You've hired a wedding planner- What happens now?

You've heard it, hire a wedding planner.

Okay, so then what happens next? We wanted to help you know what to expect from your wedding planner, how to see the difference in a quality & experienced wedding professional compared to someone else on the market. 

They will be responsive to your needs. 

Any wedding professional who has quality experience will work with you. They know enough of the industry to be of help. In conversation with them you will hear their experiences in stories and tips. If your wedding professional is limiting times spent with them, limiting questions, or not offering reviews from trusted sources, be weary. 

Image by: Aly Carrol Photography

Their experience will overflow into conversations. 

Always speak to the wedding planner you are interested in hiring. Websites can be made beautiful, Instagram, and online imagery can be easily persuasive. But, a wedding planner is much more than just pretty pictures! They should be a sounding board for all questions you have. When you ask, their experience should overflow into conversations. And the lessons they have learned along the way are to your benefit. If you are speaking to a wedding planner you like and questions are raised, but no real life examples can be given. I would keep looking!

Image by: Brian Davis Photography

They will be your guide.

Each wedding planner will have their own style. But, they should lead the way. Getting you to the next step. Even if they are NOT a full-service company. A experienced and great wedding planner will be someone who can tell you what to do next, give you estimates on how long things should take, and follow up with you to make sure you are staying on track. If you hire a wedding planner and never hear from them. Think again! 

Image by: Alexander Michl Photography

They will tell you what to expect from other wedding vendors.

No matter if you are looking for vendors or working with ones you've already booked. A good wedding planner should be able to help you navigate what to expect from each of them. If you have questions or concerns with any wedding vendor your planner should know how to handle approach each situation. They will understand the market values and trends and be able to work with you to find or coordinate with each of them. If your wedding planner is not your biggest advocate, find someone who is!

Image by: Brooke Pavel

They will work well with anyone. 

A good wedding planner will always carry themselves with poise. They will first off always respect your wishes, but will easily work well with everyone else involved in your wedding. Including, your one uncle, yeah you know the one. They understand that during this wedding event there are a lot of moving parts, wonderful people, and so many things to get done. They will know how to get the job done and respect the professionalism of each vendor and all your loved ones. If your planner is not getting along with others, I would take this as warning and run! 

Image by: Aly Carrol Photography

Christopher & Niza - Southwest Florida - La Casa Toscana

Between my love of travel, the white sand beaches and this gorgeous couple; do Florida events get any better? I had the pleasure of getting to know Niza and her family at their Southwest Florida home. Although we had a connection through Niza's sister, I had never had the pleasure of meeting either Christopher or Niza until the weekend of their event. 

Planning destination events has been one of my favorite parts of my business. When I started my event planning career 99% of my clients were from over 500+ miles away.

Destination events are where my roots are planted.

The distance in planning did not make them skip a beat. The moment I met Chris & Niza I knew this event would be beautiful. (I mean look at them!)

But, their taste was flawless, their spirits gentle, and their family was so welcoming. With this combination, I knew this event would be one of the best yet! 

AND THIS SPACE IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

I am so honored to share a little of their story with you. 

Tucked away in the Bride's family home in Southwest Florida, La Casa Toscana is one of the best kept secrets in SWFL. I drove up to the house and met Niza for the first time. Her first words, "Wow you're so pretty!" Are you shocked, I was too. But, it wasn't just the first impression that stuck with me. It was what Chris and Niza had built their relationship on; the love of others. Every single vendor and every single guest felt wanted and welcome. It is no surprise when Niza asked if I would help with her last minute floral emergency, my team and I jumped on the opportunity to serve them. There was a hiccup the night before the event and Niza was in need of someone to put together the 2,800 long stem roses and 30,000 white rose petals! Bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces and ceremony decor all had to be done in less than 24 hours. 

Although, I am NO florist!

My team and I did our best. (Pardon my cell photo in the garage).

Bride's Bouquet. The final product!

The evening was closing in and we were wrapping up our floral design for the evening when a piece of floral wire flung into the air and poked me in my left eye! It hurt so badly! Like I said, I am NO florist. Although, I could still see it did not stop the eye from swelling shut. The day of the event, I was shall we say, Pirate Wedding Planner? YES! I had a eye patch and no make up on half of my face. I figured there was no need to have streaming mascara too! But, when I say Niza and Chris loved everyone they really showed me so much love even in my pain. I was showered in items from CVS and constantly given anything I needed to help ease some of my discomfort. I was so impressed with their selflessness on THEIR big day. They really are something special. 

And if I am being truly honest, if they would not have been so gracious I am not sure how we could have made it through. Besides, the normal to-dos of a wedding day, we have the instruction of a one-eyed wedding planner, pouring rain on our ceremony and dinner set up, unseasonable heat of the upper 90's with about 100% humidity, and film crew trying to make Mostly Becky's promotional film. Even reliving this day I still feel some of the pain. Like I said, Niza and Chris were SO gracious to us. But, we think it turned out stunning! I mean see for yourself. 

Another iPhone picture.

So what do you think? We loved how it turned out so much we wanted to create a film to show it off. You can see it here. After this event, we have never been more certain that people are worth more than any detail. When you are surrounded by the love others exemplifying Christ everyone will be successful. Thank you Niza & Chris for sharing your day with us! If we could, we'd do it ALL over again. 

Can you believe that this venue is now available for rent? We couldn’t be more excited to share in this beautiful space serving the people of South West Florida! Come check us out!

Thanks to Echo Cinematics for their beautiful film and patience! 

And a special thanks to Maria Glassford Photography for allowing us to show off her beautiful images! 

“Becky was amazing to say the least! I had an outdoor wedding in Florida, and of course it poured. my reception area was a disater but Becky and her team made it happen! It looked beyond perfect... So perfect I didn’t even know that everything was knocked down or that things had broken till after the wedding that the photographer shared that with me! I love Becky and her team so much, not only are they professional but they go above and beyond in all areas and really strive to make your day perfect! ”

— Niza