Vendor Viewpoint – Sarah Kathleen Events
Sarah Rodriguez, owner of Sarah Kathleen Events, popped by the blog to chat about all things wedding planning and how Sarah Kathleen Events is unique. All images supplied by Sarah Kathleen Events.
How long have you been a wedding and events planner? If you were doing something different before, what were you doing and what convinced you to pursue event planning full time?
I’ve been planning weddings and events for about 14 years and it has always been my dream job! While planning on the side, I previously worked for an audio-visual company that worked closely with large events. I realized that I wanted to be more involved in the entire event creation so I struck out on my own and it was the best decision I ever made.
How are you different from other wedding planners?
I’m a very hands-on planner who loves to incorporate unique elements into our events. Being from an AV background, I have seen so many interesting ideas I want to try! I found it was sometimes difficult to show my off-the-wall ideas to clients, so I began creating custom 3D renderings of our events to help! These 3DEV’s (or 3D Event Visualizations) are scale models of the venues that I then add event elements to, such as tables, linens, lighting, menu cards, and centerpieces. These allow our clients to walk through their events before they ever happen. They can easily test napkin color, table placement, atmospheric lighting, and more! This has been hugely beneficial when our clients request custom projects from us!
What wedding trend are you currently obsessing over?
Living walls! I saw one where the appetizers were served out of hands coming out of a greenery wall and I thought “I have to do that!” Just waiting for the right event to work that in.
Wedding and event planning looks like such a fun career from the outside. What’s one challenge that outsiders may not know about?
As a wedding and event planner, your work never stops. There’s a misconception that we only work on weekends or not at all during offseason. Truth is, that’s when we do all the planning! It’s a long process to plan most events and when you balance so many events throughout the year, it’s a constant challenge to keep everything moving smoothly. Event days are very long, hard days, too. I’ve often heard that people think the job will be like J.Lo in the movie The Wedding Planner which makes me laugh because it is nowhere near as glamorous as J.Lo makes it look!
What advice would you give a recently engaged couple?
Don’t rush! Take your time to really plan out your budget, your wishes, and those things you can do without. A wedding is a celebration and shouldn’t make you go broke or want to break up. Take your time and savor the fun engagement time.
What’s that one reception song you can’t help but dance to when no one is watching
Africa by Toto. It just gets my toes tappin’.
Sarah Kathleen Events is a team of full-service wedding and event planners with a natural passion for design and ambiance. They handle everything from concept design to day-of coordination, and every little step in between. For more information, contact sarahkathleenevents@gmail.com.
