stella event design...

last week i took a quick road trip down to st.joseph, michigan to meet jessica from stella event design...i think one of the most important elements of a wedding event is to have someone who will organize and oversee all the little details. so i love meeting wedding planners that i can recommend to my couples!

jessica has a great energy, a delightful laugh, a dedicated spirit...i can tell she loves to develops relationships with her couples, ensuring them that they will have a smooth and stress-free day. if you're planning an event in the saint joe area or down into south bend you should seriously consider her services.

here's a fun little interview i did with jessica along with some portraits i took during our visit...

* where do you live? family?

I live in St. Joseph with my husband Josh. If you've never been to St.Joe, it is the textbook definition of a summer-town, nestled along lake michigan. it's absolutely charming in the spring, summer, and fall, and pretty dead during the winter.

* what are some quirky habits/hobbies/guilty pleasures?

I am a huge fan of scrapbooking, and am currently working on scrapbooking my wedding. I started with our engagement (back when we got engaged in September 2006, but have been pretty slow about doing it---mostly because I'm such a perfectionist, and find myself spending hours on just one or 2 pages! I could spend hours (and a ton of money!) in a scrapbook store, and be a very happy girl!

* how did you get into wedding planning? what do you love about it?

I got into event planning first. I took courses while I was at Grand Valley, and also worked as their special events intern for a year, which involved planning a lot of campus events for 100-2000 students, which was a lot of fun. Through Grand Valley, I also worked with the event coordinator at Warner, Norcross & Judd, to plan their holiday party in 2004 at the Amway Grand for 300+ attorneys and legal assistants. Helping with friends weddings, planning social events, and a few non-profit events, led to my desire to open Stella Event Design in 2007, after moving to St. Joseph. Currently I only have weddings booked, but would love to tackle corporate and non-profit events as well in the future.

The thing I love the most about wedding planning is the sense of gratification you feel when you help someone plan such an important life event. I love being able to take someone's vision and dreams for their day, and help them turn it into a beautiful, successful event that really shines with their personality.

* why do you think it's valuable to have a wedding planner?

For a lot of people, it's a real challenge to pull together all of their ideas, and create an overall design that doesn't just look like a hodge-podge of pretty things. A wedding planner can help you pull together all of your ideas, and help to create an event that has a feeling of continuity. More importantly, a wedding planner can help you to coordinate the logistics of a wedding, so that you can relax and enjoy your wedding day. A wedding planner is also a fabulous resource to connect you with quality vendors that fit not only your style, but also your budget. A lot of people view a wedding planner as a budget-buster, when in reality, a wedding planner can help you make the most of your budget, and save you money in the long run!

* what is your favorite moment in a wedding celebration?

I have 2 favorite parts---the first, is the moment when the bride is waiting to go down the aisle with her dad. It's so fun to see a bride so excited and giddy to go down the aisle---I think that is the moment when it hits most brides that this is actually happening! The second, is when the bride and groom get ready to leave the reception, after everything has gone smoothly, and just as they expected. This is when all 3 of us get to look back and say, "we did it," which is a great feeling.

* favorite thing to do in the spring?

Anything outside! I love to grill with my husband---he does most of the grilling, but I love to sit outside with him and hang out while he grills up something delicious!

* what is one piece of advice you'd give to brides?

Stay organized! If you're planning a wedding on your own, the best thing you can do is get a head start on things. Don't wait until the last minute, and make sure you're wrapping up any projects several weeks before the wedding, so you can enjoy yourself! If you've got a wedding planner, let her worry about the details, and just enjoy your day!

check out her blog too for inspiration and resources for your event!