Last week I got to hang out with the girls of Andrea Leslie Weddings and Events! We got to stroll the gorgeous property of the brand new Mountain Shadows Resort in Scottsdale and snap a few photos while we went! Anyone else excited for this amazing new wedding location that looks on to Camelback Mountain? We can’t wait to shoot a few wedding there this spring! Yay!

 

So while I was taking some behind the scenes photos, it struck me just how much a wedding planner has to do, not just on a wedding day, but leading up to it! On top of that how much insight they have to putting on an amazing day! I know wedding photos, but I don’t know upcoming trends and how to make the most of your day! So I interviewed Andrea, head planner, and loved her insight and just had to share it with you guys! So here are some Q/A from some amazing wedding planners here in the Valley!

Okay so dish on the upcoming pretty trends you see heading our way in the wedding world!

“One of the prettiest trends I see coming up for the 2018 season is floral chandeliers and installations! We are really excited for some of the floral chandeliers, ceremony backdrops and photo stations we have planned for our couples this year!”

Tell us something crazy fun you got to help coordinate as a wedding planner!

“The coolest wedding idea I’ve seen is when we had a couple that surprised everyone with the location of the wedding. Guests experienced a whole weekend of activities throughout Jerome and Sedona, and then we bused 225 guests to a surprise location for the wedding. The anticipation and surprise for the guests was a really fun piece of the planning!”   

 

Okay and give my brides your advice on planning their 2018/2019 weddings!

“A piece of advice I would offer to any bride; hire a team of vendors you are excited about. Start with a planner you connect with, and really listen to the recommendations they provide. Your planner gets to know you in a way that helps to narrow down the number of vendors you are considering for each component of the wedding. We pride ourselves on the vendor matchmaking process. We love getting know our couples and helping to guide them when researching vendors that fit their personalities, needs, design and budget.”

You get to see it all, what is one detail that you think gets passed by, or deserves more attention?

“One detail that sometimes gets overlooked is stationery. Many people really under estimate the impact beautiful paper has. Save the dates and invitations set the tone for what guests can expect. The day of stationery is also a big piece of pulling your wedding together. Welcome signage, place cards, menus and any other pieces you decide to include really help to bring the overall look and feel of your wedding and guest experience together.”

 

So I love working with a planner on wedding days because it lets me focus on the creative part of taking their photos, what do you think is the best part about hiring a planner?

“The biggest attribute of a planner is the level of expertise and guidance they can provide throughout the planning. There are countless things you don’t know you don’t know, and an experienced planner can walk you through all of them. A planner also has the ability to step back and look at the bigger picture rather than getting wrapped up in some of the things that can throw a couple off in the planning.

You could probably write a book with all the crazy stuff you’ve seen happen at weddings, tell us one!

“One wedding we had, the Groom came up with the idea of surprising everyone (including us) with fireworks. They weren’t permitted at the venue and happened at a time that none of the guests could enjoy them. Everyone working the wedding was VERY surprised, and our team still laughs when we think back to this one!”

So I have a lot of couples that aren’t from AZ, do you plan destination weddings here as well?

“One thing couples may not know is that over half of our brides and grooms live outside of Arizona. We love working with couples from out of state to plan their wedding. They generally have a different appreciation for the desert landscape and all that Arizona has to offer.”

 

Thanks so much for your insight into the wedding world Andrea! Our team loves working with your talented and can I say GORGEOUS team! Until next time!