Your Ideal Wedding Planner in Leavenworth, WA

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello! My name is Angela, founder of Beau Bella Wedding Planning. As a wedding planner, I wear many hats. If you gauge how long I've been in the wedding industry from when I started my business, it would be almost two years. Beau Bella was founded in the summer of 2017. If you gauge it from when I started making vision boards and binders labeled "Future Wedding Ideas", I'd say 20 years give or take.

On a personal note, I am a Minneapolis transplant that was drawn to the beautiful landscape of the Pacific Northwest. As an outdoors enthusiast, Washington definitely does not disappoint with facilitating all of my hobbies.

How did you become a wedding planner?

There is no better feeling than to finally see the bride and groom at the altar, especially when the officiant announces "Mr. and Mrs." and the crowd cheers. I get butterflies in my stomach every time.

The creativity factor is what first drew me to weddings. I became obsessed with designing cakes, dresses, rings and bouquets. Later on, I found an appreciation for organizing and scheduling. I realized my creativity and organizational skills was the perfect marriage for a wedding planning career. There’s something about organization and attention to details that intrigues me to no end, and I can’t think of a better celebration to coordinate than a wedding to add to the bliss.

After I received my career certificate in wedding planning, I worked with many wedding planners to make sure every detail of the big day was executed to perfection.

What I love most about the wedding planning industry is seeing it all come together after months of hard work and planning. There is no better feeling than to finally see the bride and groom at the altar, especially when the officiant announces "Mr. and Mrs." and the crowd cheers. I get butterflies in my stomach every time.

What are the most common questions that couples ask you at the first introductory appointment?

One of the most common questions that couples ask me during the consultation is what services are included with each package. Needless to say, it's a legitimate question; they want to know exactly how far their dollar will stretch, including how many hours I will be on site and how many assistants I provide.

How to find the perfect wedding planner for my wedding?

If choosing the perfect wedding planner is the first task on your to-do list, I would start with a simple google search:

• Look over their website
• Read their testimonials
• Request a consultation
• Looking through their gallery is also very important.

If you already have some vendors lined up, you can ask them recommendations of wedding planners in the area.

What are the typical services/packages offered by wedding planners?

Day of coordination will, of course, be cheaper, but with all of the services a typical full planning package has to offer, you're definitely getting your money's worth. With any full planning package expect to pay at least a couple grand, but virtually doing none of the work and having the peace of mind that your event will go on without a hitch definitely makes it worth the expense.

Is hiring a wedding planner an expensive decision?

Hiring a wedding planner may seem frivolous, but when you consider all of the services that you're getting, I truly believe it's money well spent

Hiring a wedding planner may seem frivolous, but when you consider all of the services that you're getting, I truly believe it's money well spent. Most brides have never planned a wedding before, so they don't know where to start, and they get overwhelmed. There are so many details in planning a wedding that many brides overlook. Also, wedding planners are great at negotiating contracts and getting you the best deals with vendors, so in the long run you could end up saving money! If hiring a wedding planner for a full planning package is out of your budget, I would at the very least advise hiring a day of coordinator. That way you can fully enjoy your day without having to worry about setting up, orchestrating the bridal party and vendors, or cleaning up at the end of the night.

How much of a deposit is required? What is your policy on cancellation or refund?

Which portion of the process keeps you busy the most, and what takes the most energy?

Even though planning a wedding is a lot of work, it's very rewarding.

Ironically enough, the beginning and end process are what keeps me busy the most. When I get a new client I have to prepare the contract, and there are a lot of details to discuss. The end process, which of course refers to the wedding and the week leading up to it, requires a lot of work, including confirming with all of the vendors. Working at the wedding itself definitely takes the most energy physically. It's a full day of running around setting up, making sure everyone is where they need to be, and cleaning up at the end of the night. Even though planning a wedding is a lot of work, it's very rewarding.

What was the most difficult request you have handled?

Many brides that hire me for a day of coordination tend to push the limits a bit. They often times want me to be more involved with the planning process. I am always more than happy to give advice and recommend great vendors I've worked with, but once it gets to the point where I'm the one calling vendors and trying to make arrangements, that flirts with the full planning package, which is not what they hired me for. This is an ongoing battle, but I always just give my brides a friendly little reminder that they hired me for the day of, and then I give them the tools to set them in the right direction.

What was the most memorable wedding you planned?

Don't give up, because each wedding you do will get better and better. Every wedding planner has to endure a "first wedding".

I'm sure the rational answer to this question would be to tell you about the most glamorous and extravagant wedding I have ever planned, but I'm going to go a different route. I'll confess my most difficult wedding, which is without a doubt my most memorable wedding. It was the first wedding I had ever done. It was a backyard wedding with the ceremony being in the same spot as the reception, so a turnover was required. It was a large wedding, too, so I have to move 150 chairs to set up the reception. Even the setting up process was an ordeal, as I had to sift through random boxes in the garage, trying to decipher what was wedding decor and what was dirty old car parts.

In addition, the bride and groom failed to hire a bartender or someone to set up and serve the food. Given the fact that there were no bartenders, caterers or venue employees to help set up or take down, I was doing the job of what should have been 5 or 6 people. Although I was only hired for "Day of Coordination", I definitely should have gone over all those details with her prior so I knew what I was getting into. I didn't end up leaving until 2:00 am. It was an interesting experience, but needless to say, I learned so much that day. Hopefully, this story will inspire future wedding planners to stick with it even when it feels overwhelming. Don't give up, because each wedding you do will get better and better. Every wedding planner has to endure a "first wedding".