outside vendors, distribute remaining balances and tips to outside vendors, and oversee teardown {including making sure that all of your gifts and personal items don’t get left behind!}. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

What are the most important ‘contract’ questions? What should I be on the lookout for?

It’s important to know what, if heaven forbid, your planner cannot make your wedding {he/she falls ill, has a personal emergency, etc.}, what happens? Will you get a replacement planner? Will you get a partial or full refund?

Also, if your chosen package includes a specific number of design hours, working hours on the wedding day or anything of the sort – what is the hourly rate if additional hours are needed?

Are there any major trends you are seeing these days that you love? What about ones that you hate?

I LOVE that couples are starting to move away from a reception layout based solely on the standard large round tables and are instead opting for either farm/rectangular tables or a mix of long tables and round tables. This creates a much more inviting, intimate vibe, in my opinion! Burlap and chevron seem to be a thing of the past now and I can’t say I’m sad about that! Sorry!

What are your top tips for couples planning their big day?  

Don’t sweat the small stuff and remember that, at the end of the day, your wedding is about marrying your best friend. SO cliche, I know… but so true!! Repeat after me: My guests will never know if I was supposed to have personalized napkins at the bar or not. Don’t get me wrong: I am ALL about the personal details; but, I’ve seen couple’s get so focused on the “look” of their ceremony/reception that on the wedding day, they’re more concerned with knowing the candles are in the right place than remembering their vows. The wedding day goes by so quickly; make the most of it by trusting your planner to take care of all of the details, being in the moment and allowing yourself to have FUN!

Last but not least, I’m so excited to show y’all some of Krystle’s latest work {here & here & below!} – she is so insanely talented, and I can’t wait to see how she helps execute our big day! Thank you so much to Krystle for giving us such great insight and for being as sweet as always! 

xx

B