DIY Bride? An Event Planner's Methods

Amy Cope is a Bride and Special Events Planner that got married in Autumn in Paris Mountain State Park. We talked to Amy about her planning process and what it's like to be a professional and DIY Bride planning her own wedding!

Tell us a little about your story of how you got engaged?

We were vacationing at my favorite place in the whole world…Walt Disney World! I’ve been a million times, as I grew up there and have family that have worked for the company since opening day, but Tyler had never been, so I was super excited to show him! Unknown to me, he had been working with my aunt and uncle on his plan. The plan was that we would be watching the fireworks in Magic Kingdom when he proposed. He had a position between the Castle and Tomorrowland with a photographer nearby, but people started crowding in and pushing us out of our spot. In his attempt to reposition, his plans went to waste. As I knew my way around much better than he, my normal bossiness came out and I led the way, away from the photographers. As I was staring upward at the sky in our new position, he tugged on my sleeve. I shrugged him off, telling him to watch the fireworks. Her was persistent, though, and as I turned around I found him on one knee. I don’t remember much else, but thankfully some strangers caught the proposal with their camera phones!

What was the first thing you began working on after getting engaged?

We knew that we would have a long engagement, so I didn’t start to work right away. But as I am in the industry, I knew the order of what I needed to get done. Our first actual step was securing a venue, but because we wanted a venue in a state park, there are restrictions on how far out you can book. So we booked our venue at our first chance, which was a year past the proposal!

How long was your engagement?

Just over two years.

When it came to budget, where was most of your money spent?

Venue was our biggest individual spend.

Were you a DIY Bride or did you use a planner?

Well I am the weird hybrid bride that -is- a planner. I did some DIY/Pinterest and left the important stuff up to the professionals.

How did you choose your style and color scheme for your Wedding?

Our wedding style matched our personal style, laid back but classy. We chose a fall wedding, so we stuck with traditional fall colors.

id you have a Wedding Pinterest Board?

Of course! It is our best and worst friend in the process!

How long before your wedding did you order your décor?

I waited until the last minute to order décor, which I don’t recommend! I knew that I had picked up some stuff along the way, but I didn’t really complete my vision, in regard to décor, until the month before the wedding!

Did you consider renting décor vs. purchasing? If so, why did you decide to purchase?

I definitely considered renting, as that is what I normally do with my work. But renting is expensive for something that you just ‘borrow’ and not own! I still did have to rent in some tables, but otherwise we bought everything else. Definitely a smarter decision, especially if you use décor that can be re-purposed.

Why did you choose Quick Candles for your Wedding Table Décor?I

knew of due to my work in the industry. It is the company that industry professionals use, so I knew it would be my first choice. Not only have we had to use their products for countless events, but they provide great product at a low price. It was an easy decision.

How did you choose which products to use?

I flipped through the catalog and circled items that I liked, then I went to the website and put a million things in my shopping cart! Then the logical side of my stepped in and I figured out what I actually needed.

What did you think about the quality of the products?

The quality was great! Absolutely no complaints at all. I was shocked at how nice the linens were for the price.

How was the ordering process?

Just as easy as ordering something from anywhere else. I had no issues.

Did everything arrive in perfect condition?

Yep! Everything was in perfect condition.

What would you tell other Brides looking to purchase from Quick Candles?

What are you waiting for? Honestly, ordering from Quick Candles was one of the easiest decisions in the entire process. Why rent when you can own, especially with items!

And lastly, what was your favorite memory of your Wedding Day?

Being married to the love of my life! Cliché, but true. We were both just happy that we could finally relax!

Bonus Question: How did you use our products?

We had a TON of that we used all over our reception. We had a path of candles going to a bonfire, we had beautiful in our reception lodge. My vision was to have soft lighting with candles and that is exactly what we got. It was beautiful and everything that I had hoped it would be.