Words with a Wedding Planner
Welcome back ladies and gents to another HubTalk. today we have a special guest! Our very own Kathryn Rawlings, certified wedding planner, and resident Tijuana Flats enthusiast! Now as many of you know, we are also a very popular wedding venue, also known as the Trellis Weddings. At Hub 925, we love having weddings. It’s always a good time, and we strive to provide the best service we possibly can. We actually are recipients of Wedding Spots Best of 2019 Wedding Venues in Florida. Excuse that shameless plug of ours, but today we are speaking about what thought processes go into planning your wedding! So suit up, or gown up, and listen because here goes our deep dive into What Does a Wedding Planner Think Of When Planning a Wedding!
Brandon: Ho there, hey there, hi there! Please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little bit about yourself!
Kathryn: My name is Kathryn Rawlings and I’m the Wedding Planner for The Trellis Weddings at Hub 925. I’ve been working in Hospitality since I was old enough to work! I started in restaurants and catering and worked as a bartender. After getting my degree in Event Management from Indiana University, I worked as an assistant to a Wedding Planner/Florist. I found my way to Hub 925 shortly after moving to Orlando last year and have been planning all the Hub 925 weddings ever since! Fun fact about myself, I studied abroad in Spain and I speak proficient Spanish.
B: Well, let’s jump right into it then. Tell me, what’s the beginning look like? What do you talk about first with your brides?
K: What I would do is I would talk to them. Okay, so you’re engaged. You picked your date. Where do you go from there? Once you have your date, you need a venue. I tell them, that to figure that out, start with pinterest. But don’t go too far down. You want to be focused, but still get a good idea of what you like. That’ll help you with what design you want. Do you like princess, modern, industrial chic? What design are you looking for in a venue, so that you can look for colors and décor.
B: Alright, so you’ve found that out. What do you do after determining what your bride wants?
K: Find vendors and venues. Dj, photographer, florist. I base it off the preferred venue first. Then we check for reviews, as well as guest list and budget. I would probably even do that before even the vendors.
B: Okay, so you have an idea of what they want, what they’re looking for. What do you prepare for your brides?
K: Examples. Do they want to do first looks? We would need to have that all done before the ceremony. It all depends on the venue and timeline. I would give them photoshoot timings and the timeline for the wedding. How much time do we have with the venue, how much time for catering, cocktail hour, vendor setup and breakdown? Vendors typically will need 3 hours total. 2 for setup, and 1 for breakdown. What time do we have the special dance? First dance, parent dances, bouquet tosses, garter toss and more? Will it be a plated dinner? Buffet? Heavy apps package? I need to consider setup and breakdown. If they leave early, who takes everything? These are examples that I have ready, and need to determine with them.
B: Day of the wedding. What are you doing?
K: I make sure furniture is setup properly, tables for everything like the DJ, florist, cake, guest list, and like décor. Then I continue to where guests will be for the ceremony and reception. Afterwards, I find out the best time to pull the cake out because it can’t be pulled out immediately.
B: Well what about, like, during the wedding? Ceremony and reception times?
K: I make sure everything is on time. Everything has to be properly moving. Then I have to adjust the times to make up for anything moving faster than expected or slower. I also make sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to do, and give heads up to the vendors so that everyone is aware.
B: Great, well let’s talk about our bride and groom. Before, and after the wedding, what do you do to build a relationship with them? We get a lot of good reviews about you. What makes them say what they say about you? Why do they like you?
K: Well, I wait about a week or two to follow up with them after the wedding. See how they’re doing, what they thought. Then I might ask them for a review. I also try to meet several times throughout the process of planning their wedding, so that I can answer questions. I want to be accessible and responsive. Being more than just their planner, but their friend. I treat them like they’re my friends, and I try to make them ask me questions that they would ask their own friends. I think it’s best to be transparent and honest with them.
B: Awesome! Well to end our little talk, what words of encouragement or advice do you have for brides and grooms planning their wedding?
K: Make sure to have extras of everything because everything breaks. For planners, plan for who you’re planning for. Like read your crowd, and understand who you’re working with: bride, groom, and vendors. Also be sure to decide what’s more important to you during your wedding. Is the flower arrangement really important for you compared to alcohol? Then maybe only get call brands rather than top shelf stuff. Or maybe the food is the most important for you. Spend the money where you want it. Ultimately, it is your day, not the guests.
B: Final words for our readers?
K: It’s your wedding. So ultimately, you’re going to be the one that remembers it for the rest of your life; not everyone else. So play it for yourself, not for everyone else.
Well there you have it folks. That’s our Words with a Wedding Planner! We hope that Kathryn managed to give you some insight into how she works, and what things you may need to consider for your own wedding! Got specific questions for Kathryn? Wondering what her go to order is at Tijuana Flats? Want to see our venue? Well schedule a tour and ask for Kathryn!
Stay tuned for our next interview with the Pink Hard Hat herself. The El Capitan. The Head Honcho. The Big Kahuna. The Baddest Boss Lady. La Jefa. The Conductor. The Herald of the Hub, CATHY!