It’s Friday and you know what that means – another valued vendor Feature Friday profile!

If you’ve worked with me as a wedding couple, you know that I am happy to make recommendations about other vendors in the area.

Throughout my wedding career, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work with a variety of planners and event designers in the DC area and today’s feature highlights Emily of Simply Styled, a leading planning and event styling company based in DC and NYC. As a DC wedding planner, she is an incredible to work with, has amazing style, can help create a wedding aesthetic you love, and is so dedicated and supportive of her wedding clients.

Check out Simply Styled on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplystyledevents/

Let’s move to the interview!

What is your favorite part about your role as a dc wedding planner?

I know it sounds cliche, but seeing everything come together on the big day is my favorite part. Whether I’ve been working with the couple for one month or a year (or more), being there when they say their “I Do’s” and then being able to see their faces as they walk into their reception space for the first time are two of the most magical moments for me!

What is your favorite part about your role during wedding days?

I like knowing that my clients know that everything is being taken care of on the back end on the day of. It’s also fun to see all the different vendors come together to create one big awesome event.

What part of the wedding day is your favorite?

First looks, OR if the couple isn’t doing a first look, when the couple sees one another for the first time at the aisle!

How would you describe your business aesthetic?

Elegant, classy, professional, fun. We use all of our expertise and years of experience to tremendously simplify the planning process for our clients!

What’s the hardest part of the behind the scenes when it comes to Your business?

While on site the day of the wedding (or set up day), I constantly have to be thinking about what the backup plan will be if something goes wrong… because if/when it does, I am the one clients trust and turn to in order to solve the problem. As a planner, you put out a lot of little fires, but really have to try to see the fires before they start. That’s true in general with the entire planning process.

What’s one trend you are feeling when it comes to 2020 & 2021 weddings?

Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more couples go for more creative catering options – brunch, wood fired pizza, cocktail style hors d’oeuvres through the entire reception.

Now, with COVID, clients are going to have to be creative with service, too – especially if they try to do a buffet or self-serve dessert.

• 

• 

What did your journey into the wedding industry look like?

I worked in corporate event planning first for 5 years. Before that I got a first look into the industry by advertising myself on Craigslist as a day of coordinator…wayyyyy undercharging!! Even while working corporate I still helped couples on the side with their month-of details and day-of-planning.

In April 2019, I decided to “go for it” and go all in with the wedding planning business. We are a two woman shop with myself being in the DC Metropolitan area and my business parter, Ann Marie, in NYC!

What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding?

Hiring at least a month-of-coordinator (which includes day-of-coordinating) is a must. Read my blog post about hiring a planner here.

Also, try (try try try) to not let little things surrounding the wedding stress you out… i.e. the cousin who wants to bring her boyfriend you’ve never met, your aunt who claims to have every food allergy, yada yada yada!

If you have the day off, what do you do?

Have lazy days with my daughters and husband! Watch movies, order pizza, try not to check email 🙂

• 

•