Planning activities before you walk down the aisle is no less stressful than planning the wedding itself, but yet it often gets overlooked because it isn’t “the big one.” As a result, bachelorette parties, bridal brunches and wedding showers of all shapes and sizes boil down to being handled by the mother of the bride or maid of honor. Your bestie may have great taste, but a professional event planner is equipped to handle roadblocks you couldn’t even imagine popping up – until they do! Event planning company Prep Lively does everything BUT the wedding, so you can be sure your engagement party, anniversary event or anything else you could imagine celebrating turns out flawlessly. We asked the planners at Prep Lively a few questions to clarify the celebration event planning process, explain the importance of pre-wedding events, and why you should absolutely hire an event planner, not just for the nuptials! Read on for the inside scoop.
What types of events do you plan?
We do anything BUT weddings: showers, birthday parties, luncheons, dinners, corporate events, holiday parties, etc.
Why should couples opt to have these more intimate events leading up to the wedding day?
Couples focus so much on the wedding day itself, but it’s the whole season of engagement that is so special. By hosting intimate events leading up to the wedding day, you are slowing yourself down to truly enjoy being engaged as well as gain that anticipation for when you say “I do.” Those intimate events are also a great way to thank people along the way for all their love and support leading up to that point, something that is hard to squeeze in the day of. How you ask your wedding party, luncheons, showers, final flings… all those things can be used to honor the bride and groom as well as their favorite people. There are so many reasons to throw a party, why not use the season of celebrating the couple is in to throw as many as you can?!
What is it about smaller-sized events that excites you?
We love the attention to details in smaller events and how you can truly make each guest feel acknowledged and special.
Why should couples hire a planner to design/plan their showers/brunches/parties beyond the wedding?
The more special the events are leading up to the wedding, the greater the anticipation for the big day, for the bride and the guests! In addition, the less you have to do during this season the better, even when you have a long engagement.
How can couples (or those planning events for their friends and fam) make showers and intimate parties as personalized as their weddings?
They can bring those same elements like color, style, theme into any event leading up to the wedding, even florals can coordinate. Also, bringing in personal things about the couple, like their proposal, how they met, their favorite activities together, etc., always makes for a more thoughtful event.
What are your three must-haves for a wedding shower?
The three F’s: flowers, food and fun. Fun can be anything like a cocktail/drink cart, cotton candy or popsicle cart, a funny game, a great photo area, lovely lounge seating, entertainer, etc. The key is to make a high-end event still feel relaxed and comfortable.
What’s been your favorite event to plan to date?
Oh, how to choose… There are details about each event that we love, groups of vendors that have been especially fun, but of course, anything that includes a tablescape is at the top. However, it’s the clients who have been in tears when they see the final product that are the events we walk away from feeling so lucky to be a part of.
Tell us about the event shown.
This event was especially special for me (Whitney) because it was a surprise birthday party for my aunt. My uncle contacted me to create something unique for her in the midst of COVID-19 for just our immediate family and, it turned out to be such a magical night. My aunt loves bright colors, time with family and fun with grandkids. She appreciates great food and lovely music and loves to laugh. My cousin volunteered to host it on his stunning property in Tulsa and from there the details came easily. We decided to have the event outside because of COVID-19, in a see-through tent so that we could have eyes on kids the whole time, outdoor games for both kids and adults to share in the fun, bright beautiful flowers and her favorite restaurant group to create a multi-course meal that they cooked on the property, which allowed us to really enjoy one another’s company over a long meal. Lastly, live music adds the most magical element to a dinner party. The event was a total surprise; she thought she was coming to take family pictures, so her reaction was priceless. The whole day turned out to be so life-giving during the crazy pandemic, and I feel so grateful that we were able to create something that will forever be one of our favorite family memories.
Connect with Prep Lively via her Brides of Oklahoma vendor profile here, and start planning your intimate wedding events!
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Other Local Vendors: Prep Lively, Anthousai, Brown Egg Bakery, The Merriment Mill, Wooden Hearts Boutique, Kathryn Johnson Photography, Juniper Catering, Smoothman Music Productions, Sugar Mommas Cookies