It was a rainy New Year’s Day and guests were piling into the ceremony venue, excited to see the happy couple walk down the aisle. A few minutes before the officiant’s preamble, Emy Brubacher noticed that there appeared to be some water leaking from the ceiling onto the guests seating. Without even batting an eye, she immediately entered the scene and helped to cover up the leaks. The ceremony continued without a hitch, the bride and groom eternally grateful for Emy’s efforts. For Emy, this was all part of a day’s work.
And this is just one example of why Emy's clients (and other wedding vendors!) absolutely adore her. Whether you're looking for help with your entire planning process or “day-of coordination”, Emy truly takes going above and beyond to a new level.
Here's more on this fabulous planner.....
Personally Speaking
As the founder of Happening Events, a boutique event planning company, Emy is always there to make sure your wedding day goes as planned, alleviating any little hiccups along the way. To Emy, the biggest reward of her job is, "seeing a happy, blissful couple at the end of the day.” Whether you employ Emy for full wedding planning or “day-of” coordinating, she truly treats each wedding as if it were her own.
After talking to Emy, her past brides and other wedding vendors it is clear that at Happening Events, the goal is to provide couples with the highest degree of individualized and personal attention. From the moment Emy first meets a client, her primary concern is catering to their specific needs.
Bride Kayla Bower-Husul says Emy played a momentous part in making her wedding day a huge success. “When I was first approached with the idea of a “wedding planner” I thought that I wouldn’t need/benefit from this service. Let me say that I was wrong! Throughout the process Emy was always available for meetings, suggestions, and legwork. She was able to get me organized and to help focus efforts where they needed to be. Emy was also instrumental in researching and sourcing items and services that I required.
And it's not just brides raving about Emy. Jo-Anne Casselton Kuhn of Divalicious Cakes has worked with Emy on past events. She told us, "I have worked with her on two weddings, and never have I seen such attentiveness. She treats each wedding as if it were her own. Emy is extremely energetic and takes her role very seriously. She made contact with me to ensure that she knew when I was delivering the cake, and that I had everything I needed in order to have a seamless delivery and set-up. Through-out the evening of the wedding she attended to every need of the Bride and the hall. She was a joy to work with and pays very close attention to detail."
Outstanding service for peace of mind
Oftentimes, couples are extremely busy with full-time careers and don’t have the luxury of setting aside ten plus hours a week for wedding planning. As a result, family and other wedding party members are forced to step in, yet they too have jobs and responsibilities outside of organizing a couple’s wedding details. Enter Emy. She is able to expertly handle all the facets of planning allowing more time for everyone involved in the wedding to enjoy the process. She is not necessarily there to “take over or control planning” but offers “an extra set of hands, moral support and mediation between them and strong outside opinions.”
Jessica Stefan hired Emy for her full wedding planning service. She says she couldn't have made it through her May 2011 wedding without Emy, "Emy is the most organized, creative and warm hearted person you will EVER meet! She was available and willing to help throughout the entire process...and when something went wrong (ie. decorations) she was the first person I would call and she would have it fixed before I even had time to worry about it! She is available to assist through the good times and the bad throughout the wedding planning! If you want your wedding to be stress free and run smoothly, having Emy on your side will ensure this to come true!
By working with couples from the very start of planning, Emy knows their vision well enough to make last minute judgment calls on the day of the wedding, leaving more time for them to enjoy spending time with family and friends. Emy makes sure that no aspect is overlooked and all decisions are made in a timely manner, eliminating last minute stress. She meets with the bride (and even sometimes the groom) on a regular basis to check in with them and make sure everything is on track. Closer to the day, she creates personalized wedding itineraries for each wedding party member , as well as an outline of the ceremony and wedding party events. In the month before the wedding, she meets with the bride every week, keeping herself available the week of the wedding for any last minute appointments the bride may need.
Florist and Decorator Alice Squires of Lakeside Floral told us, "Having a wedding planner to take the pressure off and handle the wedding can certainly save the day. Often there are two weddings in one day at some churches, all things that can be very stressful to a bride. While working with Emy this past spring, I found that she was able the ease her bride's mind on many different issues."
Beyond Planning
Emy is inspired by the people she meets. One of her favourite things about her work is that the couples she works with, "have such interesting stories and are truly in love". She says that the highlight of her job is watching that moment when the bride and groom first see each other as the bride walks down the aisle. To this day, Emy cries almost every time!
Emy gets to know these couples so well, often forming friendships and touching base with them throughout the year. It’s true that the hours are long and there are countless details that need to be addressed, but Emy wouldn’t have it any other way. “To make sure that the entire day the couple feels like the world is revolving around them and that all their loved ones are there to celebrate them and their love, is so rewarding.”
Bride Marlo Dowling says hiring Emy was the reason her wedding day was perfect, "Emy is so great with her planning and organization skills. She is so creative and open to trying new ideas. She is awesome at incorporating many people's ideas to make it work for everyone. She is outgoing, polite and so easy to work with. Even though she was provinces away while helping us out with our wedding, she still offered many many creative suggestions and was able to brainstorm prior to coming out to help with the actual day. Emy does not miss any details and knows EXACTLY what to say and do to make things perfect for your event."
DJ Linda Demarest wholeheartedly agrees. She has worked with Emy on past weddings and says she is exceptional at what she does, "She is the most calm planner I have ever met. She is non-stressed, friendly, and easy to talk to. She is definitely well organized and knows what she is doing. If she is at all stressed, she sure doesn't show it. I'm sure she is every brides' biggest helper! I would hire Emy in a minute, without even blinking an eye. Definitely the kind of person a bride needs to have in her wedding "to dos". Emy takes care of all of the things that would otherwise stress even the most organized bride. She is definitely a great addition to a team of people helping you with your plans and she makes sure your day is as special is it was meant to be."
Details and Fees
While Emy offers several options to fit with most budgets and wedding day visions, she is able to work with each couple to create a personalised plan for a successful wedding, “My services and fees are completely adapted to what my client needs…I want those who need my services to be able to afford them.”
Emy also assists couples in developing a reasonable budget outline and monitoring osts along the way to make sure things don’t "get out of hand.” Emy also offers vendor recommendations and accompanies clients to appointments to help them make their final selections. She is there to help couples negotiate terms with vendors, review and sign contracts and set up timelines. And trust us, this is invaluable help while planning a wedding!
To give you an idea, here are some of the services that Emy offers:
INITIAL CONSULTATION
FREE
Includes :
•Initial meeting
•Summary of your wedding plans
•Explanation of services
•Written quote
WEDDING PLANNING SERVICES
Average $1200—$2500
(Based on budget and services requested)
Services can Include:
•Regularly scheduled meetings & updates
•Help in developing a theme or mood
•Assistance with sourcing and hiring vendors
•Budget preparation & monitoring
•On-call advice and answers
•Scheduling and itinerary development
•“Day of” Coordination services
“DAY OF” COORDINATION SERVICES
$450.00
Includes :
•Full meeting the week before to go over your entire detailed plan
•Attendance at the rehearsal
•Presence on the day of the wedding for the full day (approx. 8 am—10pm)
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
•Extension of “day of” coverage to the end of the night
•Planning services for showers, buck & doe’s or other parties
•Assistance designing and assembling centerpieces or favours
Walking you Through it
The best way to get in touch with Emy is to give her a call or send her an email (link).
From here, Emy provides a complimentary initial consultation (which typically lasts 1.5 to 2 hours) with no strings attached. It's a chance to see if your personalities click and if her services fit with your needs. It also gives Emy an opportunity to get a sense of the couple’s vision for the wedding and how that can be accomplished within their budget.
Some couples opt to have Emy for their day-of wedding coordinating. In that case, she meets with the couple the week before getting all the details and schedule for the big day. She also attends the rehearsal to meet the wedding party and to “ensure everyone involved knows their role.”
On the wedding day, she usually arrives at 8am wherever the bride is getting ready and meets with the bride to make sure vendor payments are taken care of, items or props needed at the ceremony or reception are collected, and last minute errands are performed. She is everywhere. She drops in on the groom and his party to make sure they are all present and accounted for, pins boutonnieres in place, makes sure the bride is “primped” and confirms the officiant has arrived.
After the ceremony, she heads to the reception venue to touch base with the DJ, check to see the cake has been delivered and set up and scan the room to verify “that things are in line with the couple’s vision.” As the wedding party arrives she collects purses and gets everyone lined up for the grand entrance. Then Emy can relax, right? Not even close. Her night is just beginning: “Are the wedding gift envelopes collected and stored in a safe place? Is the bride ok? Is she ready for the first dance? Her feet are sore, time to get her some ice. Why is there a stray dog walking through the reception? (And yes, Emy herself removed the uninvited guest.) Does the head table have drinks? There aren’t enough chairs, I need to bring in more. Is that water dripping? Where are the buckets?” She views her wedding day role as “personal assistant” to the bride and groom. Anything they need, she gets. “This is the point where I want them to have fun, feel spoiled and enjoy!”
Her day usually ends around 11pm after the late night snack is served. However, some couples have hired her to stay later for gathering gifts, leftovers, decorations and making sure every guest is safely transported home. In those cases, she remains at the venue until three in the morning and Emy is thrilled to do it. “As tiring as it may sound, the excitement, rush and adrenaline of the actual wedding day are my favourite parts of the job!”
Bride Holly Houston says of Emy, "She brings a fresh and creative perspective to everything. Her calm, organized and creative demeanour truly made planning a wedding an enjoyable experience. It will be a day that is treasured for the rest of our lives!"
Jo-Anne Casselton Kuhn told The Ring that she recommends couples to Emy without hesitation, "I love working with Emy because she is highly organized, accommodating and very approachable. Not once do I ever feel like I am “putting her out”. Emy goes above and beyond the call of duty on a regular basis for her clients, including but not limited to dog sitting for the bride and groom while they are honeymooning! She loves her work and it shows! I would hire Emy because I know that what I ask of her will get done with a great deal of efficiency and attention to detail. I know that I could count on her to handle any last minute issues with grace and ease."
Details, details, details
•The average bride spends between $20,000 - $40,000 on their wedding. If hired for full wedding planning services, the average bride will spend $1500 – 2000 for Emy's services. However, these rates again depend highly on the bride’s budget and the services they request. For the “day-of” coordination, the typical rate is $450.
•Happening Events rates include taxes and gratuities. Upon signing of a contract, there is a 10% deposit with the remaining fees due the week of the wedding. If the services are cancelled anytime before 6 months prior to the wedding, the deposit is returned in part/or in full depending on the amount of time spent with the couple to date. If after this time, the deposit is not refundable.
•A 10% deposit is required upon booking. The remainder is due the week of the wedding
•It is generally best to book with Happening Events six months to a year before the wedding. However, “day-of” bookings can be made 3-4 weeks prior, depending on availability.
