Maddie Gets Married: The Event Design Process

Feb 6

Hello friends!

Becca here! I’m jumping into this ongoing blog series to share an insider perspective on Maddie’s wedding design process to help give some more context to everything you’re reading and seeing. In case you’re not already aware, Maddie is our Marketing & PR Manager here at RRE. She’s a full-time member of our team, and when not working on our marketing strategy, or a rollout for the latest and greatest we’re working on over at RRE Method, she can be found knee deep in event production right alongside the rest of us. But this is a special situation because we’ve purposefully kept her at a distance during the planning process with our clients since she joined us in September. We realized that as both one of our team, and our client, she gives us an opportunity to gain invaluable insight into how our clients experience our process. Though Maddie is a veteran when it comes to onsite coordination and production - our unique process that leads up to that is, in many ways, just as new to her as it is to all of our other clients when they start working with us.

In essence, this unique situation boils down to this:

We get to plan, design, and produce a once-in-a-lifetime celebration for someone we cherish so much! Our team is so much like a family, and we take care of each other.
We get to learn so much and see this through a unique perspective that can help us grow, refine our process, and continue to improve the way that we serve our clients. Seriously… lucky us!!!
We get to share all of this with you in real time as well! And if you’re in the throes of planning a wedding, or perhaps you believe that someday you will be, we want you to have the inside track on what it’s like and how we work!

If you’ve been following along in this series, you know that today is our second meeting with Maddie and Nate. In December, we met with both of them, and Maddie’s mom, for a full-day creative session. This morning, we’re diving into our design session. Quick side note: I highly recommend that you follow along on the @rroseevents Instagram stories feed today! Blog posts are great - but there’s just nothing quite as great as video feed and real life sneak peeks and updates that you’ll see there.

At our creative session in December, the primary goals of the day were two-fold: Establish key logistical parameters (namely: the budget specs and timeline) and get to know what makes this couple tick in terms of aesthetics and priorities. The long and short of it is this: as their event designer, I want to know what really matters most to them. What colors, textures, flavors, environmental elements, and experiences bring them joy. If I ever go into the design process without having a grasp on all of that, then anything I put together - lovely as it may be - is missing the whole point.

This wedding is about Maddie and Nate, their commitment to each other, and the start of their life together that they wish to share with the people who love them most. Simply put, a wedding celebration is a representation of their joy, so any wedding details should be part of that purpose. At the risk of repeating my mantra that I often share… I don’t believe in “stuff for the sake of stuff”. Pretty details are a dime a dozen. Meaningful details have timeless value to a bride and groom who cherish them.

So today, I’m presenting a design plan that I’ve spent the last couple months putting together. While it’s not 100% final (because there are some options to choose between, decisions to make, and some elements I’ll keep in my back pocket as a surprise!) I’m presenting a cohesive set of ideas that starts with the way the guests will experience the wedding invitation mailing, through to the very last detail everyone sees on their way out the door as they leave Merrimon-Wynne at the end of the celebration. Consistency is critical, and I’m so proud to say that it’s a hallmark of our work.

We’re talking paper, graphic elements, linens, diagrams, layout options, flowers, china, glassware, flatware, signage, vessels, candles, lighting, climate considerations, weather contingencies, fashion, and a lot more. Allison, our design and production manager, and I have been up to some scheming and dreaming. I can’t wait to share everything with Maddie and Nate!

And after today… Maddie’s not allowed to look at Pinterest anymore. (Want to know why? Check out my Top Three Tips on How to Use Pinterest to Design Your Wedding!)

Tune in on the stories feed today and keep following along right here on the blog as Maddie shares updates weekly!

Becca

Want to read more of the Maddie Gets Married Series? Follow along:

Week 1: The Proposal

Week 2: Engaged, Now What?

Week 3: Preparing for Our Creative Session

Week 4: My Biggest Takeaway from Our Creative Session

Week 5: Why We Chose Our Photographer

Week 6: When Decisions Get Hard

Week 7: Nate’s First Visit to the Merrimon-Wynne House

Week 8: Save the Date!

Week 9: How to Handle Late RSVP’s & A Free Guide to Creating Your Guest List