WILMINGTON NC WEDDING PLANNER INTERVIEW
Welcome to the second wedding planner interview I’ve done on my wedding photography blog. I decided to have a candid conversation with the top Wilmington wedding vendors about why they do what they do. I think this will be a great resource for brides to use when they’re deciding on who to hire for their big day.
If you’re considering hiring a wedding planner, you’re probably interested in saving time. When it comes to planning a wedding, it’s hard to quantify just how much time you can spend on the smallest details. That’s where the professional comes in. Wilmington NC wedding planners have worked with most, if not all, the vendors in town, and know exactly which ones will match you and your fiancé’s personality.
But most of all, they save countless hours of your life that you’ll never get back. They prevent stress, make sure your day goes just the way you want to, and do it all with a smile on their face. Still not convinced you need a miracle worker for your special day? Read our interview with Hayley from Fairytale Pursuits below to see just how hard they work for you!
We recently had the opportunity to team up with Haley for a gorgeous styled bridal shoot at Airlie Gardens. The photos came out great and we got published – twice!
Hayley Luckadoo has recently relocated to Wilmington from the Charlotte area where she planned and designed some of the most luxurious weddings in the state! Hayley is ultra down-to-earth, and she can work miracles on your wedding day. If you’re in need of a wedding planner in Wilmington, you really should give Hayley a call.
My intern Kim sat down with Hayley for a quick one on one to figure out exactly what makes Hayley a step above the rest.
1
MA: WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?
HL: “I love love stories. I grew up on romance novels and watching fairy tales and I just love love stories. Getting to be a part of someones love story is just really amazing to me. I love getting to be a part of that.”
2
MA: SO IS THAT WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BE A PLANNER?
HL: “Yeah. My mom and I actually used to talk about going into business together for wedding planning because we loved family and friends and just being involved in it. We always got really sappy over the bride and the groom, and hearing their whole story. Finally, one day, I just told her we had to do it, because I loved it too much to do anything else.”
3
MA: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREAT FAIRYTALE PURSUITS?
HL: “The desire to be involved in peoples special day. Just to play such a big part in their love story, their wedding day, and knowing we helped make that happen.”
4
MA: WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT?
HL: “Our client experience is really different just because we get so involved with every single client. Most of the brides that I work with and I have become really good friends. We keep up with them even after their weddings.
Most of our couples go on to have families and they keep us notified. We get announcements like they had a baby or theyre doing this or that. I think the client experience is really different because were just so involved.”
5
MA: WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR JOB?
HL: “Communication. I feel like both communicating with the vendors and communicating with the couple is important. Theres so much going on that you definitely have to be on top of things, especially with the bride because wedding days are so emotional. You definitely need to know how to talk to people, and know how to relay information in a way thats going to keep people calm and happy and excited.”
6
MA: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR WEDDING TRENDS FOR 2017?
HL: “Obviously greenery is really in this year, and I know a lot of the weddings Ive planned everyones really into bringing in succulents for the center pieces and all sorts of greenery everywhere. I know gold is in, which Im really excited about because its one of our colors! All the metallics are a really big deal right now.”
7
MA: DO YOU PLAN ON EXPANDING YOUR BUSINESS?
HL: “Eventually. Since we just moved here were focusing on that, but we actually advertised that we cater to the whole Southeast region. Basically D.C. and down. We go just about anywhere in there. Eventually Id love to open it up where we can travel anywhere. Id love to do a wedding in Italy. Thats my dream.”
8
MA: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HIRING A WEDDING PLANNER?
HL: “Its really helpful to a bride to have someone else communicate with vendors for you and handling that time line. Also budgeting. I feel like thats where a lot of my brides struggle; creating their budgets and sticking to it. A planner can really help you see the breakdown of the budget versus that overall number, and really help you find vendors that are in the right price range.”
9
MA: YOU MENTION ON YOUR WEBSITE YOU HAVE THREE PACKAGES. WHAT ARE THEY?
HL: “We have a full planning package which really covers anything and everything. We help you find vendors, and we help with all of the details such as RSVPs, and just the whole aspect of it. Our partial planning package we just help with finding your vendors, and obviously the day of coordination aspect. And then we have a wedding management package. Its just creating that time line and interacting with all of the vendors to make sure that they know when to arrive and are all good, and just coordinating that entire wedding on the day of.”
10
MA: IF YOUR JOB DID NOT EXIST, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
HL: “Probably the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Something in criminal justice. Thats actually what I have a degree in, but Id much rather be doing weddings.”
11
MA: ANY FUNNY/INTERESTING STORIES THAT HAPPENED ON THE JOB?
HL: “My most memorable moment was the second wedding that I ever worked. After the ceremony they had this very traditional dance that they had to do as husband and wife, and they had a very specific dress for that. Apparently her bridesmaid had forgotten a piece of the dress, and so she just went into like a break down. I remember thinking, Oh my god! I dont know how to handle this! I wasnt prepared it was only my second wedding!
We ended up fashioning the accessory piece out of a white table cloth. We did it in like twenty minutes and sent her out for the dance, and nobody knew. She knew because she was laughing the entire time and the groom was laughing, but everyone didnt know what they were laughing at. It just turned into this big hysterical mess. At the end of the night she told us we saved her wedding, because it was this really traditional thing that they had to do.”
12
MA: WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WEDDING PLANNER?
HL: “Every bride really teaches you something different, especially the ones where you think youre most prepared. You always tend to learn something in those. I definitely think Im a calmer person now, because I have to be. My husband says I tend to talk to him the way I talk to my brides when hes upset about something. Ive learned to just let things go. Every bride just teaches you something so different, though. I think Ive learned more from them then theyve gotten from me honestly.
That’s it for Hayley’s interview! Keep checking back for more interviews of local venues, planners, and dress shops!
If you liked what Hayley had to say, you can visit her website here.