I remember the morning of our wedding.  I got up really early, stressed about seating plans (as you do) and was racking my brain trying to figure out if I could get to the venue before everyone else so I could make sure I had the right people sitting next to the right people.  You see, we got married at midday so I had my whole morning tied up with hair and makeup yet, there I was, trying to rework the schedule in my mind to see if I could squeeze in an extra 30 minutes into the morning so I could lay out the place cards and check the venue.  Needless to say I didn’t, and needless to say there were some, well, unusual table groupings! (It didn’t help that they completely changed the layout of the tables now did it?!)  In hindsight I wish I had had someone who could help me out, someone who I trusted with the same level of, um, perfectionism who could get the job done so I was able to spend those last few hours thinking about, oh I don;’t know, getting married.  Wedding planners really offer this service, and more, on one of the more complicated and organised days of your life.  Would you run a marathon without coaching? No! Then you shouldn’t get married without a planner.  And white+white weddings and events are one of the best!  They take your ideas and turn them into a reality, and take all the stress and organisational chaos out of it so all you have to do is enjoy the day.  I sat down with Danielle, Director and Master Planner from white+white to talk about how she works her magic!

Here are some amazing photographs of Andrew and Tegan‘s wedding, styled by white+white.

And the amazing Alex and Nadia‘s wedding as well…

How did you become a wedding and events planner? Great question, I get asked this question quite regularly. I have a background in Marketing and Events for corporate companies here in Australia and in London. After assisting a friend with her wedding in Fiji, I realised my skill set matched those of a wedding planner. So after doing some research and working with some amazing wedding planning businesses in the U.S. and locally, I started white+white and have never looked back!

What does your job entail? My job is very varied … let’s just say I have never had a ground hog day!  I spend my days chatting to suppliers and couples about all things weddings, meeting newly engaged couples and starting the planning process with them, pulling together styling concepts, visiting new venues and it doesn’t stop there. We regularly participate in venue open nights around town, organise wedding schools and showcases, direct styling shoots and chat to media and the wedding world via instagram, facebook and blogs about current wedding trends, inspiration and general wedding news.

How do you work with brides? With offer our couples primarily three degrees of planning service which includes:

Full Planning –  This is our most comprehensive and popular package with our couples enjoying the planning process from start to finish. It includes everything from finding the perfect ceremony setting and reception, recommending quality suppliers, concept design and coordination.

Petite Planning – Perfect for the couple that want to plan their own wedding however just need a little direction and assistance with their overall wedding style and vision and pulling the wedding together, ensuring the day runs smoothly.

On the Day Coordination – This package is a great solution for alleviating wedding day anxiety.  We take the stress out of our couple’s big day, leaving time for them to relax and enjoy the day. We will also provide assistance to family and friends so they can have a fabulous day too!

We also offer a Destination Planning service for those couples looking for a dreamy wedding away.

What is your favourite part of your job? I love the whole process. From meeting the couple, to bringing their ideas into fruition and seeing their faces as they enter the reception room. We have seen tears on many occasions (tears of joy that is :)).

What is the most challenging part? I would say the long hours and working weekends would have to the biggest downfall of the job. Often I miss out attending my own family and friends special events and milestones.

What happens if something doesn’t go to plan? The show must go on. We troubleshoot best we can on the job to ensure any minor hiccup is quickly rectified. However a lot of pre-planning means there is limited room for error but some things are simply out of your control. Most of this is down to unpredictable weather but we try and sun dance the clouds and rain away as much as we can!

What does a wedding mean to you? Wedding to me is a commitment to one another in front of family and friends. A celebration of the coming together of two beautiful people to create a new family and new memories.  Our weddings are special because they are all completely individual. No two weddings are the same and this makes them what they are. We plan our weddings with a lot of laughter and always want to push the boundaries of wedding design by looking at fashion, interiors and travel for inspiration. We also take the time to really get to know our clients so we can produce their dream wedding. We end up great friends and that, to us, is what makes it special.

What are the five top things that really make a wedding?1. The couple – personality, their love for one another and their unique style. This has to shine above everything else. 2. Ambience – Lighting is so important when setting the mood for the night. 3. Food – Getting creative with the food such as having grazing and food stations which almost create a mini festival vibe at a wedding are some of our favourites! 4. Music – Music really sets the tone for the wedding. It gets everyone up and dancing and that’s some of the best memories for guests to take away with them. 5. The look – it is important to white+white to inject the couples’s personality and style into their wedding to make it unique and memorable for the couple and their guests. We spend hours upon hours researching the future trends of fashion, interior and travel industries so that we don’t reproduce just any old wedding look.

What has been your favourite wedding to date? We have so many it’s hard to choose! One that sticks out in our mind is Nadia and Alex‘s wedding held at Lightspace in Brisbane. They had a kitsch 1940s theme mixed with English high tea and a rustic garden that shouldn’t have worked but it did! We had wooden ladders suspended above the tables, with amazing florals hanging down to give a stunning result! A flamingo cake and huge theatre style LOVE letters made it even more special.