When I first started thinking about my recent Cherry Blossom Styled Shoot, one of the first thoughts I had was if I should bring on an event planner for this one. My last shoot I felt pretty overwhelmed with contacting all the vendors myself, especially when things went wrong or when we were getting short on time. I really wanted to take some of that weight off of my own shoulders, and give it to someone else who was good at it. I posted in a local group to get some more ideas for Friendor Friday, and Brandi from Charming Grace Events reached out to me as someone who was interested. We sent emails back and forth, and I started to get the feeling that she was someone I should have on my team! So we met up in person shortly afterwards, and I knew right away I had to have her on board the shoot! She told me a little bit about how she got started with her event planning business, and what a big leap of courage and faith it was for her to do start it up after moving to Maryland.

I’m going to be completely honest with you – one of my first questions when deciding if I wanted a planner involved was What would her role be? I didn’t want to have her get involved, only to find out there wasn’t much for her to do! But boy, that couldn’t have been farther from the truth!! Brandi had the guts to do the things I didn’t!! She reached out to top vendors in the Annapolis area, vendors like Vintage Veils and Annapolis Formal, and got them pumped and excited to be a part of the shoot. She kept my spirits high and my confidence strong when they began to waver…especially after we had to change the date of the shoot (THE DAY AFTER WE ANNOUNCED IT!). And then on the day of the shoot, she brought along her wonderful assistant Lindsday, and they both rocked it! They offered advice, kept everything running SO smooth, and always had double-sided sticky tape when we needed it 🙂 Seriously though, Brandi was tough when she needed to be tough, and at the same time was so much fun to have there. I now understand first hand the importance of working with an event planner for your wedding! This is a service that a bride would NEVER ever regret. I chatted with Brandi about educating brides and the industry about how valuable an event planner is to EVERYONE involved. Brandi does her job so everyone else can do THEIR own job even better! Because I wasn’t worried about coordinating everything on the day of the shoot, I was able to be a better leader and a better photographer! I know that’s the same way on the wedding day – if I am working with an event planner, then I can focus my time and energy on the thing I do best: creating and capturing portraits and moments that the bride and groom will cherish forever, while Brandi does her thing, keeping everyone happy, on time, and taken care of!

Now that I’ve given you a loooong introduction to Brandi, I’ll let her share more of her story!!

How did you get started in your business?

It was one of those “Ah-ha” moments!  The golf resort I worked for in Las Vegas hosted weddings and other events all the time.  I would always see them setting up all the pretty decorations and wanted so badly to be a part of it.  I had planned smaller parties and showers in the past so I decided to take the next step and started working on my wedding and event certification.  I then approached management at the golf course and asked to intern, run food…pretty much anything they would allow me to do so I could get the hands-on experience behind the scenes.  They were gracious enough to create a whole new position for me!  A few months later I was a full time Event Coordinator.  I learned so much and that is where I realized it truly was my passion to plan weddings.  When we relocated to Maryland, I decided to open my own business.  I wanted to work more closely with clients and really get to know them during such an important time in their lives. I love my job even more now!

How do you stay inspired? What do you do when you are in a creative rut?

I stay inspired by surrounding myself with other creatives.  Going to local meetings with other creatives keeps my wheels turning and I’m always learning new things from our amazing community!  If I do find myself in a creative rut, I’ll schedule a day out with my husband or friends.  Sometimes you just need to be in the moment and turn off your brain to get your creative wheels back on track!

 

What is your favorite part about your work?

My absolute favorite part about my work is being a part of such an amazing and special day in a couple’s life!  It is such an honor and truly fills my heart with joy to give them a stress free day with their closest family and friends.  Plus, working with so many gorgeous details makes for a pretty great day at work!

How do you love to serve your clients?

My goal is to make sure my couples are relaxed and smiling by the end of every one of our meetings.  When I talk to a couple about their wedding and they explain how stressed they are about planning, I know that I can bring them back to enjoying the journey.  It’s the best feeling for me when I can take that weight off of their shoulders instead of them stressing over it and just wanting it to be over!

If you had one tip for a bride, what would it be?

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