By Mariah Ashley
The fabulous and ultra thoughtful Blackstone Caterers threw a Wedding Planner Appreciation Party for creme de la creme party planners, hosted in their very own kitchen. Talk about pulling the curtain back and revealing where the culinary magic comes from! They asked us if we’d photograph the event and of course we said yes! It was lovely to spend a little time with our favorite party planners, wonderful women that we hardly ever get to see outside of the events we work together. It was also literally and figuratively refreshing to see them sipping a signature cocktail and enjoying an delectable meal instead of bustling around taking care of their clients. Don’t get me wrong, by nature, these women love to cater to others but I think we’d all agree it’s nice to be the recipient of the pampering from time to time.
Stoneblossom decorated the gilded tables with gorgeous spring blooms of tulips, sweetpeas, and succulents, and ranunculus. Rentals Unlimited covered the tables in shimmering gold and black and white striped linens.
Of course the lovely ladies of Blackstone; Karen, Danielle, and Shannon {top left photo} were on hand to make sure everything ran smoothly and enjoy in the festivities themselves. In case you are wondering, that delicious looking cocktail featured blackberries and brandy, and yes I had one… err…two myself.
I love the spirit of this get together, all these women in the same place, more friends then business competitors. Being a planner is a bit of a solo gig, you don’t often get to hang out with other planners, but who could understand your colorful wedding stories better than a fellow planner? Represented were: Brandi of Blissful Events, Francesca of Campo and Co. Events, Kristin of Details with Love, Elizabeth and Kate of Elegant Aura, Jaime and Karen of Eventfully Planned, Stasia and Lauren of Exquisite Events, Erica of Infinite Events, Galen of My Newport Wedding, Pamela of PDR Events, Christine of Planned to Perfection, Sarah of Sarah Daly Events, Sabrina of Savory Affair, Caitlin of True Events, Wendy of Wendy Joblon Events, and Carrie of Alex and Ani.
If you are looking for a wedding or event planner, look no further than the above list.
Blackstone prepared an amazing multi -course meal, with mouthwatering scallops to start. Their presentation is always innovative and impeccable.
I asked some of the ladies to offer their best tips for planning a stress free day so we could pass them on to our loyal blog readers. Here is what they had to say on the matter;
From Pamela of PDR Events, “Your wedding is a party reflecting who you are as a couple, not a performance. Enjoy the details and don’t strive for perfections. A wedding planner is a gift to yourself, making the process enjoyable and giving you a stress free wedding day!”
From Wendy of Wendy Joblon Events, “My best advice is to hire a planner if the bride can.. whether its full planning or day or, it is so helpful and will take the stress off of the bride and make the wedding planning process so much more fun! Have a checklist of the whole planning process and work from that… and have a very detailed timeline for the weekend of the wedding. Confirm all vendors a week or two before the wedding and make sure they all have the same schedule and on the same page.”
and From Carrie at Alex and Ani, “Pick a gorgeous venue that doesn’t require a lot of décor to make it memorable like the Sea View tent at Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyards.”
and From Christine of Planned to Perfection, “1. Always try on your dress before you leave the seamstress! 2. Be conscious and mindful of what your budget is and who is paying for what. 3. At the end of the day the most important thing to remember why you are there, you are marrying the love of your life!
and finally From Exquisite Events, “Given the overall investment in the day, it makes so much sense to invest in a planner. She not only assists with every detail along the way, but is a seasoned expert when it comes to timing, flow and energy of your celebration. As a guide that has planned countless events, you can entrust in her discerning judgment, ability to accomplish the nitty-gritty and keep the party rolling!
Additionally, music makes the celebration — worry less about the items that get tossed at the end of the night and invest in a great band. Be sure to capture all the moments through an excellent photographer and videographer.
As for us, we love when our clients hire a professional planner and/or day of coordinator for the simple reason that it frees us up to do what we are best at, taking photos! Because we work so closely with our clients on the wedding day, if they haven’t hired a planner we end up sort of filling those shoes. After all, we’ve done a lot of weddings. While we know when the grandparents are supposed to walk down the aisle, how to pin on the boutonnieres, and where the best man should stand for his toast, do you really want us making those decisions when we could be snapping the photos? Let’s leave it to the professionals! Get yourself a wedding planner and day of coordinator, it will be the best decision you make for your wedding, after hiring the snappers of course!
Blackstone Caterers really is like a big family, here the patriarch, owner and general manager, John Edick plates the fish course and Chef Derek Jolie prepares the next course.
Of course all excellent meals must end with something sweet. Luckily, the master of sweets, Chef Mark Soliday of Confectionery Designs was on hand to prepare and plate this beautiful cheesecake with flavors of strawberry and white chocolate, so beautiful!
We hope you enjoyed our behind the scenes peak at Blackstone Caterers and the party thrown for all of the wedding planners extraordinaire.
Have you hugged your wedding planner today?
No?
You should!
Also, many thanks to the lovely women who offered to share their planner trade secrets on this post!
