BEST WEDDING EVER! SERIES: AN EVENT DESIGNER’S ROLE
What exactly is an event designer? Should you hire one? Is that a fancy name for an event planner? What if I’m just awesome enough to do everything myself? These are questions that may be running through your brain right now. I reached out to my friend Chelsea, of Details by Chelsea Ann who happens to be a New England event designer and designed the Lavender Pond Farm styled shoot from last June. She was lovely enough to answer some questions about what she does, and give some tips to brides as well.
What is an event designer’s role in wedding planning?
An event designer deals with the jaw dropping aesthetics. This is where the ‘wow’ factor comes in. They take your vision and turn it into something obtainable with your style and budget in mind. They deal with colors, décor, lighting and custom design elements to give your event a cohesive look.
Should a couple hire both an event designer and an event planner?
Every couple has different needs, depending on venue, budget and personality that play a role in hiring wedding professionals to help them execute their wedding day. If you can, then having both a designer and planner on your wedding day team will ensure that your dream day is covered in both flow and aesthetic.
If a couple has a limited budget and had to choose an area or aesthetic element to focus resources on, what would you suggest?
It is really all about ranking priorities and the answer to this is going to be different for each couple. I truly believe that the design elements of a wedding are more than just pretty things strategically placed around a venue but rather a reflection of the couples faith, family, tradition and hospitality.
That being said in general I think that chairs and linens make the largest impact. When you walk into a reception space these are the two items that tend to draw attention first because they occupy the most visual space.
What is your favorite thing to work on?
I love working on custom design installations! While sourcing and staging is a huge part of what I do, there is something creatively satisfying about taking a unique idea and making it come to life through hands on labor and love!
What are your top 3 tips for brides?
Be YOU. Don’t worry about what’s in or trendy. Sit down together and throw out five adjectives that describe what you want your reception to look like. You would be surprised at what comes out when speaking from the heart. You can then tailor these adjectives to assist in choosing a venue and ultimately the design aesthetic for the entire day.
Choose the right vendors. Your vendors are your wedding day tribe. Not only are you going to be working with them throughout the entire planning process but they are going to be present at your wedding. You don’t want to just choose a wedding vendor. You want to choose a wedding vendor that you cannot imagine your wedding without. Make sure that you have a consultation to ensure that your personalities and styles mesh well. It is important to be on the same page so that you will have a great working relationship. The best is when that relationship extends past the wedding day!
Keep it intimate. For some people a couple hundred person soirée is what they envision for their wedding day but most brides that keep it small do not regret their decision. Guest lists tend to grow and grow to the point of obligation. The more intimate you keep it the more time there will be to actually attend your own party with your guests. Try cutting your guest list by 20% and see how you feel about it.
Is there anything couples should avoid or skip at their wedding?
I think that in general formal wedding traditions are taking a backseat to letting a couple find their own visual voice.
As far as a tangible item you can skip out on – I would probably say favors. As much as I love putting together a creative favor unless it is something edible chances are it is going to be forgotten or thrown away within a few weeks. Choosing to forgo favors can save you a few hundred dollars that can be used on something that will affect your guests more directly such as your food.
Thank you so much to Chelsea for all of these helpful tips, and if you are in need of some of her beautiful services for your wedding, you can find more information on her website: detailsbychelseaann.com
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