Hello Friends!
Just a brief little post to welcome my newest clients to the fold: Sam and Anthony!
Aren't they adorable???
I had the pleasure of meeting them in person last night, and they are an awesome couple, let me tell you. Organized, theatre types, with a combination of warmth and straight talk that is inspiring. These are my people!
I'm honored to join the team as their coordinator for their March 2017 wedding at The Green Building in our hometown of NYC. Let's do this!
xoxo,
Welcome to what I hope will be a weekly installment of my favorite Wedding Planning Pro-Tips!
Let’s get started with a big one, one that comes in handy early in the planning process:
Here’s what I mean by this: a naked, or found, space can be really beautiful when dressed up with your unique vision. It can also be really expensive! Empty spaces - think hotel ballrooms or reception halls, or even lovely spaces such as The Foundry here in LIC - will need a lot of design love on your part (think lighting, decor, florals, etc.) to hide the fact that they’re simply a blank slate. How much work will you have to do to dress up the location?
On the other hand, a lush, beautiful garden with colorful florals and a view of the mountains behind you, or a vineyard patio surrounded by grapevines and already-strung bistro lighting, will go a long way in providing existing decor.
The more that already comes with a venue, the less you have to do to “spruce” it up. And you know what? Decorating, flowers, atmospheric lighting, pipe and drape to conceal beyond-basic ballroom walls - all of those elements add up, often times coming in at a much higher cost than if you had gone with the beautiful decorated space at a slightly higher rental fee.
Keeping your budget in mind, run the numbers on both scenarios. Often, you’ll get the most bang for your buck if you take into account the natural beauty and surroundings of a venue that comes with the package. This will keep your decor budget simple, and save you a ton of money and DIY hassle in the process!
xoxo,
Hello Friends!
The holiday time shows a spike in proposals and engagements - chances are, if you’re reading this post, you may be newly engaged yourself.
If so, congrats! Here are five quick tips to remember in the early days of your engagement, no matter how long it may be until the actual wedding day:
BREATHE AND ENJOY THIS MOMENT! I can tell you from my own personal experience that announcing your engagement will be one of the most heartfelt and warm moments of your life (probably right up there with your actual wedding day!) Friends and distant acquaintances whom you haven’t seen in decades will come out of the woodwork on social media to send you their congratulations. Everyone will offer to lend a hand (some may offer to “lend” an opinion, too!), and you and your significant other will be in a prime spot to bask in all of the love coming your way. DO THIS! At some point, you’ll have to turn to the realities of planning the wedding, but for now, be present with your partner in this moment of celebration.
START A BUDGET. I’m afraid to say it all starts here, folks. In order to discuss any themes or decor ideas, venues, and vendors, you’ll need to have a frank discussion with your partner about how this is all getting paid for. Going the independent route and paying for it all yourselves? Well done, you! While you’ll be beholden to no one but each other in the decision-making process, you’ll also be on the hook entirely for the expenses you’re about to incur. Getting some help from family? Be sure to thank them for their generosity, but be upfront with them about what their monetary contributions will mean in real terms. Whether your budget is $10k, $30k, or $90k, the money will be spent, and it can be done in various ways, which leads me to my next point...
BEGIN DISCUSSING A FIRST DRAFT GUEST LIST. A $30k wedding for 80 people will be something entirely different than a $30k wedding for 200 people (which can be done!). Having a ballpark estimate on how many guests you anticipate will go a long way in determining how you eventually spend your budget, and what venue and vendors you select. It’s also a good idea to get the ball rolling on A list and B list, if you need trim your numbers. These conversations may seem stressful, but they don’t have to be! Just be open and frank with your s.o. and trust me, you’ll arrive at a number you can both live with!
SELECT 2-3 POSSIBLE DATES. Booking your dream venue should be one of your first priorities, but before you start reaching out to venue managers, you’ll want to have an idea of when the wedding will take place. Autumn? Summer? Indoor/Outdoor? Are you flexible with your dates, or is it non-negotiable (meaning, if Venue A doesn’t have your date available, you move on to Venue B)? Are you finishing law school, so you really need to hold off on your wedding until after you take the bar exam? Venues will want to know you’ve done your research before contacting them, and these conversations will go a long way in articulating your priorities!
DETERMINE YOUR VENUE(S). Now that you’ve honed in on your top three wedding dates, it’s time to research and reach out to possible venues. This can take many forms. When it came time to select my wedding location, my s.o. and I knew there was only one place we wanted to get hitched, and we went all-in on making that venue work. Because of that priority, we had several July dates in mind, ultimately booking our second choice date, but at our first (and only) choice venue. Keep in mind that while many wedding venues book up to a year and a half in advance, conversely, there are some venues - particularly hotels - that don’t open up their wedding or special event bookings until one year or less out from the date in question. If that’s the case with your venue, you’ll want to carefully keep track of when the booking period opens, so that you don’t miss out on your dream location!
photo courtesy of Jennifer Seay Photography
Whew - that’s enough for now to get you started! Check back later for more timeline touch points as you move through the wedding planning process - including a frank discussion on priorities - and always feel free to reach out to me if you want to take advantage of my services or vendor connections!
xoxo,
photo courtesy of Milestone Images
It’s snowy and chilly today in wintry NYC, so what better time to think upon summer wedding season and the warmth and beauty it typically holds?
January is peak engagement season, and as I’ve had a flurry (pun intended!) of inquiries for 2017 weddings, I wanted to highlight my new listing in Offbeat Bride’s Vendor Guide. I’m thrilled to have “made the cut” with this outstanding and vital resource for all non-traditional couples searching for planning tips, vendors, and general inspiration on how to host a wedding that truly reflects the uniqueness of their union!
I’m even more thrilled to highlight my 20% discount for Offbeat Brides who wish to book my services in 2017. Just mention “Offbeat Bride” in your inquiry to me to take advantage of the discount on my month-of package!
And stay tuned later in the month for another special feature from the Offbeat Bride community!
xoxo,
Hello friends!
Earlier this morning, I read an article in the NY Times about a wonderful, theatrical wedding that completely warmed my heart. The bride, serving as an understudy for a production at The Roundabout, learned the day of her wedding that she had to, in fact, go on in place of Zoe Kazan the evening of her wedding. What the what?!?
What follows is a wonderful story about the marriage (forgive the pun) of wedding planning, flexibility, and above all, love, love, love. I want to give a shout out to fellow wedding coordinator, Lauren Schaefer, for what undoubtedly was grace under pressure in executing all of the last-minute changes! Having recently pulled off a similar wedding (see the backup to the backup rain plan pulled together with less than 24-hours' notice for my fabulous theatrical designer October wedding), I can attest to how much care and planning (and time!) goes into making these changes possible!
xoxo,
photo credit: Allie Koehler
After quite a quiet roll-out over the holidays (while I worked on fine tuning EVERYTHING on this website), I am now honored to welcome you all to my new internet home: Stephanie Gatton Events!
I’m thrilled to finally make official what I have been doing “unofficially” for years now - consulting and assisting with the weddings of my dear friends and loved ones. Some time last summer, I decided it was time to put all of my event planning and live event management skills together into one awesome service for newly-engaged couples in need of my talents to make their wedding days go off without a hitch. And so, Stephanie Gatton Events was born!
You can read more about me here, and my full range of services here. I'd love for you to tell me your story and how I can bring your grand plans to life!
Special thanks to Ola Baldych for the gorgeous logo design, and to Angie Gaul, Allie Koehler, and Jen Seay for the majority of the lovely images you’ll see throughout the site.
I’ll do my best to be back here on occasion with expert planner tips for the DIY couple, portfolios of my client weddings, and vendor spotlights, which will showcase some of the best in the business that I've had the fortune to work with (and you should hire them!).
Take a look, friends, and let me know what you think!
xoxo,
