event planners ROCK!

from a bride who did not have a planner... I will say that they are a HUGE help and really make the day run smoothly! Here is a little info from Lindsey at Bustle Event Design. I am going to try to interview different people from the wedding industry... hopefully it will help some of you brides out...

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your business.
My name is Lindsey Scrivner and I am the owner of Bustle Event Design.
A little about me: I am your typical Type-A, detail-obsessed, perfectionist who loves to
help people do anything better or easier. If I hadn't gone to school for my Masters in
Business Administration (what spurred me to go into business for myself), I'd probably
be a wedding planner, free of charge! But since there are bills to pay, I figured that
didn't make much business sense... Thus, I created Bustle Event Design!
Bustle Event Design is a full-service event design company that offers completely
customizable planning packages to couples looking for help planning their wedding.
Bustle Event Design's mission is to simply do whatever it takes to make your wedding
day exactly how you imagined it to be.

What made you want to become an event planner?
I planned my own wedding, and although there were times that I LOVED planning,
there were other (more frequent) times where it really took a toll on my fiance and me.
All of our conversations throughout our engagement were centered around the
wedding (when we should have been discussing our upcoming marriage – you know,
the thing that lasts a lifetime, not just one day!). On my wedding day, I tried to relax
and just enjoy being with my new husband, but there was a part of me that was
worried about something going wrong. I wish I could have been more in-the-moment.
So the main reason I created Bustle Event Design is because I want other couples to
enjoy being engaged and feel like a guest at their wedding.

Can you explain the different “levels” of your service?
Complete Coordination is perfect for those newly-engaged couples who haven't made
any (or very few) big vendor decisions, yet. I'll help you create a budget, send you
monthly planning checklists, aid in selecting vendors & reviewing contracts, assist in
planning your honeymoon (if desired), participate in décor/invitation/favor selection,
assemble invitations/favors/etc (if needed), track RSVPs (if desired), act as your
personal concierge the month of your wedding, provide a detailed wedding day
timeline for wedding party & family, verify all plans with vendors one week prior to
the wedding, set-up and tear-down decorations, and coordinate
rehearsal/wedding/reception.
Partial Planning is great for couples who have already done some planning (i.e.
secured ceremony & reception locations), but who need assistance with the rest of the
planning process. I'll help you select any remaining vendors, review contracts, send
you monthly planning checklists, aid in selecting vendors & reviewing contracts,
assist in planning your honeymoon (if desired), participate in décor/invitation/favor
selection, assemble invitations/favors/etc (if needed), track RSVPs (if desired), act as
your personal concierge the month of your wedding, provide a detailed wedding day
timeline for wedding party & family, verify all plans with vendors one week prior to
the wedding, set-up and tear-down decorations, and coordinate
rehearsal/wedding/reception.
Month-of Coordination is for couples who have planned pretty much everything
themselves, but need assistance with last-minute to-do items and want to turn all of
the plans over to a coordinator who will ensure everything runs smoothly the day of
their wedding. I'll act as your personal concierge the month of your wedding, provide
a detailed wedding day timeline for wedding party & family, verify all plans with
vendors one week prior to the wedding, set-up and tear-down decorations, and
coordinate rehearsal/wedding/reception.

What is your favorite part of planning a wedding?
Aside from meeting and getting to know the bride & groom, my favorite part of
planning a wedding is selecting decoration elements that reflect the bride's & groom's
personalities. It is so cool to watch a blank, plain reception room/back yard/park
pavilion/wherever (!) turn into a beautiful, colorful space for the couple to celebrate
with their closest family & friends. The bonus is hearing a guest say, “This is SO
'Ashley & Chris'.” That means we really found a way to represent the couple's
personalities through the décor.

What are the 3 most important parts of a wedding (besides photography :))?
There are three must-have elements:
#1 – Engaged couple
#2 – Officiant
#3 – Location
I think it's important to remember that these three things are all you really need to get
married! Everything else is just extra. :)

What should be booked first?
The very first thing you should do is decide the style of your wedding and THEN book
reception & ceremony locations that fit your wedding style. You should book these two
locations as soon as possible after you get engaged (ideally, 10-12 months or more
before your wedding). You could even decide your wedding date AFTER you see the
schedules of your ceremony & reception locations.

How often do you meet with couples you are working with?
I always have a free initial consultation with the couple to make sure our personalities
mesh well prior to signing a contract. If the couple selects Complete or Partial
Planning, I will meet with them as often as they desire (in person, on the phone, via e-
mail). Once a month or every other month seems to work well until the month or two
before the wedding, when we'll probably need to meet more often. Month-of
Coordination consists of one face-to-face meeting to lay out all of the details, and then
unlimited e-mail contact until their wedding day. And of course, I will see all of my
couples at the rehearsal and all day on the day of the wedding.

Do you have a “team” that you work with?
I always work with a team on the day of the wedding. Depending on the size of the
wedding and the location, I will select an adequate number of coordination assistants
to help set up the ceremony & reception locations, be my eyes and ears throughout the
day or the wedding and run errands as needed. [Assistants are provided at no
additional planning cost to the couple.]

Do you do events other than weddings?
Although I specialize in weddings, I will plan any type of event. A lot of what I need to
know for wedding planning carries over to other types of events. I love planning
birthday parties and bridal/baby showers!

Anything else that you want to tell the blog readers about??
I try to maintain a good presence on the web, so check out Bustle Event Design on
these websites:
●Bustle Event Design
●Bustle Blog
●Twitter
●Facebook