We’ve all seen Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner feeding the best man his lines for the big toast and helping the bride and groom do everything, from picking out decorative sculpture and reception locations to taking dance lessons. That movie is pretty on target when it comes to her life, says Laura Chavis, who has been planning weddings since 2000 through her New York City-based company, Weddings by Lorelei (www.weddingsbylorelei.com). HGTV.com asked Chavis about her job and for some tips for couples considering an at-home or DIY wedding. What do you love most about your job?
"I enjoy every bit of my job, from the aesthetic vision to the timetables and practical planning, but I especially love certain parts. I love helping my brides find the bridal gown and I love LOVE helping to choose and plan the flowers. Really, every aspect of planning the wedding and reception is filled with choices that make it personal, from picking the music, the first dance, the favorite songs at the reception. It’s all fun," she says. But the most important part of the job is to give the bride a sense of security on her very special day, she says. That’s what drives everything that comes before, from lining up vendors to answering etiquette questions to listening to the groom practice his speech. "I take care of the soup to nuts and hold the bride’s hand so that she can just have the time of her life."
What are the joys and challenges of an at-home wedding?
"To my mind, there’s nothing to be more personal than having a wedding at one’s home. If it’s at the bride’s childhood home there’s something really extraordinary about having your photos taken where you grew up, or putting your wedding dress on in your bedroom surrounded by your favorite dolls and pictures and awards. What can compare to being in your own home chock-filled of memories?"
It’s also lovely to have a wedding at a home that the couple will be starting their new life in, she says. "The idea of having a marriage at this place of new beginnings is another possibility. Everyone talks about having a wedding about themselves—having it in a new home for the couple does that."
At home weddings are wonderful because you’re creating a blank canvas, Chavis says: "If you have the budget you can have a Great Gatsby wedding outdoors with the beautiful lawn and the perfect warm summer weather. Or it can be all twilight and dreamy. You can make an at-home wedding what you want it to be."
On the other hand, there are a lot of elements involved in an at-home wedding, indoors or out, she points out. "They have a certain set of challenges, absolutely. Financially it can be more expensive because of all the things you have to think about that might already be taken care of if you were at the St. Regis or some other venue. Logistically it can be very complicated. And if it’s outside, you always have worry about Mother Nature," she adds.
Next: Laura Chavis’ Dos and Don’ts for an At-Home Wedding
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