I am so pleased to have Jenna with Jenna Culley Events featured on my blog today. Jenna is an amazing friend and a phenomenal wedding planner. I have photographed many weddings that she helped plan and I am always so impressed with how smoothly the day goes! She thinks of every little detail, and has a plan for every single “what if”. This lady has all the answers when it comes to planning a wedding, so I had to ask her a few questions to share with you all today!
What’s your favorite part of the wedding day?
Jenna: My absolute favorite part of the wedding day is doing a First Look: Room Reveal! It’s the moment where the bride and groom get to see the reception space we’ve been talking about and designing for months, but they (or at least she) have been dreaming about for years. It’s the moment all that hard work of choosing the exact right linens, candelabras, centerpieces, flowers, uplighting, backdrop, china pattern, silverware, etc… it all comes together. It’s such a special moment where the couple gets to enjoy the room…THEIR room…for a few minutes by themselves. It’s where I get to see the joy, the awe, and the amazement on their faces. It’s like watching your kiddos open presents on Christmas morning, but I get to do it weekend after weekend. There’s honestly so many moments that I love from the wedding day, but this one is still my favorite.
What’s the most unique thing you’ve seen at a wedding?
Jenna: One of the most unique things I’ve seen at a wedding was with my clients, Natalie and Katie, from a few years back. They really wanted to get married at Landmark Center, but one of the only dates available was Halloween. At first, they strongly disliked this idea, but then they decided to move forward and ran with it so beautifully. They decided to turn the wedding into a masquerade theme and then handmade masks for each guest! They worked on them throughout the year of planning- the masks were created to fit each guests’ personality. We set the masks out on each place setting so they became part decor, part place card, part guest favor, and a complete wow factor to the guests. It was a beautiful, elegant masquerade ball in a gorgeous, historical setting and was definitely a party fitting for the two ladies who’s love we celebrated that day!
What is your favorite wedding trend?
Jenna: I love first looks! I don’t know if that’s still considered “trendy”, but since the traditional version is not seeing each other before walking down the aisle, I’m going to consider this a trend. I love it for two reasons: One- As a planner, I have to think through logistics and I love how seeing each other beforehand creates such a better flow for the day and time to interact with your guests. But the real reason is two- I love that my couples get a moment all to themselves on a day where they are (literally) surrounded by family and friends for the entire day. It gives them a little moment to see each other, be excited together, talk together, or just be quiet together and really let it sink in together that they’re getting married that day. There’s not many moments to be alone on your wedding day and this is one that I try to give my clients. It also means that unless they specifically say otherwise, I will do everything in my power including body block you if you are part of the wedding party or a family member who’s trying to “see” this special moment. This is a moment just for them to share.
What’s the most common item or part of the day that couples tend to forget about during the planning process?
Jenna: Well, this is random, but the most forgotten item is definitely pens for the guestbook. Such a small thing and I’m more often shocked when they are remembered than when they’re forgotten! This is why I always carry back-up options so our clients are covered! But, I think one thing that so many of my clients forget is that this is THEIR wedding day. I love how guest-centric weddings are these days, meaning that couples are focused on making sure the guests have a great experience at their wedding. I often have to remind the couple that it is their day and they can choose what they like, not what they think everyone else will like. I see this most often with food choices, but sometimes even decor choices. I tell couples to be conscientious in that you have options for guests who may not love all things spicy like you do, but if all of your friends and family members know about your love of spicy food, they are going to see the options at the wedding day and say, “Oh that is so him!” That’s the reaction I’m going for when planning weddings! When everything guests are seeing and experiencing makes them think about the couple, we know we’ve made a truly personalized event for our clients.
What’s your best tip for engaged couples?
We hope you are enjoying your wedding planning process! If you’re interested in hiring a wedding planner, learn more about Jenna Culley Events on the website and follow Jenna on Facebook and Instagram!
Bonus: Given the current situation, Jenna has been sharing a lot of great tips about weddings and COVID-19 on her social media pages!
