You guys have already heard me gushing about the importance of an event planner, and what a difference it can make, not just on the day of the wedding (or, in my case, the styled shoot), but the difference it can make throughout the entire planning process – 6 months, a year, however long that may be! So I’ve come to really respect and appreciate the work that a fabulous Event Planner can do to make an event, such as the most important and memorable day of your life! – as stress free and enjoyable as possible, while also making it true to who you are and what you envision for your day.
And that’s where someone like Aimee, of A. Griffin Events, steps in. I love how she describes her role in the wedding planning process on her website:
“My passion is to enable my clients to be present. To be present in your daily lives, thoughtful in your plans, and carefree at your celebrations. I embrace the details and planning process required to create graceful, luxurious events so that you can enjoy the celebration without breaking stride from your fulfilling, daily life.”
Aimee knows she is along for the journey in a way that is authentic to your needs and your lifestyle, and just from reading what other people had to say about her work ethic, and from the voice with which she writes on her blog, I get the feeling that there is no better person to help walk you through this exciting time of planning than Aimee!
Rebecca Wilcher Photography
How did you get started in your business?
I discovered my love of planning through my obsession with solving (and preventing) problems on my family and friends’ wedding days. I’ve been in fourteen wedding parties, and performed support roles at several others. While I was living on Rocklands Farm in 2004, I helped with their first weddings – arranging flowers, coordinating vendors, and designing elements of those weddings. I loved making the weddings of people I cared about beautiful, fun, and stress-free.
Rebecca Wilcher Photography
Corrine Kensington Photography
How would you describe your style and/or what is your favorite type of work to do?
My work focuses more on a certain type of person rather than a certain style. My clients lead full lives and are creative people who want someone to work with them and take the stress off of planning their wedding. My style is happy people and deeply personal events.
Here are some design elements I love: working at a venue with an outdoor option, jaw-dropping floral arrangements, and vintage pieces that are connected to my clients. I am eager to learn the traditions in my clients’ families and how to incorporate them without feeling bound by them. For example, one wedding used white cotton and lace napkins that had been in the bride’s family for three generations. At another wedding the favors were the two books the couple was reading when they met.
One of my signatures is a moment of lightheartedness at my events. Not everyone wants this, but I love to incorporate it whenever possible. I love a cocktail hour with picnic blankets, pinatas, adults getting gooey with s’mores, skipping rocks, and general playfulness. It makes for fabulous memories.
Rebecca Wilcher Photography
How do you stay inspired? What do you do when you are in a creative rut?
I find my inspiration and refresh my creativity through the fine arts and nature. It can be as simple as checking my garden to see what has sprouted or going for a hike. Or drawing on some of my incredible outdoor experiences of my childhood (camping, whitewater rafting, climbing mountains in the Alps and the Rockies, rock climbing, and a bicycle trip through the Canadian Rockies).
As an art history major, the Smithsonian museums are an incredible resource for me and I visit them regularly. During the quieter times of the year, I have a weekly appointment at a ceramics studio where I throw whatever kind of shapes my heart desires. It is a continual reminder of learning to work with natural elements rather than trying to force nature to do something I want.
What is your favorite part about your work?
I love getting to know each of my clients and their styles so well that I can recommend design elements that are uniquely them. I feel like I’ve come to know them well when I can select a font that they will love, a floral concept that features a flower that means a lot to them, or recommend a fabulous seasonal menu that fits their tastes. My favorite moment on my client’s wedding day is when I step back for a moment and survey the scene to see them truly happy and relaxed. And yes, I get tears in my eyes each time I see one of my brides ready to walk down the aisle.
Corrine Kensington Photography
How do you love to serve your clients?
I take a limited number of weddings each year so that I can give my clients the best possible service. Throughout the planning process, I want them to call me when they are stressed and bounce ideas off of me. Knowing what causes them stress helps me to prevent those stressors. On their wedding day, I love anticipating my clients’ needs and treating their guests with the care that they themselves would give.
Limefish Studio Photography
Corrine Kensington Photography
Limefish Studio Photography
If you had one tip for a bride, what would it be?
The week before your wedding, go on a date with your fiance. The Wednesday before a Saturday wedding is often the best time to do this because most guests are not yet in town. Go out, commit to not talking about anything related to your wedding (honeymoon is okay), and recall why you love each other and are getting married in a few days. The wedding week gets so busy and full of people, that you may only see each other at the rehearsal and then at the ceremony. You can feel a bit distant on your wedding day if you haven’t taken time to connect with each other during the week leading up to it.
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