How to choose the right Wedding Planner for you

Wedding Planning is near and dear to my heart – so featuring the best planners is incredibly important to me. Stephanie Reitsma of Sweetheart Events’ name came up in several conversations I’ve had in the past months, and boy do I now understand why! This woman is deeply passionate about love – to the point where she had me in tears (heartfelt tears, of course) during our sit-down interview! Her personality and enthusiasm is contagious and she truly is genuine in her excitement to help couples marry (in more ways than one!) She takes wedding planning to a whole other level and focuses on the relationship rather than solely on the logistical details. This is someone you can trust to handle one of the most important days of your life!

Without further ado, allow me to introduce you Stephanie…

Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

SR: My name is Stephanie and I am the Owner and Principal Planner of Sweetheart Events in Vancouver, BC. I am now the proud new member with Vancouver Officiant too!

Did you attend school or seek training for wedding or event planning?

SR: I did. I completed an Event Marketing Management Certificate through BCIT, as well as, a weekend course with the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada, WPIC. I hold the highest certification in Canada as a wedding planner. I also completed Dream Group Academy 101.

What drew you to wedding planning?

SR: What drew me to wedding planning was my parents. They had an amazing relationship for 23 years. Growing up as a kid, I idolized the relationship that my parents had. They’re friends and they were the couple that everyone looked up to. I think every couple needs that reminder of who they are spending the rest of their life with, and what that marriage looks like at the end of the wedding day. I love helping people with their relationships. I love the opportunity to work so closely with couples in bringing together life’s special celebrations.

“I think every couple needs that reminder of who they are spending the rest of their life with, and what that marriage looks like at the end of the wedding day.”

How long have you been planning weddings?

SR:I started planning weddings in 2009, so almost ten years now and 5.5 years with Sweetheart Events.

What do you love most about planning weddings?

SR: Oh gosh, I can’t narrow it down to just one! During the planning process, I think one of my favorites is celebrating throughout the process. Getting to know my couples – who they are outside the wedding planning, what do they like to do? And I love challenging them on date nights. I try and personalize it here and there, but again, going back to the whole: who are they, what’s the end goal, and what does the marriage look like after? Again, relationship building, I think that’s my favorite part.

Let’s talk about the date night challenge. What do you mean by challenging them for date nights?

SR: I realized that many couples were too caught up in the planning aspect. They were forgetting who they were and who they were ending up with in the end. Too many of them were starting to fight over stationary design and colours, or the cost of the wedding. So, going back to relationship building, I challenge my couples every month to put their phones away, no wedding planning talk allowed and they have to just hold hands, go smooching, do an indoor picnic or movie night. Do something – build a fort in their living room, go back and recreate their first date, to keep those butterflies alive!

“I challenge my couples every month to put their phones away, no wedding planning talk allowed and they have to just hold hands, go smooching, do an indoor picnic or movie night.”

Why should a couple hire a wedding planner versus plan it themselves?

SR: Well, I’m a little biased being a wedding planner, but I feel that every couple should take a step back before they start planning their day and realize how much time they have to invest in planning a wedding. Generally, it is their first time. I like to say “what would you rather do with 400 hours of your life? Would you like to go through emails, hundreds of websites, or would you like to give yourself the gift of time?” Have someone else do all of that work for you, have an expert that can guide you through the process properly and leave you to only make those important decisions without doing the hours of legwork.

What are some important questions that a couple should ask when they’re looking to book the right wedding planner?

SR: This is an interesting question because I’m not a fan of those consultations where the couples come with a long list found on Google. At the end of the day, every wedding planner offers a very similar service, but it’s our personality that sets us apart. Therefore, I really feel that a couple should take a look at their website, make sure that it’s the style that they really want for their wedding. Once they’ve narrowed it down to two or three, go have coffee or a drink with them and see if it’s someone that you trust and that understands your vision – someone you want to hang out with for the next year. You are at the end of this getting a bestie for life!

“At the end of the day, every wedding planner offers a very similar service, but it’s our personality that sets us apart.”

At what point should a wedding planner be hired? Are there certain things in wedding planning that can be done before you bring on a wedding planner or should you hire them right off the get-go before you make any decisions?

SR: My biggest advice is figuring out what level of service and assistance you want from a wedding planner. If you are needing full planning service, I would suggest hiring them from the start. We will be able to set you up for success from the get-go, whereas if you are just looking for décor and design services or day of services, my recommendation is to book anywhere between six to 12 months beforehand. We can then work through that process with you.

Stephanie’s favorite proposal locations:
Gazebo at Waterfront Park
Stanley Park
Istken Hall in Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Center
Nita Lake Lodge dock
Stone Circle in Whistler

Tell us about your proposal planning. What do you offer?

SR: I am the OG, the original proposal planner in Western Canada. Seeing it blow up in LA, New York, and Toronto, it was something that I really wanted to bring to Vancouver. When I started Sweetheart Events in 2013, I wanted to keep my enthusiasm and passion in one area and I felt what greater way to not only work with couples on the wedding but also start that relationship beforehand and gain their trust. Why not take them from yes to I do?

The majority of our clients don’t actually live here, so I’m working with clients from all over the world. I become their proposal concierge and I book their dinner reservations, nail appointments, photographer, and videographer. I set it all up and I tear it all down. It’s like one of those bachelor date nights!

Stephanie’s favorite ceremony locations:
UBC Botanical Garden
Cecil Green Park House
Stanley Park Pavillion
Cleveland Dam
Sea to Sky Gondola

How do you ensure that the wedding design is unique and reflects the couple’s personality and taste and not just the cookie cutter?

SR: This is one of my favorite parts!. At one of my weddings this past summer, I overheard a conversation and a guest was saying goodbye to the bride and groom and said “This was so you. I have not been to a wedding that was so reflective of the couple.” I almost burst out crying. I just wanted to hug that guest after because it was a great testament of all the hours of planning I had done.

At the end of the day, I don’t want a couple to think of it as my portfolio or my style. I want to be able to execute the vision that they want. If you have a dog and you want to incorporate them somehow, I want to help make it happen! We’ve done laser cut-outs of little dogs and had them as place cards! Or if they first met on a date at Tacofino, for example, maybe we have Tacofino as the late night snack. I love to incorporate any little details – more than just a photo of them as a table number. I like to dive so much deeper.

And heck, if you like dessert before dinner, then let’s do that too. I really just want to encompass everything that is a reflection of the couple, individually and together.

What are some mistakes you often see couples make when planning their wedding?

SR: I would say, following Pinterest too much. Pinterest is an amazing platform and definitely helps with the visual side of planning your wedding, but a lot of the pins that you find on Pinterest are not relative to a realistic budget. Therefore I feel that the result is a lot of disappointment. I will work with a lot of my couples where they will show me a Pinterest board and we’ll be able to compromise by asking what do you like in this, what don’t you like? Another mistake I find is some couples don’t set a realistic budget from the beginning. They book a venue, they start booking their vendors and then realize how much it’s adding up. Then, they have to make compromises on everything else.

Stephanie’s favorite reception locations:
Pipe Shop Venue
The Permanent
Cecil Green Park House
Brock House
UBC Botanical Garden
VanDusen Gardens
Shaughnessy Restaurant

What is your best piece of advice for a new bride?

SR: Best piece of advice for a bride would be to turn off the noise and focus on what you and your partner want. Sit down and take even just five minutes, either together or separately, and write down your priorities and your expectations of each other because this is a huge growing process together.

Make sure that you understand each other’s expectations and what each other’s priorities are because it’s not just your day, but it’s your day together. Have open communication throughout this entire process and really just being true to you. As much as family and friends will always have opinions, you can’t please everybody.

The day has to be yours and what you want it to be. Get rid of those expectations of what everyone is telling you that your wedding should be because at the end of the day it is a reflection of you.

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As mentioned above, Stephanie is the newest officiant of Vancouver Officiant and is now available to marry you! With her enthusiasm and beautiful personality, she is a wonderful choice. Congratulations Stephanie on this wonderful achievement!

Getting up close and personal with Stephanie revealed some juicy facts! One in particular that had us laughing incredibly hard! I had so much getting to know her on a personal level. Watch the video below to learn her deepest secrets and get ready for a laugh!

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Thank you Stephanie for being you – a true joy to get to know and an absolute ray of sunshine! I am incredibly honored to have you as a recommended vendor! Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me and for allowing me to feature you!

If you want to learn more about the services that Sweetheart Events offers, you can reach them at savethedate@sweetheartevents.ca or by checking out their newly re-designed website: www.sweetheartevents.ca

Follow Sweetheart Events on Instagram here and get ready to be inspired

Want to learn more about vendors I recommend? Check out more of my Spotlight Features here