Exquisite Affairs Productions – The Interview

Once again, I got to virtually sit down with another of my favorite people to work with — Christine of Exquisite Affairs. I was trying to come up with a way to describe exactly what it’s like to have Christine coordinate your affair. Think of a 100% selfless friend who is at your wedding to ensure beyond anything else that you are taken care of and that your wedding will go off without a hitch…there, I think that does it. Whenever I’m working with Christine, I know it will be an easy, well-executed, well-planned day. I mean the girl has back up plans for her back up plans!!!

How did you get started in planning?

I’ve always “dabbled” in planning. In dabbling, I mean “being nosy” – friends and family members had to deal with my suggestions (read: demands) of who to use, what to do, and when it came time for my wedding, I realized “Hey, I can do this.” However, I had a successful career ahead of me in Investment Banking, and when my wedding was over, I pushed the planning venture aside. A few of my friends, including other brides I had the chance to meet and become friends with through planning sites such as liweddings.com and theknot.com asked my advice in their planning. Three weddings later, I again said “I can do this” and those friends urged me to start a business in wedding planning. I researched until the word “wedding” creeped from my lips while sleeping, and Exquisite Affairs Productions was born in June of 2006. It was the faith that those brides (now friends) had in my ability to coordinate such an intimate moment of their life, that I have to thank.

What are the most popular trends you see at wedding these days?

Donations in lieu of favors and edible favors seem to be the popular wedding trends of 2007 and 2008. I think it’s fantastic to reach out to an organization that means something and make a charitable contribution instead of wasting money on something that will get thrown into the junk drawer. Edible favors – they speak for themselves…give me a box of chocolates any day, and you’re my best friend.

What is your first step in the process of working with a wedding couple?

I call it “the click.” The click is something I define as knowing what I’m getting into, and making sure that couple knows what they’re getting from me. We have to click. I have to understand what their needs and wants are, what they expect of me, and in turn, I have to ensure that is executed. Building a relationship from the moment we meet (or chat via email/telephone) is integral in making sure we “the click.”

What advice would you give someone who just got engaged today?

Set ground rules – for everyone. 1. Set them for yourselves (as a couple) – what you want from your wedding, what you imagined it to be, and what you want to spend (that ugly word: budget.) It’s so important to have the wedding YOU want, and not a wedding that someone else envisions for you. 2. Set rules for your family and friends – speak to them, determine from the very beginning what your expectations are, and the amount of involvement. 3. Set rules for your vendors – don’t take “no” for an answer – keep moving until you find someone you can work with. Once you’ve booked those vendors, stop looking at other vendors. If you continue to research vendors you’ve already hired, it’s a sure sign that you’re not happy with the decision you’ve made.

What is the most common mistake you see couples making?

This relates to the above…the most common mistake – not doing what you as a couple want. I see couples compromise their vision and expectations so much that their wedding turns into the wedding of someone else.

What is your favorite moment at a wedding?

Not to be cheesy…but the toasts during the reception. A toast by a Best Man, Maid of Honor, Father/Mother of the bride or groom…in general reveals so much. I learn about the amazing accomplishments made, the funny childhood stories, and how the couple meant from a different perspective. There’s no such thing as a “bad” toast to me…and there isn’t a toast that hasn’t bought a sliver of a tear to my eye.

Can pigs-in-a-blanket be classy (see other interview below for full explanation?)

You bet your bottom dollar it’s classy…of course only when served with Gray Poupon….

Which celebrity wedding are you dying to plan?

Would it be rude to say “no thank you”….because I like my sanity…staying grounded…I don’t think a celebrity wedding would allow me that.

Are destination weddings all they are cracked up to be?

A wedding no matter where it is….is all it’s cracked up to be.

Tell me a bit about Exquisite Affairs?

Exquisite Affairs – we’re simple. We want the best for the couple and the best for ourselves. We want to attend and coordinate a wedding of “friends” and not “clients.” We make sure the couple and their family are actually attending their wedding as a guest – leave the problems and their solving to us.

What was your favorite wedding or your favorite aspect of your favorite wedding?

My very favorite wedding – Sarah & Matthew …a wedding that I actually worked with you Danny in November 2007. The reason why it’s my favorite has everything to do with who Sarah and Matthew are as a couple. We had “the click” from day one, and with a few bumps along the road of planning, I realized that I’m really cut out to do this. I was faced with so many challenges, and each one was tackled without resentment. I appreciated their wedding – their ceremony, their toasts, them….they’re what every couple should be. Sarah wrote me an amazing email after returning from the Honeymoon that bought me to tears (she knows this.) She’s an amazing writer of the heart…she knows how to embrace you, and at their wedding, I felt embraced by the couple, their families, and their friends. One aspect I want to discuss about their wedding that “made” it for me – their ceremony. I see couples brush their ceremony and it’s meaning aside constantly, but to Sarah and Matthew – they would not compromise. While there were over 225 guests in attendance, during their ceremony, one could only focus on the couple and you really felt their power.