You’ve likely heard by now that hiring a wedding planner is one of the best investments you can make for your big day. Not only will you save yourself from extra stress and decisions to be made, but more importantly, an experienced planner can design a day that goes far beyond your wildest expectations and feels authentic to you and your partner. To learn more about what makes for a stellar wedding coordinator, we talked to the owner of J29 Events, Shauna Karver. We’ve worked with Shauna and her amazing team at numerous events and have seen the magic J29 can pull off for any couple’s special day.
How did you get into the industry?
While pursuing a career in nursing, I worked in corporate events and dabbled in doing weddings on the side. After several cross-country moves for my husband’s job, I was done chasing a medical career and realized that my true joy was in planning events—especially weddings! What could be better than helping people plan the happiest day of their lives while also being your own boss?!
What makes a great wedding planner?
A great wedding planner can wear many hats and wear them well (often at the same time). Wedding planning involves so many different skill sets—project management, excellent communication skills, time management, a stellar eye for design and style, etc, etc, etc…(see how the list goes on?) while also being someone who listens well and can lend an empathetic and supportive ear during stressful times. There have been many times when we have played the role of a therapist while also wearing our planning and design hat. Every day brings something new and we have to stay on our toes for our clients.
Coordination & Design: J29 Events Beauty: Chelsea Nicole Makeup & Hair Dress: Chantel Lauren & Hayley Paige Photography: Jenna Bechtholt Photography
Related: Malibu Beach Wedding
Why do you think having a planner is so important for a wedding?
Wedding planning is stressful. Finances, family, lots of decisions—there are so many different factors that require an attentive eye. As a wedding planner, our single most important goal is to make sure that the planning process is as smooth and stress-free as possible for you. We’ll guide you throughout the entire process, making sure that you make well-informed decisions and that you have fun because, really, wedding planning is supposed to be fun! It’s a time to look back on fondly and not with disdain because of unneeded stress or angst.
What’s your favorite part about being a wedding planner?
This is a question we get asked all the time and it’s hard to narrow it down to one thing or moment. Our top three favorite things about being a wedding planner are (in no particular order):
1. Seeing your faces when the wedding space (ceremony/reception) is finally revealed. So much time and planning goes into each wedding and we love seeing how you react to seeing your dream come to life.
2. Sending you off down the aisle. It’s our moment to let you leave our nest, in a way. Everything up to that moment has been so planned and rehearsed. It’s that final moment before we “release” you. It gives us all the feels.
3. Your first dances. Watching you bask in the moment with your new spouse and with your parents. Those moments are the moments that you’ve been waiting for your entire life and the moments that your parents have thought about as well. We always cry happy tears.
Coordination & Design: J29 Events Venue: Pronghorn Resort Florals: Summer Robbins Flowers Dress and Veil: Pronovias Hair: Chachi Hair Makeup: Whitney Stassi Atristry Studio DJ: DJ Zimmie Photography: MoscaStudio Photographers
How do you stay inspired in your field?
There is so much inspiration in the wedding planning world. We are so fortunate to be surrounded by so many creative colleagues who inspire us daily, but for us, we get so much inspiration from our clients and their lives. We make a point of getting to know each of our clients really well and try to bring out their lives into our design and planning. Second to our clients, nature is a huge form of inspiration; textures, tones, and landscape all serve as a huge inspiration in our beautiful Pacific Northwest.
What are your recommendations for choosing a wedding planner?
Choosing a wedding planner comes down to trusting your gut. Who do you connect with? We love to schedule our first meetings via FaceTime or in person so our clients can get to know us and our personalities. If you connect well with your vendors, it truly shows on your wedding day.
Coordination & Design: J29 Events Photography: Christy Cassano Catering: White Pepper Libations: Mint and Mirth Florals: Selva Floral Design Ceremony Dress: Oscar de la Renta Rentals: Bridgewood Events, Classic Vintage Rentals and Archive Rentals DJ: Encore Mobile DJs Cake: Honeman Cakes Shoes: Manolo Blahnik Veil: Carolina Herrera Stationery: The Windmill Paper Boutique
Who’s your ideal client?
Our ideal clients are adventurous, fun, outgoing, and wildly passionate. We love creating and planning for couples who want to bring their style and personalities into the overall design, creating an event that is unique to them and not just something that they’ve found on Pinterest.
Related: Should You Hire a Wedding Planner?
After working in the wedding industry for over 9 years, we’ve learned a thing or two about how to make a wedding day successful. But even we aren’t experts on every aspect of weddings! As part of a special guest series, we’re speaking with local vendors who work in the industry — from coordinators and cake designers to photographers and venues — to help you make the best decisions when it comes to planning and choosing vendors for your day. Check out our previous Q&A’s on the blog!
Header photo by Christy Cassano
