Brianne & Jerome
When a Wedding Planner weds!
TW: How did you two meet?
Jerome and I were both dating other people and we met through mutual friends. After a year of friendship, we became a couple. We both joke that the other made the first move but to be honest neither of us are sure. We dated for a little less than 7 years before he proposed.
TW: What was the proposal like?
Jerome proposed on Republic Day 2013. I was fast asleep and woke up to our kitten, Blaxx, walking on top of me and Jerome next to me. He told me how much he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and he pulled the kitten closer. That’s when I saw the most beautiful ring on his collar. It was the perfect princess-cut diamond ring and it included my birthstone, sapphire.
TW: How did being in the wedding industry affect/influence your wedding planning process?
I have worked with several talented vendors over the years but there were some that I connected with more than others. I knew that I could trust them on our special day. The vendors I hired were specifically chosen because I had a personal relationship with them and considered them friends who would take good care of us and make our day even more memorable.
TW: Did anything happen to you during the planning process that you wished didn’t?
We decided to get married on December 27, 2014 as it was the best time to accommodate family/ friends coming from abroad. However, this busy period also made planning difficult. Finding the right time for tents to be put up, for the bar/caterers to have enough staff and scheduling a ceremony rehearsal were some things that almost drove me crazy but thankfully my vendors were very co-operative throughout the process. My coordinator, Sharon, really helped with the days leading up to the wedding and I couldn’t have done it without her!
TW: What did you learn from your wedding planning?
I learnt that it is much harder to organise any event close to a public holiday than I thought. My experience taught me a lot about how to manage times and schedules and this knowledge will definitely help me guide my clients in the future.
TW: Did you have a theme or any unique elements for your wedding?
My husband is very involved in the Northern Rugby Club so I tried to incorporate his hobby as much as I could:
· As we exited the church his teammates held rugby balls in the air and we walked under them
· One of the tokens for our guests were cookies shaped as rugby balls with our initials
· Our cake topper was fun and showed our relationship as rugby takes a lot of his time
I always knew I wanted our first dance to be extra special but I knew it would take a lot to convince my soon-to-be-hubby. So I took a chance and asked him if he would do something different and I expressed how important it was to me. I clearly asked on a good day, because he said “yes” pretty easily.
Our first dance was co-ordinated by Candice Joseph of Heart and Sole Dance Company (I was actually her wedding planner in 2014). We surprised all of our guests and not even our bridal party knew. Needless to say, the dance was a hit and our guests still can’t believe we did it. You can check it out here:
TW: What advice would you give to other brides during the planning process? Breathe!!! Everyone has an opinion or advice but not all of it will work for you and your husband. This is a day for both of you to celebrate your love – so focus on that. It’s an emotional journey and you want to make everyone happy but you may forget what you wanted in the beginning so just take it one step at a time. If you have hired a Wedding Co-ordinator then use her and her skills! She is here to help you so you need to reach out to her often and keep her in the loop because she wants this day to go well too. If you step forward and tell her about your concerns she may be able to help you early on, so things don’t get out of control.
Vendors:-
Coordinator- SDF Events
Church- Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church
Reception Venue- St. Andrew’s Golf Course
Decorator- Abfab Events
Tents, Tables, Chairs- Party & Event Company
DJ- Kern Crosby & Team
Cake- Kathy Swann
Photographer- Julie Charlett Photography
Videographer- Celeste & Reece
Bouquets- Alison Mendes
Food- Boomerang
Makeup- Nina Alcantara, Melissa Dean & Bridget Pouchet
Hair- Jessica Mount & Mia Bernard
Cookies- Khadine Hosein-Deane