When choosing a wedding planner, it’s important not only to consider each candidate’s experience but also their personality and perspective. The following interview is provided so you can get to know Michelle and understand her approach.
Q: Tell me about your background.
A: I’m 32, a Sagittarius and I’ve been married for 6 years. I live in Oakland with my husband, Jose Luis and our baby boy Santiago. I was born and raised in the Bay Area, which I believe is a little piece of paradise.
Q: What are your interests besides weddings?
A: I’ve always been very involved in theater and acting. I also love food, wine, music, great company and fabulous parties.
Q: Why weddings?
A: I adore weddings. It’s almost like a hobby for me. I can be completely entertained looking through someone’s wedding photos-even if it’s someone I don’t know. I love studying the details of the event, and getting new creative ideas. I’m just so thrilled that I’ve found a way to make a career out of something I feel so passionately about.
Q: How did you become a Wedding Consultant?
A: Almost every job I had prior to starting my business has paved the path for me to become a Wedding Consultant. I was not aware of that at the time I was working at those jobs, but I guess subconsciously I was working my way toward my ultimate career path. That is really important for people to know, especially those that are reading through this site in hopes to gain information on how to become a Wedding Consultant. You have to have worked in the industry for a number of years before jumping into this if you want to be successful. It wasn’t until I became engaged and started planning my own wedding that I realized this is what I was meant to do with my life. So I decided to enroll in the Wedding Consultation Certification Course at San Francisco State University. I received my certification and started my business.
Q: Tell me about your previous experience working on weddings.
A: I’ve been working with brides since I was 16 years old when my father owned a limousine service. That was my first taste of working with weddings. Then I went on to work in the hotel industry in several departments including Sales and Event Services.
Q: How would you describe your personality when working with brides?
A: I always try and combine professionalism with friendship. I treat the wedding as if it were my own. In some ways it is, because I want to feel proud of the event and know that it met the couple’s vision of perfection. I try to keep the grooms as involved as possible because too often they are overlooked and it is all about the bride, but I want their input and their involvement so that the wedding reflects their tastes too. It’s important for me to honor what the couple wants. Sometimes, a bride will ask the planner for a specific detail and the planner will refuse it based on her personal taste. I don’t work that way. It’s your wedding, I just make it happen. I feel I can relate to most of my clients because of my age and the fact that I was once a bride as well.
Q: What distinguishes you from other Wedding Planners?
A: My experience, my style and the fact that I am a Certified Wedding Consultant.
Q: Tell me about your web site.
A: The web site has truly been a labor of love. My husband, Jose Luis, is an extremely talented Art Director at an advertising agency here in San Francisco so he built my site for me. We have spent many late nights discussing the site and how to make it the best it could be. I wanted it to be helpful and informative, but also aesthetically pleasing and reflective of my tastes and attention to detail. Our website is the first impression to all who are thinking about hiring us. For me, it’s important to put the same care into my website that I would a wedding.
Q: Why did you choose the name Allure for your business?
A: I wanted a name that began with an ‘A’ for the simple reason that it would be first in phone advertising listings. I know that may sound boring and business-minded, but then, I found the word “allure” and it captured the right spirit of a wedding. Enticement, attraction, something that draws you in-it was perfect!
Q: Is there anything else you’d say to brides reading this page?
A: I hope after reading this, you can get a good feel for who I am and my personality. An important factor in choosing a wedding planner is finding someone you relate to and can work well with. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any additional questions.
