I’ M SO GL AD YO U’ R E HERE!
Weddings can be one of the most exciting, amazing, memory making times of your life. But for some it can also be really hard, stressful, emotional times of their lives. Some couples really love the whole process of planning their wedding but some really don’t care for it at all. Thankfully there are wedding planners, who LOVE and are HONOURED to be your planner for your wedding day. I am one of these professional wedding planners that truly love the journey of planning weddings and wants to be your partner along the way.
SO WHO AM I AND WHY DO I PLAN THESE WEDDINGS? Nicola, the owner, founder and lead wedding planner of Simply Brilliant Events. Nicola is your true British lady from the suburbs of London, she has lived in Ann Arbor and now Milford, Michigan for 13 years, but still has her great British accent. She lives with her husband David and two children and their cherished but sometimes naughty golden doodle, Roxy. So why does Nicola plan weddings? It brings all of Nicola’s unique skills together, lover of people, being creative, thinking outside of the box and details, details and more details. Other skills that are really helpful are, thinking on your feet, there is always a plan B, C and D, to be professional at all times, to be calm when there is often high emotion all around and a great sense of humor. Favorite things: Gin and Tonic, a brilliant curry and a great cup of tea with a biscuit (cookie) and taking Roxy for a long walk, we both feel great afterwards.
A SIMPLY BRILLIANT EVENT EXPERIENCE From the moment that you said I do, to the very last guest leaving at the end of the most amazing day, it is a journey. At Simply Brilliant Events we want to create a wonderful experience that you will remember as a fun and exciting time. As your wedding planner my goal is to be your planning partner, your creative soundboard, your team leader, your inside scoop of the local wedding scene, your advocate, your go-to person for advice and lastly your calm, professional friendly face.
S ERV IC ES MONTH OF WEDDING DAY MANAGEMENT We are pleased to offer Month of Wedding Day Management, specializing in “day of ” coordination. Simply Brilliant Events seasoned wedding event experts, manage every celebration with poise and seamless execution of every logistical and unique detail, that you have spent so many hours planning and dreaming of. • An initial one hour consultation at the beginning of your planning journey • Personalized vendors list, reflecting your budget and style, saving many hours of research • Available to answer any event management questions via email during the planning journey • One month before your wedding 2-3 hour consultation to understand your vision • 1 additional meeting: to walk through the venue and clarify all details • Create a comprehensive minute by minute timeline of your day. • Attend and assist the one hour rehearsal • Up to 10 hours on the day of the event, to make sure every thing will run flawlessly, including ceremony co-ordination. • Co-ordination/set-up of any design elements required. • Co-ordinate your team of vendors • Etiquette advice is always available • Review contracts and call all vendors: one month before your wedding day. • Ensure that you are both relaxed and enjoy this special day that you have planned.
WHY COUPLES HIRE US Of all the vendors in the Metro Detroit Area, from videographer, florist, baker and photographer I am the one person that will spend so much time with you before your wedding day. Even if you only book Simply Brilliant Events for Month of Wedding Day Management, I will still meet with you in person and speak with you on the phone a few times, and spend one of the most important days of your life with you. With that being said, we need to be a great fit. I will always tell my couples, lets meet for a complimentary consultation, talk and get to know each other a little. After all you may not love my British accent, how can that be!
FULL SERVICE WEDDING PLANNING With Simply Brilliant Events, you are partnering with more than the average event planner. We are your creative director, stylist, designer, advisor, troubleshooter, budget and logistics expert, and producer of the most important celebration of your life. It’s a responsibility we are proud to take very seriously, and we strive for excellence. Simply Brilliant Events approach is very hands-on, it is a collaborative relationship, partners in planning one of the most important celebrations of your life. From selecting the venue that is perfect for you, to tracking your budget expenses, and developing a to-the-minute timeline, we manage the planning process with a systematic approach that is tried and true. Because we know how important it is for you to feel a part of the process, we bring our clients in on the action with access to their wedding day details on our planning management system, allowing for ease of communication and organization of all the amazing details. • Creating a cohesive design for your wedding, reflecting your tastes and personalities • Recommendations of vendors that reflect your budget and style. • Co-ordinate and attend meetings with the many vendors involved • Read through any vendor contracts and agreements • Event management advice during the planning process • Access to a collaboration planning platform, design studio, budgets, guests list, floor plan and timeline. All details in one place • Creation of a comprehensive minute by minute timeline • Execution of your flawless wedding day Above all, your day will be the amazing day that you had envisioned that had been executed with poise and professionalism from Simply Brilliant Events.
Seriously, you need to have someone that is your advocate, team player who is always professional with all vendors and calm often when there is high emotions and someone that you feel very comfortable with. If you meet with me and feel confident that not only can I do what you hired me for, to plan your wedding but also to feel comfortable and at ease. You need to look no further, you have found your Wedding Planner. Ensure that you are both relaxed and enjoy this special day that you have planned.
W E’RE AL L AB O UT THE DETA IL S:
REVIEWS
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Simply AMAZING! Working with Nicola was an absolute delight. We did a month of planning with her and she was our day of coordinator, but offered so much more along the way. I will say I think it’s super important to have a professional on your side, especially the day of the wedding! Nicola was recommended to me as a wedding planner and I am SO glad that I had her to be a part of our wedding. She went above and beyond with making sure my vendors were on top of everything, making sure our bridal party knew what and when everything was going on, and made the most amazing timeline for the day of the wedding. Nicola was amazing to work with. She was creative and took our vision to design a beautiful wedding. When we first saw the venue on the day of the wedding we were amazed how everything exceeded our expectations. She coordinated with all of the vendors to make our wedding day stress free. I would highly recommend Nicola. Nicola was wonderful! We can’t say enough good things about her. She was professional and on top of everything and really helped us make our wedding dreams come to life. She really went above-and-beyond many times to help ensure our event was the success that it was. Honestly, I would have been a wreck on the big day if it weren’t for Nicola. Just knowing she was there handling every little detail meant I could relax and enjoy my big day.
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Nicola was sooo fabulous to work with. She is professional, experienced, poised, and calm. She is an asset to any bride who wants to have the wedding of her dreams. I would highly recommend her to any bride who wants to have a perfect wedding day.
Q & A WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WEDDING PLANNER AND A WEDDING COORDINATOR AT A VENUE? The coordinator at a venue will only assist with the day of planning and pass on vendors that they recommend or vendors that have paid to be on the venue list. A wedding planner will assist with anything from full service planning, month of and day of planning. She will also have a list of vendors, at different price points that she can recommend, including hotels and restaurants for out of town guests. ARE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY ASSOCIATIONS? I am a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants; I have completed their Professional Development Program and continue to attend monthly educational meetings at either Ann Arbor or Metro Detroit. I also attend national conferences, most recently The Wedding MBA in Las Vegas. WILL YOU AS THE PLANNER COMMIT TO MY BUDGET AND NOT PUSH ME IN THE DIRECTION OF THINGS I SIMPLY CAN’T AFFORD? Absolutely, you will always make the final decision and I will only recommend vendors that are within your budget and style. DO WE HAVE TO USE THE VENDORS YOU RECOMMEND? No you do not, I recommend different vendors at different price points. But if you have a florist you really like or loved the food at another wedding you went to, I am more than happy to make contact with them on your behalf. WILL YOU BE PRESENT AT ALL OF THE VENDOR MEETINGS AND WILL YOU ASSIST US IN REVIEWING ALL OF THE VENDOR CONTRACTS AND MAKING SURE EVERYTHING IS IN ORDER? Yes I will if you have chosen the full service wedding planning, but if you have decided on Month of Wedding Day Management I will not attend the meetings.
WILL YOU INVOICE US FOR ALL THE VENDOR FEES OR WILL WE NEED TO PAY EACH ONE OF THEM OURSELVES? The vendors will invoice you and you will sign a contract between you and the vendors you have chosen.
WHAT KIND PLANNING DO YOU OFFER? Logistical only (i.e. organizational—handling things like The timeline and floor plan) or Design and Logistical (i.e. bringing a client’s vision to life as well as taking care of all the organizational aspects of the wedding) I do both, logistical and bringing your ideas to life. If there is an area that needs more expertise I will bring in an event designer, or a lighting expert. WILL YOU BE THE PERSON ON SITE THE DAY OF OUR WEDDING OR WILL IT BE ANOTHER PLANNER? HOW MANY ASSISSTANTS WILL YOU HAVE? It will be me unless we have discussed this at the very beginning. I typically have one or two assistance at each wedding. IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM BEING AT OUR WEDDING, WHO WILL BE THE BACKUP PLANNER? WHAT ARE THEIR QUALIFICATIONS? My assistants are very well trained plus as a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants I know many of the wedding planners in the Metro Detroit Area, that I can call upon in an emergency. WILL YOU PROVIDE US WITH A TIMELINE OF THE WEDDING AND A FLOOR PLAN OF THE WEDDING VENUE? Yes, I always provide a detailed timeline and floor plan for you and a summary timeline for the bridal party, members of the family and all the vendors. DO YOU OFFER DIFFERENT PACKAGE OPTIONS OR IS EVERYTHING CUSTOMIZED BASED ON WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR? At Simply Brilliant Events, we offer two different types of services. Full Service Planning or Month of Wedding Day Management. But both of these services can adapted to the service that you need for your wedding day. HOW DO YOU CHARGE FOR YOUR SERVICES? HOURLY, PERCENTAGE OF THE WEDDING COST, OR FLAT RATE? I charge a flat rate for my services, depending on the scope of the service that we have agreed upon at the time of the initial consultation. I take credit cards, checks or cash. HOW MUCH OF A RETAINER IS REQUIRED TO BOOK YOUR SERVICES? WHEN IS THE FINAL PAYMENT DUE? At the time of booking I expect a 50% retainer fee, with the final payment 30 days before the wedding date.
www.simplybrilliantevent.com nicola@simplybrilliantevent.com 734-604-6831