When you work with Afzia Shareef of Style & Elegance Wedding and Event Coordination, you aren't just getting a Certified Wedding Planner (WPICC); you're likely also getting a hair stylist, mediator, lighting technician, seamstress and a friend who knows who you are and what you're envisioning for your wedding day. From personal consultations to full wedding planning, Afzia says "being able to switch gears and think on my feet is something that I have become very good at."

Working with a flexible style, and even more flexible packages, Afzia uses her work as a means to make a difference in people's most important life celebrations. Her rewards come in being able to offer a stress free planning experience for brides, and in the end, a magical day for her couples.

We sat down with Afzia to find out more about why local Kitchener-Waterloo area brides would be signing up to get her help. Here's what we found...

A planner with a romantic heart...

Afzia has always known she wanted to do something that would bring happiness and satisfaction to those she was helping. She remembers always being the one to offer a helping hand for family get togethers, which she says were always a huge success.

Her need to help and make a difference ultimately lead her into a career as a small business owner and wedding planner, taking on her own challenge with a drive, passion and motivation that comes from working in an industry that's built on celebrating life’s moments. Wanting a change from her previous job, Afzia was sitting in bed one night in May 2008 and she thought that if she didn't take this opportunity now, she'd never take it. So, she registered her business the next day and things have steadily progressed from there. "I started my business with the desire to do something that I truly have a passion for," she told us. "I wanted to be doing something that would bring happiness and satisfaction to those I was helping." And you can see the rewards in her face as she excitedly describes a day in her life, the weddings she's working on, and her brides.

Afzia admits to falling in love with being a part of something as special as a wedding. "Two people that are promising to spend the rest of their lives together is truly, truly inspiring," she says. "I love planning for the details that go into making this day a unique, memorable and personalized experience." And, as a romantic at heart, it's the emotions that surround the day that keep Afzia inspired - the first glance between the couple, the speeches, the first dance. "Two people in love... that’s all I need for my motivation and enthusiasm to show through."

Personally speaking...

On top of experience with planning family events, Afzia also worked as an Associate Planner with another planning company and got tons of hands-on experience before being a part of several weddings through her own company. She's also certified by the Wedding Planning Institute of Canada and took a Wedding Décor & Floral Class through The Wedding Decorators Inc..

Afzia prefers to meet with couples herself so they can be assured that she's giving them her personal attention. "I like to treat my clients as friends rather than business associates so they feel at ease and trust that their special day is in good hands," says Afzia. So, she's the one present from the first consultation to the rehearsal, ceremony and reception. Depending on the details and logistics of the day, she may have an assistant for the day-of. But rest assured, the assistant would also be WPIC Certified.

Along with being a wedding planner, Afzia has to put on many different hats. "I have been everything from a hair stylist to a mediator to a lighting technician to a seamstress," she told us. "It all comes with the territory. Being able to switch gears and think on my feet is something that I have become very good at."

And we're not the only ones who agree as a wedding where Afzia took care of Day of Coordination in August 2010 was featured in Style Me Pretty (an online magazine).

Always ready to lend a hand and give back to the community, Afzia was also involved in the “I Dream of Christmas” Fundraiser in Guelph in December 2009, which was in support of the Adopt-a-Family program through the Children’s Foundation of Guelph & Wellington.

A passion for everything wedding related

Admittedly an outgoing and friendly person, Afzia says she has an "electric enthusiasm for all things wedding... I can easily strike up a conversation on the subject and before you know it almost two hours have gone by." She thinks it's this energy and excitement that has couples choosing her over other planners.

Wilma and Larry Duarte agree, saying they loved Afzia’s energy, enthusiasm and professionalism when she helped them plan most of their April 2009 wedding. "The moment we met her we know that she would do everything in her power to make our wedding day our dream day," they told us. "She was passionate about her work and knew what she was doing. She had answers to everything we had questions to and was always able to present so many ideas."

"I listen to my clients and materialize their vision," Afzia says of just one of the many reasons we're sure couples love her. "I have a creative mind and I bring unique ideas to the table." Add to that her enthusiasm, professionalism, attention to detail, and organizational skills and we're not surprised that Afzia is a master at putting her couple's at ease when it comes to the overwhelming number of details involved with a wedding. "Building trust is very important. If you don’t have at least that with the clients you work with, the whole 'production' will not work."

"Afzia listened to what we were saying and was willing to work with those wishes and needs," say Wilma and Larry of their trust in Afzia. "Our experience with Afzia was 100% satisfaction. She and her team were bright, energetic, efficient and reliable. We could not have asked for more. She was fabulous and we would highly recommend her to anyone. Afzia asked tons of questions and gathered all the information to make sure she had everything she needed. She made sure nothing was forgotten... and was always one step ahead."

Didi Stubbs had Afzia help with some pre-wedding plans and day of coordination for her March 2009 wedding and she told us that her experience working with Afzia was always great. "She helped calm me down and find answers when I was going out of my mind with details," she says.

Her style & elegance for yours...

Since Afzia knows that some brides are traditional and others have unique tastes, she approaches each wedding with a flexible style that can range from casual to extravagant. "We are open to all kinds of personalities and styles," she adds. "I love working with all kinds of couples. It’s nice to experience the different tastes, cultures and religions and gain friendships throughout the process."

What Wilma and Larry liked best about the planning services that Afzia had to offer was that she offered "everything under the sun. If we had a thought or idea, Afzia would have a way to make that happen for us. Afzia worked with our wishes and planned wonderful ideas from our vision." They add that she was flexible with her service and personalized it to their needs.

Packages & prices

Style & Elegance offers packages that range from Personal Consultations to Full Wedding Planning & Coordination. "We understand that each couple is unique and we want to collaborate with them to create the day that they always envisioned," says Afzia.

That's why, when it comes to her packages, even though Afzia has an outline of what each one entails, she adds that she's always open to creating custom solutions for the bride and groom.

Personal Consultations: $150 for the first hour, $50 for each additional hour after | This is for couples who are planning their wedding themselves but may need guidance at any point along the way. Some things that Afzia can help with include developing a theme, preparing a budget, vendor recommendations, offering creative ideas, ceremony and reception décor suggestions, outlining a wedding day timeline, and of course, ensuring you have a moment with each other as a newly married couple.

Wedding Day Coordination: starting at $850 | This package is for couples who have booked all the vendors but need help coordinating the big day. "We offer the couple the assurance that on their wedding day they will not have to worry about the details." Included, among other things, is developing a timeline for the wedding day, a meeting with the bride and groom four weeks before the wedding (and additional meetings as needed), finalizing details of the vendor contracts, coordinating all bridal party members, attendance at the rehearsal, ceremony and reception, and just general direction and help with making sure the day flows smoothly.

Afzia says that this is her most popular package because "as the wedding planning process progresses, couples tend to find themselves becoming overwhelmed and needing that extra help and guidance in the home stretch."

This was certainly the case for Didi who says she was going a little crazy at her rehearsal trying to arrange everyone. "Afzia took control and made sure everyone knew what they should be doing and she told everyone the details they needed to know," she told us. "This alleviated so much stress from me." Afzia helped Didi with everything from booking the hall to pinning on the boutonnières. "Afzia is always up to challenges and willing to help with any details even if it's not part of her 'package'," Didi adds. "She goes above and beyond to help accommodate the couple."

Full & Partial Wedding Planning and Coordination: 10% of what they touch/10% of the wedding budget | If you've started planning your wedding but find your busy schedule is getting in the way, this package is perfect. It includes a consultation to establish how the wedding planning has progressed, insight and assistance in theme development, budget preparation and management, preparing and maintaining a wedding planning schedule, progress meetings on a monthly basis, attending vendor appointments and following up as necessary, confirming details, coordinating the wedding day, supervision of reception set-up, and more.

Afzia helped with most of the planning for Wilma and Larry's wedding, including providing unique ideas and assistance with venues, décor, flowers, food, hair, timing, lighting and all of the ins and outs of weddings. "She helped with all the work the week before the wedding," they add. "Afzia also spent the day with us to ensure that everything would run smoothly. She was the go to person for us and for all those involved. She kept us informed as we requested and provided ideas when they were needed. Afzia did it all! She even turned out to be my hair stylist when that was required."

A Dress for the Princess: pricing for this service varies and is customized. Afzia can help make decisions regarding fashion details like the perfect necklace, earrings, shoes and other accessories to help make the dress buying process as stress free as possible. "We can also assist in the needs of the bridal party, groom and groomsmen."

Walking you through a wedding with Style & Elegance

The best way to get in contact with Style & Elegance is by phone or email, which shouldn't be hard to do since Afzia is a firm believer in being there for her couples when they need her throughout the planning process. "I don’t limit the amount of communication that goes on between us," she adds.

Style & Elegance serves the Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas but are not opposed to travelling, which includes out of town consultations, too. If the wedding location is over 60 km away, Afzia will include one free trip to the location and will charge 35 cents per km after that.

During your first consultation with Afzia (which is free), you'll meet over coffee for a very casual meeting and get to know one another. You can view some of Afzia's past weddings and discuss what she can offer you based on what you've envisioned for your day. "I always end the first meeting with the question: 'how did he/she propose?'," says Afzia. "I love hearing those stories. It also gives me an idea of what they are like as a couple and the love between them."

For Personal Consultations you pay per session as they occur. If you're booking Wedding Day Coordination, a $300 deposit is required when you book and the remaining balance is due two weeks before the wedding. For Partial & Full Planning, a $450 deposit is required at the time of booking and the remaining balance is divided up into equal monthly payments with the last payment due two weeks before the wedding.

Once you've booked, Afzia gets to work making your wedding wishes come true, going over checklists, details and who's responsible for what to keep both you and her on track. "At this point, it should be all fun from here," says Afzia of the initial planning stages. "The little details, the shopping, the excitement leading to the day."

On the wedding day, Afzia acts as the “buffer” between the couple, their immediate families, the bridal party and all of the vendors that are involved. "My goal is for the couple to have the stress-free, beautiful, enjoyable day that they had envisioned."

But even after the day is over, Afzia loves getting together with the bride and groom to see how things went. "I do develop a friendship with the couples (more so the brides!) that I like to keep going," she says. "In my mind, it doesn’t stop with the wedding." And, as life goes on and you (potentially) start a family, Afzia can help with that, too. "I have planned a number of baby showers that have been total successes."

Wilma and Larry may use Style & Elegance in their future as they highly recommended them "with all the confidence in the world... Afzia is the ticket to stress free planning and a stress free, magical wedding day. "

• Theme or movie inspired photography sessions, whether it be the engagement sessions or the wedding day photography, going that extra step to create a personal connection is becoming more common.
• Mixing sizes and shapes of the tables at the reception. It helps make the ambiance of the event a bit more exciting.
• Moving away from assigned seating with the freedom to mingle - a more laid back approach that's catching on.
• Couples are moving to a brunch or cocktail-style reception instead of a full dinner reception.
• For the eco-conscious bride, there are many options to incorporate this into your day (i.e. donations to a charity/organization).
• Don’t be predictable. There is nothing that says you have to stick to the traditional wedding timings. Mix up the order of the day! For example, have the ceremony right before the reception instead of having the ceremony and a gap of time where the guests don’t really have anything to do.