About
you:
·
Any
Nicknames:
o
Ash,
Carp, ACarps (My Friends are Very Creative) J
·
Favorite
color:
o
Purple
·
Favorite
Television Show:
o
The
Real Housewives (Any City) & Vanderpump Rules (Reality Television is a
guilty pleasure of mine)
o
Parks
& Recreation
o
Nashville
o
All
of my favorite shows sadly do not air anymore: One Tree Hill, The Office, &
Friday Night Lights
·
What
you like to do in your spare time:
o
Spend
time with my family, boyfriend, friends & my puppy!
o
I
belong to the UFC Gym where I box & kickbox (overall love to be active)
o
Snowboard
o
Concerts
& sporting events
o
I
am constantly dancing (Have been since I was 3)
Why
did you become a Wedding Planner?
·
When
I first attended Illinois State University, I went in as a Nursing Major… which
I figured out very quickly that it was not for me. Looking for advice from my friends &
family on what to do next, 100% of them said that I should be an Event Planner
of some sort. From a very early age, I
have constantly planned everything from Family Vacations, to Birthday Parties,
to even hanging out with my friends. So
I switched majors, and actually did an Internship with Oliveaire, an internship
at The Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, SC, & one with Paulette Wolf
Events in Chicago, & fell in love with this industry! Everything from utilizing my skills and
working with people, to creating a dream day for my clients & the rush I
get on the day-of the event, is something that has totally captured me and assures
me that I am in the right line of work!
I absolutely love what I do, and it comes across in my work & my events!
What
is your favorite part of planning a wedding?
·
There
are so many reasons why I love planning Weddings! First off, I love getting to know the
couple’s story, getting to know them personally, & creating a bond with
them that grows throughout our Planning process. I believe it is so important to really get to
know your clients & to form a trusting relationship! I am planning the biggest day of their lives,
and I want them to trust me 110% and to know that I am there for them no matter
what!
·
I
also love the feeling that I get on-site & when I get into “Planner mode”. Making sure everything is absolutely perfect
& seeing all of my hard work come together to create the couple’s Dream
Wedding, is such a great feeling!
·
But
I have to say the best feeling is seeing how grateful & happy the client
is, & knowing that they will remember this day for the rest of their lives,
and that I was such a big part of that!
I love making people happy, and there truly is no better feeling!
How
would you describe your style as a planner?
·
As
I have mentioned many times, organization is one of my greatest skills, and is
something I use on a day-to-day basis as a planner. As organized & serious as I can be about
my job, I am a very kind & emotionally invested planner, especially when
meeting/chatting with my clients! On-site I am very serious, constantly running
around and checking to make sure that everything is perfect! It is my goal to stay on-time, and that all
the details are exactly how the client wanted it! Once everything falls into place, I start to
relax & really enjoy being there & directing/assisting where
needed. I make sure the client is
constantly happy, fed & enjoying their day.
What
one piece of advice would you give to a newly engaged couple?
·
Advice
that I would give a newly engaged couple is do your research, start planning
right away, give yourself enough time to plan all of your details, and most
importantly, enjoy the planning process & especially enjoy your wedding
day! This only happens once, and you do
not want to look back on these months, years, and on your special day as a
negative & stressful time! This is
exactly why we recommend hiring a planner, it is the Wedding Gift to yourself
that keeps on giving. Allow an expert to
guide & assist you with details that you may not have thought of before, or
do not want to stress about! On the
day-of your event, be the Bride & Groom, and allow your family &
friends to be the family & friends, and allow your planner to be the one
setting up inventory, checking in vendors & confirming their and the
venue’s set-up, and making sure everything is going according to plan. Like I said before, it’s your Wedding Day,
enjoy it to the fullest & focus on the perfect moments & the ones you
love the most!
Do
you have a favorite wedding moment or event?
·
My
favorite event was a beautiful wedding this past December, & the Bride, the
Groom & their families could not have been more kind & loving! The whole planning process was an amazing
experience & the client was constantly available, always so generous &
appreciative, and I not only got to know the Bride as a client, but as a friend
as well! The event went perfectly, and
they deserved every perfect moment of it!
Not only was I thanked many times on-site, I received a letter from the
Bride, telling me how appreciative she was and how happy she was about the
entire planning process & especially how her event went! When I still read her letter, it gives me so
much happiness & gives me the confidence that this is what I am supposed to
do!
How
would you describe what you do every day?
·
Another
reason why I love my job, is that my days are NEVER the same! From meetings
with clients, venues & vendors, to completing necessary paperwork, and
constantly on my email & phone calls answering questions that my clients or
vendors may have. I also assisted in
creating our Global Event Resource Certification Conferences, and have our
first ever conference in April, so I have been very busy with this as well!
What
advice would you give someone who wants to start working in the event industry?
·
Make
sure that you are EXTREMELY organized, are able to multi-task, and love working
with people. If you can’t say that you
are able to do all of these three things, than this business may not be for
you.
·
Also,
be prepared to work weekends & nights!
99.9% of weddings happen during the weekend, and most clients cannot
meet or take a call until after they are done with work, so make sure you are
100% okay with this before joining this industry.
·
You
are about to go into a career that may be very overwhelming at times, but I
promise, if you really have a passion for planning & providing the services
capable of producing a couple’s dream day, than it will also bring you so much
happiness! Passion is the most important
thing to have for this business, and if you have that, it will shine through
your work & your events!
