1) What made you decide to be a wedding planner? How long have you been at it?

I became interested in wedding planning shortly after my own wedding in November 2014. I enjoyed having a professional wedding planner and coordinator to work with and felt that our wedding planning process was an amazing and memorable experience. My husband and I can honestly say that we loved every minute of our wedding planning. Our wedding day was so smooth and worry-free and I feel that is what every bride and groom wants and deserves. During our wedding planning process, I researched not only how a bride should plan her wedding, but how a planner would teach a bride to plan her wedding. Shortly after our wedding I had a friend get engaged and she asked for my help with her event. I did sessions with her and ended up coordinating her wedding day, and with the positive feedback and responses from her vendors and her family, and of course with the help and support of my husband, I decided I would start my own business. I have officially been in business since August 2015 and have participated in over 20 weddings and events since then!

2) What advice do you have for brides who are looking for a venue?

One of the first things I do when I meet with a bride is talk about the wedding-day vision and the budget. Some brides have dreamt of their wedding day for as long as they can remember, and some have absolutely no idea of any of the details other than that they will be the one in the white dress! After getting some general information and developing my own personal vision for their wedding based on their report, I link them to local venues and vendors that I think will fit their vision and budget. My main piece of advice is to never look at a venue that is out of your budget, because then your standards and vision will change and you will have difficulty finding a venue that is realistic for your personal situation. As a planner, I enjoy working with a venue that is willing to work with me and my bride and is flexible to fit my client’s wants and needs without conflict and restrictions.

3) What other advice do you have for brides?

My first piece of advice is to always make room in your budget to book a day-of coordinator for your wedding. After months of preparation and planning for your big day, you want to make sure that you have a professional there to ensure all the details come together and that the day goes off without a hitch. Every wedding has its hiccups, and you want to make sure you have a coordinator there to take care of every detail so that you and your family can sit back and enjoy the biggest day of your lives. Additionally, you want to make sure you invest in a professional day-of coordinator who is licensed, insured and has experience (read their reviews). You get what you pay for within the wedding industry, and if their price seems too good to be true, that’s because it probably is.

4) There are probably as many wedding planners in the Bay area as there are photographers. What makes your service unique?

One thing I take pride in with my business is building a personal relationship with each and every bride and family I work with. I am currently transitioning and am in the process of making Southern Romance Events my full-time business. I do not intend to bring in multiple brides per month as I want to make sure that each and every bride is given the attention and individual focus that she deserves. By the time the big day comes, I have spent countless hours with my bride preparing for their day and I take pride in the relationship I build with each and every one of my brides through their wedding planning process. I want our relationship to make her feel like I am her best friend by her side throughout the entire day. I want her wedding day to be exactly what she envisioned, and that feeling is more important to me than the amount of brides I’ve worked with at the end of each month.

5) Where can readers find information about you on social media and online?

Southern Romance Events is licensed and insured! To inquire about packages and pricing, please email Kathleen@southernromanceevents.com My website can be found at www.southernromanceevents.com and I am on Facebook and Instagram under the username “Southern Romance Events”