Help Is on The Way

For many of us, a wedding will be the biggest – and often most important – party we will ever plan.

There’s a lot to do: catering, decorating, flowers, vows, rings, officiant, DJ or band, a photographer, etc., etc. etc. The to-do list for wedding planning goes on and on – for about a year by many standards.

One of the first feelings a couple experiences when they really sit down to plan their big day can be panic. There’s so much to do, and, to be honest, most couples have zero experience putting this type of thing together.

That’s where Amie Fisher of Events by Amie comes in.

“People immediately think, ‘I can’t afford a wedding planner,’” Amie said. “But there are a lot of different packages from full planning, which includes financial planning, to event management, which includes keeping everyone on task and on a schedule day-of. With me, you can pick and choose a custom package that fits your needs.”

Story by Mike Gervais

With dozens or even hundreds of friends and family members in attendance, planning and managing a wedding can become a huge task: and that’s why wedding planners are here to help.

Amie said Events by Amie sees most couples opting for partial planning. On that program, she meets with couples monthly, proposes a timeline for hiring the various vendors needed for a wedding and helps to keep plans on track and ensures that some miscellaneous tasks, like ensuring that flutes for a champagne toast are available, and, are handled at the appropriate time.

“For my business, partial planning is super popular,” she said. “The couples do all their own budgeting, and I provide the guidance and recommendations for vendors. I never force my clients to go one way or the other, but I have worked with a lot of these vendors and I do share my honest opinion about if certain vendors can meet their needs and expectations.”

Amie also does event management for a lot of the couples she works with, which allows the bride, groom and their family to sit back, relax and enjoy the day, rather than running here and there to organize, prepare and herd guests from one event to another.

“Most of the time what I hear is that the wedding party is going to do this and the bride’s aunt is going to take care of that, but then, on the day, when everyone gets there, they’re excited and they want to spend time with the bride and groom and everyone ends up rushing around to get things done. With the event management, I say let us handle everything so everyone can enjoy the day.”

Amie said she works closely with the couple for event management, including getting a clear expectation from them on what kind of music will be played, what specific songs they would like for specific moments, when and where photos will be taken and what guests should be doing during that down-time.

“I always want to get a very clear idea of a couple’s expectations for everything, music, food, their officiant, so I can help guide the event.”

But that “getting to know you” aspect of the job isn’t just for the event management portion of her services. She said it’s important to know the vision for the event to better make recommendations for vendors, and, possibly most importantly, how to handle off-the-cuff decisions she may have to make on a couple’s behalf when they’re too wrapped up in the magic of their wedding day to have to bother with little details.

“If I’m managing an event, I’m the point of contact for tricky situations, and I always like to have a sense of how the couple would want something handled while they enjoy their day. I can always catch up with them after to let them know if there was a hiccup.”

Another service couples might want to consider as they plan their big day is the Rentals Events by Amie offers.

“There are wedding planners who provide rentals, but in this area, that might be unique to me,” she said. “We’re in kind of a remote area directly between Joplin and Springfield, so we don’t have a lot of specific vendors in our area that you might find in the bigger cities.”

Since she began her wedding planning business in 2017, Amie said she has been able to identify what services aren’t available or convenient in our area, and has done her best to fill that need, acquiring a selection of linens, decor and other items couples may wish to use for their wedding.

For Amie, the job is about providing a stress-free event for her clients to enjoy and create a day that will be memorable.

“The biggest piece of advice I give to my clients is why work and stress on your day and not fully enjoy it when you’ve spent so much time planning it,” she said. “Everyone can use a professional. One of the things I hear most is, ‘sorry, I’ve never done this before,’ and of course you haven’t, that’s where I can come in and help.”

She also said that, contrary to popular belief, hiring a wedding planner can actually save couples money in the long run.

“It can actually save you enough money to cover the cost of the wedding planner and then some. I’m always dili- gent about going over contracts to make sure there aren’t any mistakes, and most planners have worked with a lot of these vendors consistently and can help you pick the best service for the best price.”

It’s about making memories, not stressing out over the details. Or at least, it should be. Wedding planners know the couples who contact them have little or no experience with how and when to make decisions about their big day.

She also said that wedding’s aren’t the only events that need planning, and she is available for everything from baby showers and birthdays, to corporate events, retirement parties and anniversaries.

“If you have an event worth celebrating, I can help,” she said. n

497 State Hwy 76

Cassville, MO. 65625 417-847-3600