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Vendor Spotlight: The Value of a Wedding Planner

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Fri, 04/24/2020

Hello there! We are so excited to share the first of our “Vendor Spotlight” blog series with you today!

The confidence spectrum ranges widely planning a wedding from "I have no idea what I am doing" to "I think wedding planning may be my calling. Should I quit my day job?" and everything in between. Whether you are having a small, intimate gathering or an extravagant 300 guest celebration, planning a successful wedding takes a LOT of time, communication and attention to detail.  One of the first things couple ponder after getting engaged is whether to hire a planner.  We would suggest hiring a planner and feel it is definitely worth the investment.  A strong planner can exponentially decrease the amount of stress and work involved in handling all of the logistics leading up to and on the day of your wedding. Choosing the right planner will not only help to eliminate stress for you and your partner, but can actually save you time AND money! 

With this post we are highlighting just a few of the many great, local wedding and event planners that we have the privilege of calling friends and colleagues. We believe that working with a capable and professional planner makes all the difference when it comes to the success of an event! Below we will share some thoughts and advice on the topic from our lovely and talented planner friends.


First on the list is Melanie Murphy, owner of By Invitation Only…Event Planning & Design located at 701 Whaley St in Columbia. melanie murphyWith 15 years of experience in the wedding and special events industry, Melanie says her favorite part of the wedding day “is the opportunity to reveal an event to the client – bringing their dreams to life and getting the firsthand experience of seeing their reaction and joy.”

 

Melanie has always loved weddings and events with structure and protocol. Her introduction to the wedding scene was as a “bag carrier” for a photographer friend. The wedding they were working ‘needed some help’ and after so many years of mulling through etiquette books and magazines, Melanie graciously took the opportunity to step in and make some suggestions in order to assist in a time of need. From that point on, she caught the ‘bug’ and has been creating detailed, uniquely personal events for all of her clients.Planning a wedding is an amazing adventure and I want to make sure no detail, regardless the size, is missed or not explored completely. We focus on enjoying this time and building excitement for the event!” said Melanie.

We asked Melanie what value her and the BIO team bring their clients when it comes to managing and pulling off a successful event. She responded, “Weddings are detailed large-scale productions with so many moving parts. While there are so many vendors out there, I feel we have had the opportunity over the years to get to know our market extremely well and can direct our clients, as a start, carefully and thoughtfully to the vendor collection that works for their vision, budget and personality.  We also make every effort to create a very custom and unique event and experience so that all involved recognize the personalization and individuality of that specific event while bringing to life the ideas and wishes of each couple.” Melanie has a fantastic team who work so cohesively together, she typically averages about 50 weddings per year.

“Life is about milestones and how we celebrate them - we want to make sure we help you plan an exquisite celebration with ease and excitement. Our teams are dedicated to creating a phenomenal experience for EVERYONE involved!”

Melanie Murphy, By Invitation Only…Event Planning & Design

gram @murphyweddings    web  https://www.murphyweddings.com/  mail murphyweddings@aol.com


Next on the list is Alisha Millwood, owner and designer of Amazing Moment Weddings located on Meeting Street in West Columbia. alisha millwoodAlisha started Amazing Moment Weddings in 2014, after working in the special events industry for 20+ years. When asked, Alisha said her favorite part of the wedding day is “seeing the couple exit after being pronounced married! Seeing the excitement in their faces, almost like the anxiety of getting to this point in the wedding day melts away. Then the rest of the event is all for celebration!”

 

Alisha has spent most of her life in and around the special events world and has experience in many of the industry fields. Her mother was a florist and she first started working with her in her shop. While still in high school, she started working for a rental company.  By the time Alisha was in college, she was the Student Activities Director in charge of the special events.  “I planned every event on campus from pep rallies and Homecoming festivals, to prom as well as College Career Day events and parent information nights.”

 

Sharing how she started her company, she responded, “In 2013, a dear friend asked me to help her with her wedding. Another friend who attended the wedding then asked. Then 2 brides I really did not know reached out via these friends. I realized I could do this while raising my boys from home. I decided to help a few friends with their weddings and Amazing Moment Weddings was created after more and more wanted my help.”

When we asked Alisha what value she brings to her clients, she said “Many couples do not realize the logistics involved in making everything happen for the wedding day. My years of experience and vendor relationships allow me to be able to help clients create what they envision. I also take pride in helping clients make decisions to keep them on budget.” She is in her 7th year of full time wedding planning. When she started, Alisha’s goal was to help coordinate and create 10 weddings a year. Her first year she did 25 and now averages 40 events a year.

“Planning your wedding day should be about the couple, their style and personality should shine through.”

Alisha Millwood, Amazing Moment Weddings 

gram@amazingmomentweddings   web https://amazingmomentweddings.com  mailamazingmoment@outlook.com


Lastly, we have Alexandra Madison, owner of Alexandra Madison Weddings in downtown Columbia. Alexandra has worked in the broader event industry for 8 years and started her own business, AMW, in 2017. alexandra madisonHer favorite part of the wedding day is a tie between the “moment the bride/groom walks down the aisle and sees their partner’s face or reaction to the love of their life walking towards them” and “the father/daughter dance.. seeing that relationship between the father/daughter and seeing the love and growing moment there.”

 

Alexandra’s journey towards boutique wedding planner started in the corporate and nonprofit industry. Gala planning for the American Lung Association, working weddings at a resort lodge in Santa Fe to collaborating along-side wedding planners in LA all ultimately led to moving back to the South. She also has experience in catering, southern hospitality and venue management.  

 

Alexandra started AMW after she felt ready and knew the industry around her. “I wanted to make sure the company had the connections to help make an event team great.” said Alexandra. “I have the ethic, the creativity and the patience to work through what a planner may encounter. When I first came out of college and wanted to be a planner the main answer was NO. No, we don’t have room, we can’t train you, we can’t afford to have you. I took that as a pause not a defeat and started to learn other areas of the industry that would aid the future ethics a planner would need in their pocket. The same reason I was told no is what urged me that much more to achieve my dream.

We asked Alexandra what is one of the most valuable things her company has to offer clients and she responded Personalization and stress-free planning! AMW takes great care to be really detail oriented in what the couple wants, what they like and what they saved on that Pinterest board. I value having the expertise to guide my client but I am never going to tell them ‘no that doesn’t work for me’, or ‘how can I work with those colors?’ I am going to take what they love and make it beautiful. I want your guests to walk into a wedding and feel it is yours. Not walk into a wedding as if it were a grocery store and say ‘oh, I am at wedding on aisle 1A tonight.’” Alexandra’s boutique wedding planning business averages 20-40 weddings a year.

Currently the styles I am loving right now are watercolor signage and incorporating pastel tones, bringing out our blue colored ginger jars and incorporating pops or jewel toned colors. Perhaps champagne or taupe pillar candles? Or maybe glass etched votives instead of the typical mercury glass?”

Alexandra Madison, Alexandra Madison Weddings

gram@alexandramadisonweddings   web https://www.alexandramadisonweddings.com  mailalexandramadisonweddings@gmail.com


 

Here at the Lace House, it is our goal to continually find ways to better serve our clients and to ensure that their wedding and event planning journey is as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Connecting our clients with capable and talented professionals is just one of the many ways we do that. There are so many industry professionals who would love to come alongside you and your loved ones for your special day!  Here we have highlighted just a few of our very talented friends in the industry. Please check out Melanie, Alisha and Alexandra’s social pages and reach out to say hello to them!

For more information regarding the Lace House, please shoot us an email at lacehouse@scprt.com or give us a ring at  803-737-2235.  Please also follow us on our social media channels.  We look forward to hearing from you!

gram @southcarolinalacehouse   fb @SouthCarolinaLaceHouse   pin @SouthCarolinaLaceHouse