Rene Hart from Wedding & Bride chats to the Founder of Luxx Weddings & Events, Dawn Jackson, about what couples can expect when working with a wedding planner to plan the perfect wedding. Discuss the process couples can expect to go through when working with a wedding planner, the relationship that’s built between the wedding planner and the couple, and how Dawn personally builds a plan to incorporate elements of a couple’s personality and style into their wedding.
1. Tell me a little bit about you and Luxx Weddings & Events. How long have you been in the wedding planning industry, and what inspired you to pursue a career in this field ?
Luxx Weddings & Events was conceptualized through my fervour in bringing about a fresh experience in styling and wedding planning with unbeatable bespoke bridal packages for all bridal couples within the wedding industry. As founder and creative mind behind the business, I am constantly driving the business to greater heights having had a presence of just 1.5 years in the industry and extremely honoured by all the achievements and accolades awarded till date.
2. What is your favourite part of wedding planning/styling and what do you love most about your job ?
Wedding planning is different to event styling and not many in the wedding industry are apt in executing the two roles in a cohesive and effective manner. My favourite aspect of wedding planning and event styling would have to be sharing the visions of my bridal couples and unfolding them on their wedding day. Just seeing the look of surprise and amazement on their faces with the “ooooooh !” and ‘wow’’ brings total fulfilment in what I do.
3. Why should couples invest in a wedding planner/stylist ?
There are many reasons why couples should invest in a wedding planner and stylist. Most wedding venues have their own coordinator who may be great and has everything under control. She may even have provided a list of recommended suppliers that they work with. But keep in mind, that’s generally as far as her services extend. A good wedding planner goes beyond these tasks and can help you every step of the way in sourcing for the industry’s most reliable and highly rated vendors, attending rehearsals, designing run sheets for your big day, coordinating on your day in ensuring a stress-free event for you, mediating disputes with your family, providing advice on what flowers are in season on your wedding date, organising for you to meet your suppliers, assisting in researching the best prices to suit your budget, being your ‘counsellor’, assisting in sourcing for your bridal dress and those of your bridesmaids, ensuring your day runs smoothly, providing all available options in situations of family conflicts, and certainly a great choice for busy individuals who simply do not have the time to plan their weddings with tight work schedules. Basically, your wedding planner works FOR you and as such, will and should perform their roles in YOUR best interest. So back to the question of ‘Why A Wedding Stylist’ ? Well, gone are the days of the traditional ‘white weddings’. Over the years, there have been a shift in wedding trends. Couples getting hitched tend to gravitate towards ‘Hey, we wanna get married and we wanna throw a party that is us’ . Most wedding venues provide a blank canvas space. Most designs and styling on Pinterest look simple and effortless which have seen the emergence of DIY brides. I have heard too many times how brides had to resort to engaging professional stylists at the eleventh hour just months or even days prior to their event date. Why ? This is because they had followed the advice of their friends and families who may have suggested that the designs they are after could have been easily achieved by doing it themselves. This same trend applies to bridal flowers. Couples need to bear in mind that stylists have had many years of experiences with different weddings they had styled. A stylist forms an integral part of the planning process and should be allocated as part of your budget for these reasons : (a) if you have no idea how or where to even begin styling (b) if you have too many ideas (c) stylists can create bespoke concepts that reflect who you are (d) organising bump-ins and bump-outs on actual day (e) if the build up to styling of your wedding day appears way too daunting for the bridal couples who may already have an entire to-do list they might need to follow up in the absence of a wedding planner.
4. What types of services can couples expect to receive from a wedding planner/stylist ?
A wedding planner’s role is dissimilar to that of an event stylist. Bridal couples seeking to engage the services of a wedding planner, would best have one who can see their vision, matching their personalities, budget and expectations and liaising with various vendors in ensuring a timely and well-coordinated run schedule on their event day. An event stylist takes on the form of various elements honing in on our 5 senses such as sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. Your stylist should be competent with their ability to truly share your vision and replicating it in a creative manner through floral designs, centrepieces on guest tables, styling of your bridal table, gift and cake tables at your reception. Similarly, your stylist may have different styling packages for ceremonies in which you will be able to pick and possibly customise to suit what you are after for your dream wedding.
5. Is there a rough order or process of how things should work with a wedding planner/stylist ? Take us through the steps.
Typically, the couple would start the process by sourcing for and meeting with their preferred wedding planner. At this consultation, the couple would share their vision and how they would like their wedding to be styled. The wedding planner would then assist in venue selection and other components of the wedding required such as sourcing for the right vendors. In the case of a stylist, the best advice I would give is to source for one BEFORE committing financially to hiring any styling decor or furniture. It is always best to provide a blank canvas space for your stylist to work on, as different elements would need to be harmonised to achieve the desired end result. The trends these days, are that bridal couples tend to book their venues first, then seek out their wedding planner, which might inevitably have left them locked into a legal contract with their venue, which their budget may not necessarily have been alloted for, leaving the remaining bridal items in question and bringing on unnecessary financial stress.
6. How do you go about establishing that relationship with the couple, so that you understand their vision for their big day ? It all begins with an initial bridal consultation and getting the couple to share BOTH their visions, effective communication through encouraging the flow of ideas, updating progress of tasks on my to-do list, timely scheduling of meetings for the couple, maintaining constant contact and professionalism from Day One through to their wedding day. This process has to be consistent as different dynamics do set in at different stages of planning as there WILL always be changes to initial ideas with an emotionally-charged event such as a wedding, that will need to be dealt with from their onset.
7. Why is it important as a wedding planner/stylist to listen and to understand a couple’s vision to ensure the wedding reflects their personalities ?
A wedding is an important day, if not the most important day in the couple’s lives which they are entrusting to their wedding planner/stylist in creating the most amazing memories which would be cherished forever. Their vision may be heartfelt, fun, traditional or fairy-tale like. Whatever it may be, a professional wedding planner and stylist should always endeavour to genuinely feel the depth of what their clients expect of their wedding.
8. How do you go about working a couple’s personality into their wedding ?
Brides and grooms alike are constantly seeking new ways to give their guests a unique experience, and the best way to achieve that is by incorporating their own personalities into the event itself. After all, no two couples are the same. Utilizing the menu to customize a wedding is one of the most effective and easiest ways to blend a couple’s tastes. Dessert is another great place to showcase the couple’s personalities. A multi-flavoured cake filled with the couple’s favourite flavours, such as chocolate and strawberry or lemon and red velvet never fails to add a whimsical touch. Another popular option among brides is to add a personal item to their bouquet to keep close to them as they walk down the aisle. It can be anything from a late relative’s cherished brooch to the earrings her mother wore on her own wedding day which is a simple way to personalise the moment. Regardless of the theme, price, or the design of a wedding, it will certainly be made more meaningful and memorable with the couple’s unique touch incorporated in their celebrations.
9. Could you give me an example of where hiring a planner can be particularly effective ?
A good example would apply to a vendor such as a wedding photographer. Through experience, a wedding planner would know the ones who do well in certain areas and their price points. With photographers, it is easy enough to create a gorgeous website with a few nice photos, but your wedding planner would have seen them in action and know which photographer can make every aspect of a wedding look amazing, including those who are good at candid shots, those who are great at working with brides that are camera shy or who can embrace a sassy bride that wants something more editorial-looking. Saving hours of researching would be the biggest benefit of hiring a planner, let alone the handling of all correspondences, reviewing contracts, confirming details and answering of questions.
10. Why is it important for couples to find the right wedding planner/stylist ?
Planning a wedding involves making countless decisions which can be daunting for bridal couples planning such a huge event. The right wedding planner can help couples refine their ideas, connect them to the appropriate vendors, advise them on proper etiquette, and suggest ways to use their budgets wisely. Besides keeping their schedule on track, a planner will also create a wedding-day timeline making sure that it gets executed, right down to the smallest detail. A good planner will analyse what couples are looking to achieve, helping them find all the resources to get it done, and guide them through every step of the way. With the right person to take care of the logistics, couples will be free to focus solely on enjoying themselves. Finding the right stylist is just as important. The right stylist will ensure a couple’s theme and designs are recreated according to the couples’ vision on their wedding day, including timely bump-in and out so couples can confidently walk into the room with everything just as they had imagined.
11. How should couples go about finding the right wedding planner/stylist ? What do they need to do ?
The couples will need to seek out a few choices (either through recommendations from friends and family or through googling), meeting with them and determining if they ‘clicked’ with their wedding planner or stylist. Ask questions on how long they have been in the industry, number of weddings they have done, the number of weddings they take on per month. For stylists, you would also want to know if they had styled at a certain location specifically at your preferred venue.
12. Please add any other comments you think are important that have not been included.
A tip well worth taking note for all bridal couples is that it is always a great idea to work amicably with your wedding planner or stylist as they WILL most certainly put in the extra effort to make your day extra special (sometimes without charging additional fees) as opposed to working with a ‘bridezilla’.
1. Tell me a little bit about you and Luxx Weddings & Events. How long have you been in the wedding planning industry, and what inspired you to pursue a career in this field ?
Luxx Weddings & Events was conceptualized through my fervour in bringing about a fresh experience in styling and wedding planning with unbeatable bespoke bridal packages for all bridal couples within the wedding industry. As founder and creative mind behind the business, I am constantly driving the business to greater heights having had a presence of just 1.5 years in the industry and extremely honoured by all the achievements and accolades awarded till date.
2. What is your favourite part of wedding planning/styling and what do you love most about your job ?
Wedding planning is different to event styling and not many in the wedding industry are apt in executing the two roles in a cohesive and effective manner. My favourite aspect of wedding planning and event styling would have to be sharing the visions of my bridal couples and unfolding them on their wedding day. Just seeing the look of surprise and amazement on their faces with the “ooooooh !” and ‘wow’’ brings total fulfilment in what I do.
3. Why should couples invest in a wedding planner/stylist ?
There are many reasons why couples should invest in a wedding planner and stylist. Most wedding venues have their own coordinator who may be great and has everything under control. She may even have provided a list of recommended suppliers that they work with. But keep in mind, that’s generally as far as her services extend. A good wedding planner goes beyond these tasks and can help you every step of the way in sourcing for the industry’s most reliable and highly rated vendors, attending rehearsals, designing run sheets for your big day, coordinating on your day in ensuring a stress-free event for you, mediating disputes with your family, providing advice on what flowers are in season on your wedding date, organising for you to meet your suppliers, assisting in researching the best prices to suit your budget, being your ‘counsellor’, assisting in sourcing for your bridal dress and those of your bridesmaids, ensuring your day runs smoothly, providing all available options in situations of family conflicts, and certainly a great choice for busy individuals who simply do not have the time to plan their weddings with tight work schedules. Basically, your wedding planner works FOR you and as such, will and should perform their roles in YOUR best interest. So back to the question of ‘Why A Wedding Stylist’ ? Well, gone are the days of the traditional ‘white weddings’. Over the years, there have been a shift in wedding trends. Couples getting hitched tend to gravitate towards ‘Hey, we wanna get married and we wanna throw a party that is us’ . Most wedding venues provide a blank canvas space. Most designs and styling on Pinterest look simple and effortless which have seen the emergence of DIY brides. I have heard too many times how brides had to resort to engaging professional stylists at the eleventh hour just months or even days prior to their event date. Why ? This is because they had followed the advice of their friends and families who may have suggested that the designs they are after could have been easily achieved by doing it themselves. This same trend applies to bridal flowers. Couples need to bear in mind that stylists have had many years of experiences with different weddings they had styled. A stylist forms an integral part of the planning process and should be allocated as part of your budget for these reasons : (a) if you have no idea how or where to even begin styling (b) if you have too many ideas (c) stylists can create bespoke concepts that reflect who you are (d) organising bump-ins and bump-outs on actual day (e) if the build up to styling of your wedding day appears way too daunting for the bridal couples who may already have an entire to-do list they might need to follow up in the absence of a wedding planner.
4. What types of services can couples expect to receive from a wedding planner/stylist ?
A wedding planner’s role is dissimilar to that of an event stylist. Bridal couples seeking to engage the services of a wedding planner, would best have one who can see their vision, matching their personalities, budget and expectations and liaising with various vendors in ensuring a timely and well-coordinated run schedule on their event day. An event stylist takes on the form of various elements honing in on our 5 senses such as sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. Your stylist should be competent with their ability to truly share your vision and replicating it in a creative manner through floral designs, centrepieces on guest tables, styling of your bridal table, gift and cake tables at your reception. Similarly, your stylist may have different styling packages for ceremonies in which you will be able to pick and possibly customise to suit what you are after for your dream wedding.
5. Is there a rough order or process of how things should work with a wedding planner/stylist ? Take us through the steps.
Typically, the couple would start the process by sourcing for and meeting with their preferred wedding planner. At this consultation, the couple would share their vision and how they would like their wedding to be styled. The wedding planner would then assist in venue selection and other components of the wedding required such as sourcing for the right vendors. In the case of a stylist, the best advice I would give is to source for one BEFORE committing financially to hiring any styling decor or furniture. It is always best to provide a blank canvas space for your stylist to work on, as different elements would need to be harmonised to achieve the desired end result. The trends these days, are that bridal couples tend to book their venues first, then seek out their wedding planner, which might inevitably have left them locked into a legal contract with their venue, which their budget may not necessarily have been alloted for, leaving the remaining bridal items in question and bringing on unnecessary financial stress.
6. How do you go about establishing that relationship with the couple, so that you understand their vision for their big day ? It all begins with an initial bridal consultation and getting the couple to share BOTH their visions, effective communication through encouraging the flow of ideas, updating progress of tasks on my to-do list, timely scheduling of meetings for the couple, maintaining constant contact and professionalism from Day One through to their wedding day. This process has to be consistent as different dynamics do set in at different stages of planning as there WILL always be changes to initial ideas with an emotionally-charged event such as a wedding, that will need to be dealt with from their onset.
7. Why is it important as a wedding planner/stylist to listen and to understand a couple’s vision to ensure the wedding reflects their personalities ?
A wedding is an important day, if not the most important day in the couple’s lives which they are entrusting to their wedding planner/stylist in creating the most amazing memories which would be cherished forever. Their vision may be heartfelt, fun, traditional or fairy-tale like. Whatever it may be, a professional wedding planner and stylist should always endeavour to genuinely feel the depth of what their clients expect of their wedding.
8. How do you go about working a couple’s personality into their wedding ?
Brides and grooms alike are constantly seeking new ways to give their guests a unique experience, and the best way to achieve that is by incorporating their own personalities into the event itself. After all, no two couples are the same. Utilizing the menu to customize a wedding is one of the most effective and easiest ways to blend a couple’s tastes. Dessert is another great place to showcase the couple’s personalities. A multi-flavoured cake filled with the couple’s favourite flavours, such as chocolate and strawberry or lemon and red velvet never fails to add a whimsical touch. Another popular option among brides is to add a personal item to their bouquet to keep close to them as they walk down the aisle. It can be anything from a late relative’s cherished brooch to the earrings her mother wore on her own wedding day which is a simple way to personalise the moment. Regardless of the theme, price, or the design of a wedding, it will certainly be made more meaningful and memorable with the couple’s unique touch incorporated in their celebrations.
9. Could you give me an example of where hiring a planner can be particularly effective ?
A good example would apply to a vendor such as a wedding photographer. Through experience, a wedding planner would know the ones who do well in certain areas and their price points. With photographers, it is easy enough to create a gorgeous website with a few nice photos, but your wedding planner would have seen them in action and know which photographer can make every aspect of a wedding look amazing, including those who are good at candid shots, those who are great at working with brides that are camera shy or who can embrace a sassy bride that wants something more editorial-looking. Saving hours of researching would be the biggest benefit of hiring a planner, let alone the handling of all correspondences, reviewing contracts, confirming details and answering of questions.
10. Why is it important for couples to find the right wedding planner/stylist ?
Planning a wedding involves making countless decisions which can be daunting for bridal couples planning such a huge event. The right wedding planner can help couples refine their ideas, connect them to the appropriate vendors, advise them on proper etiquette, and suggest ways to use their budgets wisely. Besides keeping their schedule on track, a planner will also create a wedding-day timeline making sure that it gets executed, right down to the smallest detail. A good planner will analyse what couples are looking to achieve, helping them find all the resources to get it done, and guide them through every step of the way. With the right person to take care of the logistics, couples will be free to focus solely on enjoying themselves. Finding the right stylist is just as important. The right stylist will ensure a couple’s theme and designs are recreated according to the couples’ vision on their wedding day, including timely bump-in and out so couples can confidently walk into the room with everything just as they had imagined.
11. How should couples go about finding the right wedding planner/stylist ? What do they need to do ?
The couples will need to seek out a few choices (either through recommendations from friends and family or through googling), meeting with them and determining if they ‘clicked’ with their wedding planner or stylist. Ask questions on how long they have been in the industry, number of weddings they have done, the number of weddings they take on per month. For stylists, you would also want to know if they had styled at a certain location specifically at your preferred venue.
12. Please add any other comments you think are important that have not been included.
A tip well worth taking note for all bridal couples is that it is always a great idea to work amicably with your wedding planner or stylist as they WILL most certainly put in the extra effort to make your day extra special (sometimes without charging additional fees) as opposed to working with a ‘bridezilla’.
Wedding & Bride Magazine
(Edition 5.1, Page 271 - June 2017)
(Edition 5.1, Page 271 - June 2017)
Awards, Accolades & Media
