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I see the need and I will become the answer On Saturday, I was given a difficult task. The circumstances weren't ideal. The challenges were considerable. And there were moments when my experience was called upon in ways nobody in the room could possibly have understood. But I had a responsibility. So I did what I have always done. I evaluated the situation. I solved the problems I could solve. I worked with what was available. And I made certain that the job got done.

Some people enter our lives and change us forever. Sometimes we don't fully understand what they gave us until years later. Your Best Angels Have No Wings People often ask me how I came up with the name Angel of Hearts. The answer isn't particularly complicated. But the story behind it has taken me a lifetime to understand. I have always believed in guardian angels. Not necessarily the kind depicted in paintings, with flowing robes and enormous white wings. My

The story behind Angel of Hearts Weddings and Events My First Wedding at Wave Hill In 2003, I was responsible for three generations of my family. My elderly grandmother was living in assisted living, forty minutes from my home. My mother had suffered a stroke and was living with me. My daughter, who was pregnant and dealing with post traumatic stress following 9/11, was also living with me. And I was running a bridal salon. That meant an hour's commute each way, follo

Birthday Party on the Terrace The salary you save today may be the client you lose tomorrow. I recently came across a discussion about hiring a junior event manager at a lower salary rather than paying more for someone with substantial experience. The conversation raised an important question: What does inexperience actually cost a business? On paper, the decision can look perfectly reasonable. A smaller salary reduces payroll expenses. The position is filled

Elkins Estate Ballroom The event industry has become very good at selling the finished picture. But the client begins experiencing the event long before the first guest arrives. They experience the unanswered inquiry. The proposal that takes too long. The question answered differently by three different people. The detail discussed in sales that somehow never reaches operations. The vendor who assumes someone else is handling it. The promise nobody remembers making

One of My Events at Wave Hill in NYC More than 400 people responded to one of my recent posts. I am grateful for every one of them. But this morning, I found myself thinking about something we don't talk about enough in business. Being seen is not the same as being trusted. We talk constantly about visibility. Post more, show up, engage, build your network, share your expertise, tell your story. I've done all of that. And, this morning I did that as a repost from

Garces Event at Cira Centre For a long time, the easiest answer to the question “What do you do?”I'm a wedding planner. It was accurate. But it was never the whole answer. I've spent 40 years in hospitality, 23 of those years running my own event planning business. And somewhere along the way, I became considerably more than the title on my business card. I learned how to walk into a room and see what isn't working. I learned how to listen to a client and hear the

Someone in the nonprofit world reminded me of something this week, this is the time of year when organizations begin planning their spring events. Galas, golf outings, donor events, fundraisers, anniversary celebrations. And it made me think about some of the events I've had the privilege of producing outside the wedding world. Years ago, I worked with Kyle's Treehouse, an organization supporting families affected by autism. We had a treehouse consructed at the en

Angel of Hearts Weddings and Events Are you a newer planner, trying to navigate this crazy business? Are you stuck with finding the answers to some of the problems that arise? Not the problem they covered in a course. The real one. The client who keeps asking for things that aren't in your contract. The parent who is taking over the wedding. The vendor who isn't doing what you need them to do. The wedding that's getting away from you. The conversation you know yo

I recently read a bride's account of her experience with a wedding coordinator. According to the bride, the coordinator was contracted to arrive at noon on the wedding day. She didn't. By 1:00, the bride had to contact her to find out where she was. That's when she learned the coordinator would be approximately two hours late. Friends and family stepped in to handle setup. The groom spent part of his wedding day coordinating instead of getting ready. But that wasn't th

Cira Centre Lobby Today I met with Noel Zayas, the powerhouse behind Jose Garces and his spectacular company. Noel is so welcoming and knowledgeable and his heart is in every inch of the growth and success of this organization. Chatting with Noel over a delicious lunch, we discussed the growing event/ catering business, the Cira Centre and Comunidad, the Garces family foundation. Imagine this beautiful lobby, with views of the city, all dressed up for your special

Over the years, when a client has told me how flawless an event was, it makes me smile. Because sometimes it was. And sometimes it absolutely was not. Many times I have walked into a room before anyone else and I have seen tables not set properly, staff not ready for service, a vendor who is running late or missing pieces. But, when that happens, it is my job to solve whatever the issue is before the guests arrive. After 40 years in hospitality, I can tell you t

I AM NOT JUST A WEDDING PLANNER. For a very long time, most people have known me through Angel of Hearts Weddings and Events. And I'm enormously proud of that. I've spent 23 years helping couples plan celebrations. I have also planned many milestone events. My experience has included managing vendors, working with venues, building timelines, solving logistical problems, navigating family dynamics and handling the thousand things that have to happen behind the sce

Katie and Francis- Photo Credit:Emily Wren YOU DO NOT NEED MORE WEDDING CHOICES. YOU NEED SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHICH ONES MATTER. The wedding industry has become extraordinarily good at giving couples options. You can find twenty photographers., fifteen florists, seven linen companies, four invitation designers, hundreds of Pinterest images, thousands of Instagram posts. Endless opinions about what you should have. And then we call that helpful. I don't. Because hand

Seriously. If you've spent the last three weeks Googling the same question… If you have six vendor proposals open and no idea which one actually makes sense, if you're wondering whether you're overspending, forgetting something important, trusting the wrong advice, or creating a logistical nightmare you won't discover until the wedding day… ASK SOMEONE WHO KNOWS. I've been planning weddings for 23 years. I've seen what works. I've seen what absolutely does no

I've spent a lot of time lately talking about what exceptional wedding planning should look like. So let me make something very clear: I'm taking on new clients. If you're planning a wedding and you've reached the point where the excitement is being replaced by a never ending list of things to manage, you don't have to keep doing it alone. And, if you are not looking for a full service planner, I have thought of that with my Strategy Session. 2 hours to ask me anything, g

I see this all the time, a couple starts planning. They're organized, they're capable, they have demanding careers, busy lives and a pretty good idea of what they want. So they think, we've got this, and maybe they do. Until the emails multiply, the contracts pile up, someone needs an answer, another vendor needs a decision, the hotel block becomes an ordeal, the timeline hasn't been started, family opinions get louder. And suddenly something that was supposed to be joyful

Jin At 620 Loft Photo Credit: Suhanars.com Somewhere along the way, full service wedding planning became associated with extravagance. I think we've missed the point. The real luxury isn't having someone make appointments for you. It's not having to remember who still hasn't answered. It's not wondering whether the contract protects you. It's not discovering three weeks before the wedding that two vendors made completely different assumptions. It's not being the

My bride and I sharing a silly moment A bride found her dream venue. The place she could picture herself getting married. There was just one problem. She couldn't get anyone to book the tour. So she's going somewhere else. Think about that. Not because the venue was too expensive. Not because the date was unavailable. Not because she found somewhere she loved more. Because doing business with them was too difficult. And I keep seeing versions of this everywhere.

My Type A Lawyer Bride and her Financial Analyst Groom- with me, their full service wedding planner BEING CAPABLE OF PLANNING YOUR WEDDING DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD HAVE TO. I saw this advice given to brides today: "If you're Type A, organized and accustomed to a high-intensity career, skip the full-service wedding planner. You can handle it yourself." Of course you can. That's not the point. Some of the most capable people I've worked with over the past 23 years have als