It’s time for our monthly feature of the Best in Nashville Events! This month, I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Dawn Schenkel, owner of Premier W.E.D to talk about her business, her design inspirations, and what makes her one of the best in the business. We had so much fun chatting in her adorable Brentwood office, that our conversation lasted twice as long as I told her it would! Dive into our chat below:

LPR: To get us started, why don’t you tell us a little about your event planning services? What kinds of packages do you offer brides?

Dawn: It’s funny you mention weddings, because our name actually misleads people into thinking that is all we do! The W.E.D stands for “Wedding and Event Design,” so not only do we coordinate weddings, but we also design and plan corporate functions, non-profit fundraisers, and social events such as surprise parties and birthday parties, anniversaries, etc.. For weddings, though, we do have a breakdown of services we offer:

• Consulting: Our most basic service is one-on-one consulting, where a bride can come in and ask me questions, get organized, and share her vision and needs. Usually these consulting appointments turn into regular bookings, but not always, and it is not required that a bride who wants a consult has to book me for her wedding.

• Coordination: This is really “month-of” coordination. I will come into the planning process about a month out and get everything organized for the bride, so that on the day-of, she is not scrambling to get everything together. Day-of the wedding, I take control of everything so the bride is left with her peace of mind for her big day. The last thing you want to be doing on your wedding day is running around looking for your marriage license or favors or trying to meet the cake baker! We make sure to have everything organized so there is no stress for the bride or the bride’s family on the big day, from set up, to clean up, and getting her down the aisle.

• Partial Planning: We have partial planning options for brides who are more excited about the planning process and want to retain as much control of that as possible, or are on a very limited budget. I provide 6 hours of my time at a flat rate and the bride and groom can use those 6 hours any way they would like. I do recommend, though, that they utilize me for ordering items like the florals and the rentals. This way I can use my personal connections to secure great vendors the bride may not know about, while also ensuring that we select items that will help the couple remain in their budget.

• Full Planning: Our full planning package is usually a customized percentage based on the bride’s budget. We understand that some brides have limited budgets and are perfectly happy to work within those confines, however, we do know that our service is worth every penny. With a full planning package, we will be there for you every step of the way, from design conception, through selecting vendors. Brides with these package will also need a directing contract in addition to the planning contract…these services are separate.

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NEON is the new HOT color trend right now. While we’ve seen many Sweet 16 parties, Bat Mitsvahs, etc. use these linens, they rarely get rented out for weddings. Most brides are afraid of the bright neon, but you don’t have to be! We’ve pulled together a whole inspiration board using neon in a wedding type setting and we think you’ll agree…they’re gorgeous! The trick to using neon is to use it in small amounts, paired with neutral colors so it doesn’t become too overwhelming. Check out the inspiration below, and let us know…would YOU ever use neon at your wedding or event?  As usual, we are following these trends and making sure we have many options for our clients in our Green Hills Design Center and our Hendersonville Showroom. So stop by and see how these new Delightful Details can transform your next event!

Photo credits (from left to right): http://cdn.homedit.com/6-beautiful-neon-wedding-inspiration-ideas/; http://ruffledblog.com/neon-wedding-inspiration/; http://cdn.homedit.com/6-beautiful-neon-wedding-inspiration-ideas/; http://blovelyevents.com/2013/05/18/inspiring-new-trend-neon-wedding-ideas/

It’s time for another one of our Best of Nashville interviews! This month, we are featuring Ruby, a wonderful venue located in the Vanderbilt/Hillsboro area, owned by Dan and Brenda Cook. We’ve decided to feature Ruby this month, because they are participating in the Nashville Venue Crawl, this Sunday, August 4th. This venue crawl features 3 different venues around Nashville: Ruby, The Bridge Building, and Houston Station. OZ Events is also featured, however, their venue will not be participating in the scheduled tour due to ongoing construction. This event is the first of its kind in Nashville and is a great way for brides to see many different venues at one time. We are so excited that Ruby invited us to participate in their showcase! So sit down, relax, and enjoy this conversation Brenda and I had about what makes Ruby special and one of the Best in Nashville!

LPR: Tell me a little about the services you offer at Ruby and the specs of the building.

Brenda: We have a capacity of 225, and the outdoor space – with our decks and courtyards – often plays a part in our events.  Our facility comes with parking, audio and video systems, facility assistance, cleanup, ice, garbage cans, and other things you would want in a venue.  We also offer planning services – after all, we designed the space, so we enjoy being a part of the creative process to ensure the space is utilized to its full potential.

We are still relatively new, so we’re amazed at how the business has grown.  We are shocked that Saturdays are booking up to a year or more in advance now!

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One of the most frequently asked questions we receive from clients is, “What is a site check and do I need one?” Many people get confused on when and why they may need a site check. To better explain the logic and logistics behind a site check, we present the 5 W’s of a site check:

1. What?

What exactly is a site check, you may ask? A site check can be needed for a variety of reasons, but it usually entails a member of our operations staff visiting the exact venue of the event to measure for tenting, flooring, staging, and other items. Your Account Manager will be the person to schedule a site check for you and coordinate the date and time between you and our operations staff. We will also let you know if a site check is even necessary. In some cases, our operations staff may feel confident enough in the venue location, that they already know the measurements and layout of the land.

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One of the reasons we began this blog is to feature our wonderful city of Nashville. We not only want to feature the city, but also the vibrant event industry we have. Each month, we will be profiling a select vendor as one of the “Best of Nashville Events” and sharing their expertise as well as their favorite trends and delightful details. For our first profile, we are thrilled to feature The Loveless Barn. I sat down with Crystal Compton, the Sales and Events Manager, to discuss her favorite events at The Loveless and what makes them the “Best of Nashville”.

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