Bridal Express

Q&A: Wedding planner Xochitl Gonzalez

I'm really pleased that top new York wedding planner Xochitl Gonzalez from Always a Bridesmaid was able to take the time to answer a few questions for today's Q&A. Some readers will also know Xochitl from her fab blog Always a Blogsmaid too - check it out for advice and tips. Here, Xochitl tells us what it's really like to be a wedding planner - and it isn't like the movies! - what colour schemes will be hot this year, where it's OK to cut costs and where it's not...

The life of a wedding planner has been depicted in a lot of movies as all glamour and not a lot of work. What's it really like?

We laugh about how different it is from movies all the time!  It's SO much work!  First, you are always working on many different weddings, which aren't only different in terms of their logistics such as locations and vendors etc but they all have different people and different emotions involved. Secondly, your job is therapy as much as it is planning. You have couples issues, and parent issues and money issues all happening at once. And then there are the wedding days themselves. Our average wedding day is 12 to 15 hours depending on the circumstances. It's so rewarding, but it's also high stress to have this huge and wonderful day in your hands!

How does your role as a wedding coach complement that of a wedding planner?

We offer "wedding coaching" to brides who don't necessarily need or want a full-service planner. For Always a Bridesmaid, this has made us much better wedding planners, because being a wedding coach exposes me to lots of different types of weddings, brides and ideas that in turn make me more creative as a wedding planner in terms of finding solutions for problems, coming up with creative ideas and more. It allows me to meet new vendors that I might not have worked with otherwise, and that's important. But also, it's easy to fall into the routine of planning all of your clients' weddings the same way - just changing the color scheme and flowers - but being a wedding coach exposes me to so many unique brides and grooms that I am constantly reminded that each couple is really like a snowflake!

What have been the most memorable moments at a wedding you've planned?

Oh my, there have been so many! I think generally, they are moments when couples defy convention - we had a bride enter into the room to "Across the Universe" and it gave me chills. It was their favorite song and sounded so dreamy. We had a bride dance with her mother, because her father had passed away but she still wanted to have a "Parent dance".  We had a couple who had eloped in Vegas prior to the reception hire an Elvis to surprise the guests during the reception! The most memorable moments tend to be the personal moments where the couple is really reflecting themselves more than some predetermined rule.

EXCLUSIVE: Q&A with Anna Oliver, wedding co-ordinator for Down Hall

Continuing our new Q&A series with the wedding industry experts, I've been lucky enough to secure an interview with wedding co-ordinator Anna Oliver from Down Hall, pictured above, where reality star Jade Goody wed last month. Here, Anna tells us a little bit about what it's like to organise a high-profile celebrity wedding at short notice, Jade's last minute wedding requests and about the venue's very important eco commitment.

Hi Anna. Tell us a little about your role as a wedding co-ordinator for a high profile venue...

My role as a wedding coordinator involves working with the brides and grooms to plan the day right from the start. I sell the venue initially, then I am on hand throughout the planning process for any advice. I run group menu tasting evenings for each couple and their families before starting a series of planning meetings approx three to four months before the day. I am then there on the day to coordinate all of the external suppliers and to act as a calming influence for the bridal party.
 
Jade's wedding was pulled together in just 10 days, was it easy to pull off such a big event at short notice?

I actually only had about four days! It was certainly stressful what with having to deal with lots of different groups like Jade’s agents, publicists, OK! Magazine, the crew from the Living TV documentary and the security team, of course, but everyone pulled together to ensure Jade and Jack had a special day to remember.
 
What details did you particularly love from Jade's wedding?

The singing waiters were excellent and the flowers made our lounge look amazing.

Q&A: Shelley from Buy Our Honeymoon talks to us about their gift registry

In our new regular feature, I'm talking to the industry experts about their businesses and their predictions for the hottest wedding trends. In our first installment, I've got together with Shelley from Buy Our Honeymoon to find out more about their honeymoon gift registry. I first met Shelley last year at The National Wedding Show were she was wowing visitors with the idea of swapping out a traditional gift list for a bespoke honeymoon and I'm really delighted she's taken the time to answer a few of my questions.

Hi Shelley! Tell us about Buy Our Honeymoon - what's the concept?

This is an alternative wedding gift list service for those couples who already have or don’t need yet more homewares.  It’s an opportunity to create your own wedding list where you can add anything you want!   

Most couples use us as a registry of special treats for their honeymoon, such as carriage rides or scuba diving, candlelit dinners, anything!   Their guests then give them the funds to do the activities.  

You aren’t limited to honeymoon activities. Many people add items from shops too. This is a great way to get the best bargains and not force people to pay for overpriced items. This isn’t simply asking for cash, which can feel very impersonal.  By choosing specific activities and honeymoon experiences, it’s an opportunity for your guests to start you out on your married life on a once-in-a-lifetime high and creating a gift of memories. 

Is the traditional gift list something that couples are moving away from? Why is that? 

I think there will always be a place for the traditional department store wedding list — there will always be young couples who are just starting out but increasingly there is more diversity: older couples, re-marrying couples, same sex couples.  It is very common for people who have lived together for many years to find it very wasteful to replace all their perfectly lovely kitchen appliances.

I think in these difficult economic times, couples are even more conscious of not wanting to be wasteful, making them more able to be honest about what they really want. And as weddings have become more expensive, it puts even more pressure on honeymoon funds! 

Tell us about some of the things on offer through the site. What requests particularly wowed you? 

Some couples are amazingly creative and their personalities shine through the list, I love that!  One Canadian couple asked for sock yarn to do some knitting on the beach and some liver snapps for their little dog Emmy Lou, who wasn’t able to go on the honeymoon with them. I just thought that was so wonderful. Their list was extremely popular and you could see why: their guests could understand how person and individual it was to them.