WE ASKED KATE ALL ABOUT A COUPLE'S ENJOYABLE JOURNEY OF PLANNING THEIR WEDDING AND HOW IT EQUALS TO BE THE BEST TIME EVER ON THEIR BIG DAY.

1) WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WEDDING AND EVENTS PLANNER?

I HAVE BEEN PLANNING GLAMOROUS EVENTS AND WEDDINGS AS KATE EDMONDS EVENTS LTD SINCE 1993 FOR FAMILIES, COMPANIES, AND INDIVIDUALS WITH GOOD TASTE AND A CURIOUS MIND. MY CLIENTS ARE INTERESTED IN CREATING AN ORIGINAL EXPERIENCE FOR THEIR FRIENDS, FAMILIES, AND COLLEAGUES THAT ARE TRULY TAILORED TO THEM.

2) GIVE US SOME DO’S AND DON’TS FOR THE BRIDE AND GROOM WHEN ASSEMBLING THEIR WEDDING PARTY.

PUTTING TOGETHER A SUCCESSFUL BRIDAL PARTY REQUIRES MORE GENUINE EFFORT THAN ONE WOULD THINK. HOW YOU INVITE A MEMBER OF THE WEDDING PARTY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE LATER GOOD FEELINGS ON YOUR WEDDING DAY. WHETHER IT BE A NICE DINNER TOGETHER, A FORMAL LETTER, AN ANNOUNCEMENT AT A SMALL GATHERING, ETC. IT’S ALWAYS APPRECIATED. IT IS AN HONOR TO BE ASKED AND THE ASKING SHOULD REFLECT THAT. YOUR BEST MAN SHOULD BE MATURE, KIND, SUPPORTIVE, RELIABLE, AND A GOOD PUBLIC SPEAKER. IT’S A BIG JOB! DON'T PICK YOUR BRIDAL PARTY BASED ON PAYBACKS FOR BEING IN SOMEBODY ELSE’S WEDDING OR JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU SHOULD OTHERWISE, YOU WON’T BE HAPPY IN THE END AS THEY ARE NOT AS INVESTED IN YOUR BIG DAY.

3) REALISTIC GOALS OF A COUPLE FOR PLANNING THEIR WEDDING, WHAT ARE SOME ISSUES?

SIZE MATTERS… THE BIG QUESTION IS, HOW MANY GUESTS ARE ATTENDING THE WEDDING? DECIDE ON THAT FIRST PLEASE, AND THEN YOU KNOW THE WHERE MORE EASILY. BUDGET IS KEY, SOMETIMES OPEN-ENDED, NOT ALWAYS HOWEVER. GATHER THE CONTRIBUTORS AND AGREE ON A BUDGET NUMBER YOU CAN LIVE WITH BEFORE YOU START THE PLANNING PROCESS. HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS; CONSULT WITH AN EXPERT TO HELP WITH THAT. 

4) SPEAKING OF AN ENJOYABLE WEDDING, HOW DOES A COUPLE ACHIEVE THAT?

TRY NOT TO GET DISTRACTED BY WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS UP TO, ITS JUST NOISE. BE TRUE TO YOURSELVES. RATHER THAN A TRENDY WEDDING RECEPTION, AIM FOR A TIMELESS ONE. ON THE DAY, BIG WEDDING OR SMALL, PLEASE SOCIALIZE TOGETHER AS A COUPLE. IF YOU GUYS ARE BLISSFULLY HAPPY, EVERYONE ELSE WILL CATCH THE LOVE BUG. 

5) HOW DO YOU KNOW THE PROCESS IS GOING WELL?

YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY STILL LIKE YOU, YOUR HAVING A BLAST WITH YOUR INTENDED, AND YOU CAN STILL PAY YOUR BILLS. 

6) DO MANNERS AND PROTOCOL MATTER IN THIS DAY IN AGE? IS THERE ANY NEW ETIQUETTE?

ETIQUETTE ISN’T TOO COMPLICATED; IT IS ABOUT RESPECT FOR OTHERS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. ALSO BEING THOUGHTFUL HELPS LIFE TO RUN SMOOTHLY. FORMAL ETIQUETTE BEGAN FOR A REASON AND MUCH OF IT STILL WORKS WELL TODAY. YOUR WEDDING PLANNER SHOULD GUIDE YOU AND HELP YOU FIND A GOOD BALANCE FOR YOUR MODERN LIFE. 

7) BUY THE DRESS 1ST OR CHOOSE THE VENUE? DOES IT MATTER?

NEWLY ENGAGED: DREAM ALL YOU LIKE, BUT SAVE YOUR WEDDING DRESS APPOINTMENTS AND THE EXPERTS THAT HOST THEM UNTIL YOU HAVE FOUND YOUR CEREMONY LOCATION, RECEPTION SITE, SIZE OF YOUR WEDDING, TIME OF DAY, AND THE CLIMATE YOU WILL BE MAKING THOSE PROMISES IN, THEN YOU WILL BE ARMED WITH SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO INVEST IN THE BEST DRESS FOR YOUR VERY SPECIAL DAY. 

8) LET’S SAY THE BRIDE AND GROOM HAVE THEIR PLANNING SET, DO THEY NEED PLANNER FOR THE DAY OF AND IF SO, WHY?

UNLESS YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WANT TO WORK YOUR WEDDING, HIRE AN EXPERT THAT SUPPORTS YOUR DAY. I USUALLY FIND “DAY OF” IS REALLY “MONTH OF,” HOWEVER IT’S SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO CORRECT PROBLEMS I.E. TIMING OR MISSING PARTS LAST MINUTE. I PREFER TO SEE CLIENTS FOR A CONSULTATION AS THEY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, ONCE A MONTH FOR AN HOUR OR TWO SO THE WEDDING DAY IS SMOOTH AND ENJOYABLE FOR ALL. 

9) HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN EMERGENCY ISSUE DURING THE WEDDING DAY, IF SO WHAT HAVE SOME OF THEM BEEN? 

I HAVE BEEN ORCHESTRATING WEDDINGS FOR OVER 20 YEARS, SO YES I HAVE SEEN SOME THINGS THAT WERE CONCERNING. ONCE THE FATHER OF THE BRIDE, A DOCTOR, APPEARED TO BE HAVING A HEART ATTACK ON A ROOF DECK, THANK HEAVENS I WAS AN RN IN MY FIRST CAREER! HE RECOVERED, APPARENTLY OVERCOME WITH JOY, JUST IN TIME TO GIVE A STELLAR SPEECH FOR THE CAKE CUTTING.

AT ANOTHER SUMMER WEDDING OF MINE, THE BRIDE SLIPPED AND DIRTIED HER DRESS RIGHT AFTER THE CEREMONY. I USED HER WHITE FINE PASHMINA AND CREATED A DRAPE OVER THE OFFENDING PART TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IT WAS DESIGNED THAT WAY, I CERTAINLY COULD NOT DO IT AGAIN. SHE WAS ALSO A DOCTOR COINCIDENTALLY!

LAST WEEK, A LITTLE CHAP IN THE CHURCH WAS CRYING, AS HE DIDN’T HAVE A FLOWER ON HIS JACKET LIKE HIS DAD, SO I PLUCKED ONE FROM A BRIDESMAID’S BOUQUET AND MADE HIM SMILE. 

10) WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU GIVE A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING?

THIS IS THE FIRST BIG EVENT WHERE THE WORLD SEES YOU AS A COUPLE TOGETHER, SET YOUR OWN TONE. IT IS A CELEBRATION, NOT A CHORE. ENJOY AND BE MERRY AND THE WORLD WILL DANCE WITH YOU BOTH.