Real Wedding California

Planner: Colleen Bauer, PWP™, Fairy Godmother—A Wedding and Event Planning Company, www.fairygodmotherco.com, colleen@FairyGodmotherEvents.net.Length of Time in Industry: 7 yearsPhotography: Boone & Stacie WeddingsBusinesses Involved: Make It Happen Events, Seven Oaks Country Club, Matinae Design Studio, My Bakersfield Photo Booth, Tastries BakeryWedding date: Sept. 24, 2016Guest Count: 165The Couple: We adore each Fairy Godmother couple, but Kamal and Julissa were incredibly special! Julissa is a full-time teacher and Kamal a busy businessman. Both come from very different cultures, which gave us a new experience. The blending of two cultures allowed us to expand beyond anything we had ever done. Bringing vivid florals into a once traditionally inspired event gave us the creative edge the couple desired.Involvement: Full planningInspiration: Traditional paired with vivid floral design“Aha” Design Moment: The inclusion of vivid florals provided the spin on this wedding, allowing for bursts of life throughout a once-traditional color scheme.Most Unique Design Element: A floating cake table allowed guests to see something out of the ordinary and unique to the couple.Color palette: Burgundy, gold, and pinkBudget: $50,000Staff hours: Around 40Planning time: 8 monthsNumber of Meetings: Around 10Set up/Strike details: There was roughly 24 hours of setup for this wedding, including design and creation of the day’s events.Revenue Breakdown: 100% full planning and coordinationBiggest challenge: The biggest challenge was the combining of two cultures. Julissa is Mexican and Kamal is Indian. Both were very set in their ways and knew exactly what they wanted. She wanted soft colors and he wanted bright, vibrant colors. In an effort not to compromise either of their wishes, we intermixed the two color schemes. For example, we had the bridesmaids wear a very soft color and added bright-colored floral bouquets. Kamal wanted an Indian dinner, while Julissa wanted an American dinner. Again, to satisfy both parties, we had the Indian dinner on Friday night with family, and served an American dinner at the wedding reception.Learnings: Each wedding provides a learning experience since no two weddings are ever the same. We are in an industry that is forever changing, and we are forever learning. The entire wedding was filled with finding ways for us to blend the two cultures, helping our couple negotiate and work with each other. It was hard work, but in the end it was so worth it. WPM