Like I said yesterday – in case you missed it – I’m trying something a little different, namely interviewing wedding vendors and service providers so all you lovelies planning weddings get a new view of the wedding planning world. I’m still talking with Megan Leavy of Mpire Events, a full-service event planning company that does it all. Whether you’re planning an intimate dinner for 20 or a corporate event for 2,000, Megan has you covered. Today, she delves into the whys and hows of wedding planning and what it’s like to be a professional wedding planner.

What should a wedding planner’s top priority be?

I think it’s extremely important to get the bride and groom’s vision up front. It is their special day, and the day needs to reflect who they are as a couple and how they want to celebrate their union. Our job is of course to make the process as smooth and easy for the couple as possible while also giving them options and creative ideas to make their dreams reality.

What inspires you as you help a couple plan the perfect wedding?

I’m inspired by so much, but I find myself particularly inspired by the energy of the vendors I partner with. I work with the most amazing creative director from Winston Flowers, Ryan Zoeller, who is always able to take a bride and groom’s vision and bring it to life above and beyond how they pictured it. And that’s my goal with every event I plan. The creative part of any event is definitely what I enjoy the most about my job!

The question on everyone’s minds is: Why hire a wedding planner?

A bride should consider hiring a wedding planner for a variety of reasons. The number one reason, as I see it, is that the couple simply does not have the time to plan a wedding. But there are so many reasons to hire a wedding planner even if you do have the time! If a bride or groom has not planned a large or complex event before, I highly recommend hiring a planner because planning a wedding tends to be a lot more work than they initially anticipate.

And then there are the connections. Most planners have relationships with wedding vendors that can help a couple get the hotel they want, the best lighting professional, amazing flowers for a more competitive price, etc. A bride gets better quality and better deals than she could on her own when she works with a wedding planner.

Finally, creatively, the planner can tie your entire event concept together and hopefully improve upon your original idea to do something truly spectacular.

What does Mpire Events offer above and beyond what the average wedding planner gives her clients?

One of the services Mpire Events offers that couples really enjoy is custom gift packages for wedding guests. These are usually inspired by the area where the wedding is taking place. For example, in Boston these might include: Boston guides and maps, duck tour passes, treats from Faneuil hall, bottled water, Red Sox hats and a welcome note from the bride and groom. It’s a nice touch, and guests are always excited to receive them.

Finally, describe a perfect wedding.

The perfect wedding, as planned by Mpire Events, shouldn’t reflect my idea of what’s perfect, but instead whatever is perfect for the couple. It’s my job to bring their vision to life to create a smoothly run, very enjoyable and memorable wedding.

ATTN. WEDDING VENDORS: Would you like to be interviewed as part of Manolo for the Bride’s profile series? Send me an email at Manolobrides at gmail dot com!

Today I’m going to do something a little different, which I hope will become a regular feature here at Manolo for the Brides. I recently had a chance to interview the absolutely lovely Megan Leavy of Mpire Events, and I think that the insider’s view you can only get by talking to wedding vendors is so important when it comes to learning all you can about planning a wedding. Megan agreed to be my first-ever interview, but with luck there will be many more to come! Without further ado, let me introduce Megan and share what she had to say about her background, what she loves about wedding planning, and how she approaches wedding planning on behalf of a couple.

Tell our readers a little about your company and your background

Mpire Events produces stylish, creative and unforgettable events. I started the company in January of 2010 after working for a number of years helping manage events for professional athletes’ charitable foundations, as well as planning lavish parties for hedge fund managers and financial firms. My experience has allowed me to work on a range of events in areas such as Vegas, Tokyo, Florida, NYC and the Hamptons.

I knew it was time to start my own business in order to create events that would reflect my global experience and bring a fresh and unique style to Boston.

Why you were drawn to wedding planning specifically?

I’ve always loved attending weddings and through the years I’ve noted what makes a great wedding versus an average one. I wanted to help bring a couple’s dream to life by creating something that embodies what they want their special day to be and of course make it unforgettable. There’s no event quite like a wedding!

Would you call yourself a full-service wedding planner? Is there anything you won’t do?

I am definitely a full-service event planner. I can do it all, from the invitations and venue research and selection to planning rehearsal dinner and helping manage the ceremony, gifts, transportation, etc.

I am finding more often these days that there are certain aspects of planning a wedding a couple may want to handle themselves (e.g., hire their favorite photographer or use their family friend to create invitations). I think there is a larger market for wedding consultants who take care of specific elements of a wedding as opposed to every last detail, and I’m happy to take on a limited role or handle everything, start to finish.

Stay tuned for Megan’s tips for brides and grooms!

ATTN. WEDDING VENDORS: Would you like to be interviewed as part of Manolo for the Bride’s profile series? Send me an email at Manolobrides at gmail dot com!

A while back, the magnificent Megan had this to say:

You know what I would love to see? A post about and with lots of photos/poses where the bride is taller than the groom. That’s sort of a “common but unusual” thing and I think many people aren’t sure how to handle it. Do brides still wear heels? Are photo poses different? Do they embrace it? And so on.

Easy-peasy, I thought, there are probably hundreds of photos of taller brides posed with shorter groom out there since tall ladies do marry compact gents. But, no. I thought wrongly. The problem is not that there aren’t brides who are taller than their grooms, but rather that so many couples and/or wedding photographers go to great pains to hide what everyone can clearly see.

So instead of hundreds of photos, I found one great photo, some really crap photos, and then hundreds of blog posts and forum discussions all about how to hide the fact that the groom is shorter than the bride. Here are some highlights:

(more…)

Oh my dears, you have made me so happy.

Yesterday, I thwapped you all with this deathless image:
… and four of you came through with thigh-slapping captions for it.

In the end, though, there can be but one winner. This week it’s my good friend and compatriot Fabrisse for this reminder of the importance of taking practicalities into consideration when planning your wedding location and wardrobe:

“You may kiss the bride,” was a disaster waiting to happen.

Congratulations, Fabrisse! And thanks to everyone who played.