Stephanie Gatton Events featured on Offbeat Bride!

Hello friends!

I'm BEYOND THRILLED to share with you today the news that STEPHANIE GATTON EVENTS has been featured on my favorite wedding planning website, OFFBEAT BRIDE, in their most recent VENDOR SPOTLIGHT

Offbeat Bride was an invaluable resource to me as I planned my own wedding, and they continue to be a haven for any and all non-traditional couples looking to cut through the wedding planning crazy to get to the heart of what they want on their big day. I'm honored they feel that my business aligns with their mission (two years in a row!), and can't wait to work with future offbeat couples.

Click HERE for a deep offbeat discount, spread the word to your friends, or contact me today to get your planning process started!

xoxo,

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Welcome Announcement - Celia & Douglas!

Hello friends!

Though I've been working with this wonderful couple - and the groom's mother - since May, I'm only now just getting around to welcoming them officially to the Stephanie Gatton Events fold (how much more busy can this summer/fall get?!?). 

Welcome to CELIA & DOUGLAS!

This lovely couple were sent my way by the mother of the groom of a previous couple of mine (did I mention that parents LOVE me?). Moms talk, and one thing led to another, and I ended up hitting it off with THIS mother of the groom, who was busy helping her son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law plan a Hudson Valley wedding while they were living in Texas and Pennsylvania, respectively. A tall order on a normal day, I was pleased to come on board to relieve some of the stress of it all. From site visits to their gorgeous venue to intricate timelines, sourcing wedding favors, props artisans to put the finishing touches on decor items, and even designing the seating chart as well as handling all calligraphy needs for the place cards, you name it, I jumped in and did it!

Now, Celia and Douglas are here, back in Manhattan! Celia's family has made the trip over from her native China, and both families look forward to becoming one. And I look forward to their fall wedding weekend in the beautiful Hudson Valley! I am honored that they've brought me on board to serve as the coordinator for their big day. Let's do this!

xoxo,

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Welcome Announcement - Rebecca & Andrew!

Hello friends,

Long time no see! It's been a BUSY end of summer/beginning of fall for me, as I took on a record number of wedding clients (way to go, baby business!), while also completing a move from our apartment into our new home in August, with MUCH work to be done there as well!

I've been remiss in my welcome announcements for all of my lovely couples, but I'm happy to return to this series to say welcome to REBECCA & ANDREW!

These two cuties are getting married at one of my favorite venues - The Green Building, which recommended my services to them (thanks, Susan!). Once Rebecca and I met last month, it was clear it was a match made in musical heaven! She's a talented jazz singer, he's a jazz double-bassist, and so it was an effortless fit for us all. I'm expecting to have a delightful time with these two!

They'll be getting hitched THIS WEEKEND in a fun and festive DIY wedding surrounded by 100 of their very favorite people, and I am honored to join their team as their month-of coordinator for this weekend's Brooklyn wedding. Let's do this!

xoxo,

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Why Hire a Wedding Coordinator Reason #3!

Hello Friends!

I hope you’re having a wonderful start of the week! After an awesome seating planning meeting with these two, followed by getting to know some lovely new BK vendors at Wedding Crashers yesterday, I'm energized and invigorated for the next few weeks of wedding planning!

Photo courtesy of Milestone Images

Photo courtesy of Milestone Images

This week, I give to you a fairly obvious but often overlooked REASON #3 to hire a wedding coordinator:

EXPERIENCE!

Most people are planning their wedding with no knowledge of how to throw a large-scale event. Of course there are books and plenty of tips from well-meaning friends and family, but I have planned many events, and am here to give you access to all those years of accumulated wisdom! I know how to troubleshoot nearly any impossibility on a moment’s notice, often before you ever even realize a problem has occurred! I know what questions to ask your vendors and how to schedule the day so that you can get your photos taken, your guests fed, your speeches completed, and everyone out on the dance floor.

CASE IN POINT: Being able to throw a party does not necessarily mean you've got a knack for wedding planning. Your instincts could be dead-on and your creative ideas perfectly suited for your big day, but if you're not working in the industry day-in and day-out, you may not know which questions to ask.

  • When are the best times to schedule parent dances or toasts in the reception?

  • If you're sourcing your rentals directly, what are the correct sizes of linen to order?

  • Who should we tip and how much?

These are just a few of the pro-questions I get asked from almost every client, and because of my years of experience and genuine passion for the job, it's my pleasure to answer them!

 

My time-tested method for handling seating assignments - put a post-it on it! This level of organization and planning are what you get when you hire a pro coordinator to take care of business for you!

My time-tested method for handling seating assignments - put a post-it on it! This level of organization and planning are what you get when you hire a pro coordinator to take care of business for you!

I'll be back next week with another reason why a booking good coordinator can be the best wedding decision you ever make!

xoxo,

 

Why Hire a Wedding Coordinator Reason #2!

Hello Friends!

I hope you’re having a wonderful week! I’ve been absent from my blog - which I’ve been super sad about - because I succumbed to a nasty upper respiratory infection that laid waste to my body and soul for the better part of this past week. It’s no fun to wake up to a 102.3 fever, accompanied by aches, pains, and night sweats. No. Fun. At. All.

My husband likes to tell me that his father always told him, as a child, that it was okay to miss school or work if you were sick for one of two reasons: either you were vomiting, or you had a severe fever. Fortunately for me, it was only the latter, and the remedy was good old-fashioned REST.

I’m back this week with a quick, but important REASON #2 to hire a wedding coordinator, and it’s a simple one:

AFFORDABILITY!

A lot of people choose not to hire a wedding coordinator because they worry it will be an additional cost on their part. What many don’t know is that I can actually SAVE you money. With a wide array of contacts across New York City and the Hudson Valley (and I’m expanding my vendor connections into the Philadelphia area as well, coordinating weddings in June and September), I can suggest to you the most reliable and reasonably priced people in the business. From caterers to photographers to makeup artists, I’ve got you covered!

CASE IN POINT: Current clients Alexis and Joe contracted me as their month-of coordinator. They also opted for an add-on to my coordination package - Vendor Services. I’m in the process of working with them to identify their vendor needs and preferences, then making careful recommendations to them for each category. I’ve already edited out vendors who aren’t available for their wedding date, so they know that my recommendations will be free on the date in question.

In building my vendor contacts, I’ve negotiated certain discounts with select vendors who are happy to extend a discount to my clients. I was pleased to recommend BAM Wedding Photography to Alexis and Joe for their needs, and thrilled to learn they selected them to capture all of the moments of their big day. It’s a win-win for everyone: I get to work with vendors I have a relationship with (making for a smooth wedding day timeline), and my clients get to receive a discount they would not normally have been given, all because of my relationship with the photographer!

Check out the photos below for just some of the vendor connections I can provide to you, and I'll be back next week with another reason why a booking good coordinator can be the best wedding decision you ever make!

xoxo,

 

Why Hire a Wedding Coordinator? I'll Give You TEN Good Reasons!

Hello Friends!

This is the question I get asked most often - “Do we really need a coordinator? But the venue already comes with someone, can’t we just use them?”

I am here to tell you that no one needs a coordinator, but if you choose to hire one, believe me, that decision will pay for itself many times over! With all of that in mind, I thought it fitting to give you, my potential clients, my TOP TEN reasons for hiring someone like me to work your wedding!

REASON #1: A Venue Coordinator is NOT a Wedding Coordinator. 

Back in the day, fancy hotels used to have catering captains and banquet managers to assist couples throughout their whole wedding day, but this is an easy cost-cutting measure for venues. They get to cut their staff and have them go home, but I will be the one to stay until the end of your wedding and make sure everything gets wrapped up – rentals collected, gifts and personal items delivered to your room, vendors loaded out of the space. Coordinators offered up by the venues often represent the venue, not the couple. They will help you, certainly, and in most cases will be just lovely at their jobs (my venue coordinator certainly was!). But they will not advocate for you as I would, and there are always small, imperceptible lines that they and their staff will not cross.

CASE IN POINT: At my own wedding, the venue team was happy to set up our tables, chairs, and even the basics of our centerpieces, but they would not place card our seating assignments for us. Instead, I asked my trusted day-of coordinator to handle this key organizational detail on our behalf.

As your coordinator, I will be your advocate, and always place your priorities and goals above all else.

I'll be back each week with another reason why a booking good coordinator can be the best bridal decision you ever make!

xoxo,

Those beautiful bunches of baby's breath with lemon vases AND the place cards? The venue wouldn't touch them. But, thankfully, the wedding coordinator was happy to step up and take care of these very important details! (photo courtesy of Jennifer Seay Photography)

See those favors? Hung and displayed with love by yours truly, NOT the venue coordinator! (photo courtesy of Milestone Images)

It's Here! My Offbeat Bride Vendor Spotlight!!

Hello friends!

I'm BEYOND THRILLED to share with you today the news that Stephanie Gatton Events has been featured on my favorite wedding planning website, Offbeat Bride, in their most recent Vendor Spotlight

Offbeat Bride was an invaluable resource to me as I planned my own wedding, and they continue to be a haven for any and all non-traditional couples looking to cut through the wedding planning crazy to get to the heart of what they want on their big day. I'm honored they feel that my business aligns with their mission, and can't wait to work with future offbeat couples.

Click the link or pic above for a deep offbeat discount, spread the word to your friends, or contact me today to get your planning process started!

xoxo,