Wedding Planner — Blog — Amazing Day Photography

I’m super excited to bring the next blog post in our vendor series! I truly believe that one of the best investments in your wedding day (aside from a great photographer, of course) is a wedding planner. Not only can they guide you through the planning process and help you build your timeline, but they will also help in coordinating all your vendors and take away some of that stress that goes along with planning your wedding.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Shawna Spooner - Sweetheart Events - Wedding Planner - Langley Wedding Photography

We met Shawna a few years back at Westwood Plateau for one of our first weddings there. She was so friendly and easy to work with. She communicated very well with us, giving us time to get our lighting set up or a quick nudge just before the events of the day were set to happen. Not only was she great at keeping the wedding on time, she was also personable.

Now they say you see the true test of a person’s abilities in times of high pressure. Well, at this wedding we lost power mid speeches. One of the guests worked for BC Hydro, and after a quick call found out that a car had hit a pole and it would be hours before the power a was restored. As the DJ got set up with his generator, Shawna was working in the background with the staff at Westwood to ensure that the wedding could continue. Out came the candles, and a plan was put into action on how we could finish the speeches, have the first dances and party the night away. We left that night at about 10pm, but we heard afterwards that the power didn’t come back on till 1am. However, the guests and couple never missed a moment!

We were super excited when we ran into Shawna at wedding a year later, and she remembered us. With all the photographers she meets, we thought it was really cool that she remembered working with us the year before. Again, our experience with her was top notch and the wedding went on exactly as planned.

Shawna’s down-to-earth nature is the perfect mix that you need for your wedding day. She will keep you on task, and ensure that you have the most magical, amazing wedding day!

A few weeks back we sat down with Shawna to talk about why she loves weddings and the company she works for, Sweetheart Events.

Who is Sweetheart Events and what do you do for them?

Sweetheart Events is a boutique wedding planning company. We specialize in creative marriage proposals and personalized weddings. I am the Associate Planner at Sweetheart Events and I work with clients for “day of” wedding coordination, décor and design and full service planning.

What made you want to get into the Wedding Planning Business?

Growing up I was always a planner and involved with the organizing of school events, fundraisers, and birthday parties. When I went to College in Calgary to study Public Relations, one of my courses was Event Planning and I just remembered thinking “wow, you can make a career out of this?” I ended up moving back to Vancouver and attending BCIT for Event Marketing and something just kept pulling me towards wedding planning over corporate events. I fell in love with the idea of getting to celebrate one of the most important days in someone’s life everyday.

What’s your favourite part about planning for weddings?

I love décor and design and enjoy guiding my couples through the planning process. Helping them find creative ways to share their love story through personalized touches that represent them as a couple.

What can brides expect from you when they hire you to do their wedding?

They can expect that I will always be in their corner and cheering them on. They can think of me as their wedding planning bestie! We in no way take over the wedding planning but are there to offer advice, support and to steer them in the right directions. When they start to get overwhelming opinions from friends, family and colleagues we can guide them back to what is most true to them as a couple.

We also offer wedding planning for destination couples that are having their weddings in Vancouver. It is our goal to offer an experience for them so they can feel at ease knowing that every detail is looked after and that they are still fully a part of the planning even though they are miles away.

How would you describe your style?

Sweetheart Events couples gravitate towards the organic, west coast nature backdrops and rustic weddings. The team is fully diverse in all styles. My personal favourite is a combination of vintage and romantic details with heavy flowers, greenery and candles.

Where do you see trends go over the next few years for wedding decor?

I predict we will see more organic and nature inspired weddings. Neutrals like white, gold, blush & wood tones. Greenery is going to be big! It’s simple but by adding more, draping tables, and filling backdrops you can create a dramatic style

What would you recommend for a bride that doesn’t know where to start?

I would recommend starting with a budget. Find out what they are comfortable with and who is contributing. Also, whether they want a small or large guest list. They should then consider hiring a wedding planner to help guide them through the process and start with the biggest task, which is finding the perfect venue. If hiring a full-service planner is not in the budget then confirm some important details and hire a “day of” coordinator who can still offer some advice along the way.

Why should a couple hire a wedding planner?

Planning a wedding is a BIG TASK! It is most likely their first time planning one, and it can be overwhelming and time consuming. It takes hours and hours and if we can help eliminate some of that research time, e-mailing vendors for prices and availabilities by recommending vendors we know are within budget and your style we’re already a huge stress relief.

When should a couple hire a wedding planner?

As soon as they have set a date. Typically we start working with couples 12+ months out from their wedding date for full service wedding planning.

What’s your favourite part of a wedding day?

Oh that is hard to pick just one! I have three:

I love seeing the ceremony and reception space all come together! We spend months planning every single detail, so it’s pretty amazing to see their vision come to life.

Sending my brides (and grooms) down the aisle will always be the most important and special part of the day.

A fun and energetic grand entrance with their bridal party is also a top moment for me. The music is pumping and you can tell the nerves are gone and everyone is just ready to celebrate! I love it and I get goose bumps every time.

What do you like to do on your weekends?

I love getting coffee and taking walks with my boyfriend and our pug Ella. I also like to visit my friends and family on the Sunshine Coast. I was super blessed to have 2 nieces and a nephew all born in 2015 so it’s a pretty entertaining time in our family with three one year olds.

What makes you stand out in the wedding planning industry?

I hope it’s just our genuine passion for planning weddings and celebrating our couples and their love story. We strive to make the experience as fun and stress free as possible.

Is there anything else that you want people to know about you and your company?

I would love to give a shout out to the rest of the team at Sweetheart Events: Stephanie, Caitlyn, and Beth. Their talent, passion and positivity makes me love what I’m doing that much more. They are the best support and it’s so fun to be part of such an amazing group of ladies!

I also want to thank our couples. They trust us with one of the most important days in their lives. We get to spend time leading up to and on the day with their families and friends honouring this next step in their story. It is so rewarding and we’re blessed to celebrate love every day!