Behind The Scenes with Sasha Souza

Behind The Scenes with Sasha Souza
LET’S GET STARTED!
Q:
We felt so inspired after reading your
book Signature Sasha: Weddings and Celebrations to Inspire. How do you manage
to make every wedding and event so personal and perfect to the couple?
A:
We start off our services with the client by sending them an online
design questionnaire. That incorporates so many of the questions I would be
asking them over time but I am able to get it all from them at the very
beginning which helps us make the planning more focused and assists with the
vendor referrals we will be making. Knowing what they want for food helps us
refer the correct caterer. Knowing how they like to celebrate helps with
showing them the correct venues. All of those questions are incorporated
somehow into the overall wedding design.
Q:
The philosophy of Sasha Souza Events is simple: successful events each
and every time. How do you pull off these extravagant weddings and events
while making it look so effortless? Also how would you advise a future bride
or groom to do the same?
A:It
looks effortless in the photographs because of all the effort we put
in during the planning of the event. For the event to feel seamless and
smooth, the planning must be so meticulous that it seems effortless on the
day. I would encourage couples to find somebody who can help them achieve
that because it is very hard to manage your wedding while you’re having your
hair and makeup done. It’s hard to know what timing should be or needs to be
or how much setup and teardown you need for your design without the
assistance of somebody who does it regularly. It truly is a specialized
talent and calling upon that assistance will also help make it feel
effortless. A planner makes sure that all the vendors are functioning as part
of the same engine – their timing from setup through teardown is managed and
I firmly believe that having a caterer or a DJ or another vendor manage the
flow and layout of the wedding doesn’t allow them to focus on what they do
best. So, do yourself a favor and find a planner that suits your personality
and has a firm understanding of your venue and all the parts necessary to
make it a success.
Q:
After having so much success with your
first book Signature Sasha: Magnificent Weddings by Design, why did you find
it important to showcase more than just weddings in your new book?
A:
I think that inspiration can come from anywhere and showing that other
types of celebrations are also very trendsetting and we do lots of different
types of events. We go about the planning in a similar fashion to a wedding
but we do have more leeway in the overall design. Couples can still use those
other events as a jumping off point for their own wedding design.
Q:
Our YWE blog is all about trying to keep our bride and grooms up to date
on upcoming trends. What do you see as the most exciting trend taking over
weddings in 2015?
A:
I think the return of color is a big one. Where weddings have been very
washed out and cream and blush toned and a bit countrified, we are seeing
more color added back in and more adventurous clients who are willing to mix
their patterns, also. We are doing more “themed” weddings – where there is an
underlying common thread in the wedding without making it kitschy. The themes
we are currently working on are: woodland renaissance/bohemian and 3.1415 for
Pie Day.
Q:
We can tell you love color from reading your book, the 30 color schemes
to inspire your event was perfection. What color schemes do you predict will
be the talk of the 2015 wedding season and what is the best way to
incorporate them throughout the wedding planning process?
A:
Definitely tones that are more saturated are making a come back…
thankfully. We went through a time of white and greens and crèmes and blushes
and rose gold…those are being replaced with tones of coral, burgundy,
cantaloupe and bright gold or pewter. The whites are more accent colors
instead of the main color. I love these richer colors, they pop in bouquets,
and they are wildly festive on a tabletop. Definitely the easiest way to
incorporate color is in the flowers and linens. Those two things are
transforming to an event and make it feel more celebratory.
Q:
What if a bride doesn’t want to take the event designer route, how would
you tell them to begin the planning process of their wedding?
A:
If they’re not going to use a planner or a designer for their wedding
they need to get organized from the get go. Getting all their ideas in one
place and somewhere that they can easily get to them is important. Sharing
the same info with each vendor you interview so that you can easily compare
them and make sure that you’re getting the best deal is also imperative. Do
research; go to wedding educational events like Your Wedding Experience will
give you great insider information on the best vendors and a full 360 degree
view of the local wedding market all in one day.
Q:
Pinterest is very popular with brides at this time. Do you feel like
that is an effective way to plan your wedding and find ideas?
A:
We love Pinterest. I know that not every planner uses it or encourages
their client to use it. If not used properly it can certainly make you feel
overwhelmed, but I see it differently. The boards should be regularly edited
and I ask clients regularly to go through the board and delete what they no
longer love. If you don’t LOVE it, it shouldn’t be there. We use to get pages
that have been pulled out of magazines but Pinterest is so much easier. It is
very effective in expressing your overall vision for the way the wedding will
feel. I think it’s also important to pin things that maybe aren’t wedding
related. You can choose color palettes and home interiors that still give a
designer a flavor for your style without making them copy a centerpiece.
Q:
We love the restored barn turned “man cave” idea. What are some of your
favorite ways to make the guys personality stand out?
A:
I think it’s easy to put aside the desires of the groom and only take
stock in the bride’s ideas. This is a huge misstep. Giving the groom
something fun that incorporates his personality offsets the femininity of the
wedding and infuses his personality. I think it’s incredibly important to
create a “hangout” of sorts for the guests that is outside of the wedding
lounge, guest tables or dance floor.
Q:
A:
What are some aspects of a wedding that men like to have a say in?
I find that 70% of grooms really want input on the food, the
entertainment and the bar service. They really want to make sure the guests
have a great time, are well fed and have access to the bar to get whatever
they like. These are easy concessions to make and I think it’s important to
remember that you wouldn’t be planning a wedding without your future spouse.
Q:
You mention in your book that the guest experience is paramount for the
events you design. Why do you think this is so important as an event planner?
A:
The guests will walk away with memories only. Those memories are less
about the exact details of the event but are more about how they felt. Did
they enjoy the food, did they have fun dancing, was the ceremony special?
Those experiences during the day and making sure that they are well cared for
will always lead to the biggest compliment you will receive which is “this is
the best wedding I’ve ever been to”. I think that it’s easy to get caught up
in the “my day” and “my way” but if you put that all aside for a second and
realize that it’s actually a day that you are hosting for your guests, it
puts a much better perspective on it. Everything you do should be for their
comfort and their enjoyment…even though it is all about the couple’s
personalities and who they are together.
Q:
Speaking of pleasing guests, we believe the food at a wedding can make
or break your guest reviews. What have you found as the best way to please a
guest’s appetite at a wedding? Food station? Sit down dinner? and why?
A:
Food is definitely a super high priority to make your guests happy.
People tend to be wary of buffet or stations because they worry about lines
and running out of food… but, I think that the style of service doesn’t
matter as much as the staffing ratios.
You need to make sure the guests get
their food in a timely manner and make sure the hot items are served hot and
the cold are served cold. I personally love food stations & buffets because I
love bounty in selecting a lot of different things, but I also love going to
a fine restaurant and having a beautifully coursed meal.
The biggest complaints about food service have to do with the way it was
served, so I think that making sure you have more than ample staff & stations
to get the guests their food so that:
a) It’s served hot,
b) They don’t have to wait in a long line and,
c) You don’t have to dismiss the guests by table like they’re in
kindergarten waiting for their lunch,
If you do all of these, you can serve any style that suits you. A good thing
to do if you’re serving stations or buffet also is to have little noshes on
the tabletop to keep the guests with a little something once they sit down.
This will also keep them from all herding to the stations.
Q:
In multiple events, you had to overcome the challenge of secluding your
event in a public space. How would you suggest going about this for a soon to
be bride who is going through that same challenge while deciding on a venue?
A:
Public spaces are tough. You have to know that the people who are at the
venue are going to want to watch your wedding, they’re curious and everybody
loves a wedding, it isn’t that they are trying to horn in on your wedding,
but they are genuinely happy for the couple. If you know that going in, just
embrace that it can/will happen. We often will post people at doors/entry to
the venue who will do their best to keep out the lookie loos.
If you really love the venue and want privacy, you need to be able to afford
to make the event private by renting hedging, paying more to close down the
venue.
Q:
When planning a wedding, what are some details that you feel get over
looked that are important to the overall design?
A:
I think that sometimes the overall flow of how the guests are going to
get to the wedding or how they will flow through the space is an
afterthought. How long will it take for the shuttles to do a round trip to
pick up multiple sets of guests? How long with those first guests be on site
before the second set arrives. Should you have a bar open? Should there be
food? These are important details to the overall event and are somewhat
design related. As another example, having a detailed drawing of where all
the tables will be and how the guests will move through the space is
important so you know where it’s best to seat certain groups. It’s also good
to know if you have to have any chairs moved from ceremony to reception or if
it would be less disruptive to the event and the guest experience to simply
rent a second set of chairs. These are details in their own right but are not
necessarily “design” or “pretty” related.
Q:
As an experienced event planner, I am sure you have had your fair share
of something going wrong. What advice would you give to a bride or groom on
how to handle a misstep on their wedding day?
A:
You have to keep everything in perspective. The wedding is one of many
important days in your life but it is not “the” most important day of your
life. Knowing that, it makes it easier to handle things when they go wrong.
We’ve had so many things go wrong and they will always go wrong. It’s how you
mitigate that and keep it from being a disaster. The first thing a bride
should do is to designate somebody to be the vendor contact person. If
something isn’t right, or timing is off, or a vendor doesn’t show up, that
person is qualified to make decisions on your behalf to make it right. The
other thing is not to focus on the negative; it will ruin your day. Focus
only on the fun and realize that if they oyster station vendor didn’t show
up, the guests most likely wouldn’t know unless you tell them. So, just shake
it off and deal with it after the honeymoon.
Q:
Your Wedding Experience is trying to
give future brides and grooms a place to find vendors and get inspired for
their upcoming nuptials. What are some important tips you would give them for
questioning potential vendors?
A:
One of the first things you need to establish is date availability. If
you have a wedding date in mind or booked, it’s good to ask if they have it
available before falling in love with somebody you cannot have. It’s also
great to get a feel for their personality type and it you’re a good fit for
how they like to work. The next thing to establish is their fee to see if
they match with what you want to spend. But realize that pricing is relative
to experience and availability. The more popular the vendor is the more they
will charge for their service. Definitely try to schedule time on the
calendar with them to hear more. It’s hard to get time with every vendor you
may meet at a show while you’re standing there, so see if they are taking
future appointments. It will give you more time to get to know who they are,
do some research and really sit down and find out about their services.
Q:
What parts of the wedding do you think its okay
to splurge on and where do you think brides and grooms can afford to cut back
while planning a wedding?
A:
I think that there has to be balance, actually. If you overspend in one
area it completely throws everything else off. You can book an amazing and
expensive photographer, for example, but if you don’t do any décor then they
don’t have anything to shoot. If you spend too much on the venue, you don’t
have enough to get a filmmaker or you have to limit your bar. Balance is the
key in life and weddings and everything should be balanced.
Last Question!
wedding planning process?
A:
Tell us your absolute favorite part about the
My favorite part is learning about the couple. My design questionnaire
helps me get to know the couple in just a few hours by reading all about who
they are, their favorite experiences and their desires for their wedding. I
also love creating teams – I am a connector, it’s my job and it’s part of my
personality – I am great at putting together a bunch of people with a single
mission. So, creating the right team for the wedding day is a lot of fun,
too.
For everything Sasha Souza click here!
Bring Your Wedding Planning Experience to Life!
Buy Your Tickets Today!
Philadelphia Houston Ft. Lauderdale Atlanta
Tip from David:
“Before starting on the details of your wedding, make sure you have taken the
time to enjoy your engagement! You will never get another chance to enjoy the
rush and elation of being engaged more than once, so revel in the moment of
being excited about your dream come true.”