Congratulations! Now it’s time to get started with all the planning. You’ve already scored the perfect venue here at Casa Blance, so next you must find a photographer that loves candids as much as you; then make sure all your guests will have food– Yes, even Aunt Nancy who is vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and hates mushrooms; make sure your wedding color palette is pinterest worthy trendy; set up your liquor delivery so that it coincides with your states liquor laws; and oh, don’t forget to pay every single vendor on time. 

Even more anxiety inducing than all that fun stuff? That’s just the prep work! Now you need someone to manage all of your hard work on your actual wedding day! Good thing professional event coordinators exist so you and your S.O. can enjoy your beautiful big day. We sat down with Tara Thistlethwaite, the owner and lead manager of Engaged Event Management, to chat about what a wedding planner actually is and why they are super important.

First things first: what even is a wedding planner? According to Tara, there is a bit of a difference depending on what you’re looking for. “A wedding planner works very closely with the couple throughout the entirety of the wedding process. Everything from picking your wedding colors to staying on budget with vendors”, she says. However, an event manager comes into play when you need a point person to execute your plan. Tara explains, “We execute the couple’s wedding vision, manage hired vendors, and help everyone stick to a schedule on the day”. Basically, if you enjoy the planning process but would rather kill it on the dance floor and sip champagne come your wedding day, you’re definitely going to want an event manager. 

Even if you’re a super-organized guru (who else is the “mom” in their friend group!?), you are still going to need an event coordinator, trust us. Don’t you want to eat the catered food you paid for instead of worrying why your MIL is stuck in traffic? Tara says, “Engaged Event Management prides themselves on helping you feel like a guest at your own wedding. This is one of those days you’ll remember for the rest of your life and you don’t want those memories to be about anything other than celebrating with your closest family and friends!”. 

Choosing an event coordinator can be tricky. There are so many options! Getting to know the couples personally is what sets Engaged Event Management apart from every other coordinator. “Even though we are your ‘day of’ team, we don’t limit our services to just that day. Despite how far in advance you book us, we will always be here for you! You can email us at any time to ask your event related questions.” Tara and the Engaged Team totally have your back. It’s like renting a BFF for the day! They’ll make sure everyone leaves on time, all the vendors show up, and Aunt Nancy gets her special plate of veggies.

TARA’S TIDBITS:

1. Her favorite part of being an event manager is watching her couples wholly experience the best day of their lives.
2. The most interesting wedding moment she’s ever witnessed was when a couple rented an Eagles themed party bus and wanted fun pictures with the bus. Tara turned around for one second and the couple jumped on the top of the bus and started dancing around!
3. Her most unique wedding yet was “like the Russian version of the MTV Music Awards. The band had instruments, flag girls, and costume changes. The amount of food, alcohol, and desserts were mind boggling.” 
4. She changed careers at 30 years old! After 2 cross country moves with her husband, she decided to chase her event manager dream once they settled in Pennsylvania. It’s been six years and she hasn’t looked back since. 

Image by Keely Creative

Gone are the days where weddings have to be hectic for the bride and groom. You already have a day job, don’t try and become a planner on top of that! Who wants to start off their marriage with stress anyways?

If you’re ready to pass off the craziness to a pro, now would be a great time to head over to Engaged Event Management.

There you’ll be able to get in touch with Tara and her team so you can start planning the day you have dreamt of since you were twelve!