When local wedding planner, Lynn Lee thinks back to her wedding day in the late ’80s, she laughs. “Back when I was planning my wedding I certainly didn’t think I was going to be a wedding planner. It was not an affair to remember,” she said.
Weddings were simpler back then and hiring a wedding planner was unheard of, according to Lee. “I remember picking out invitations, picking out a bouquet, [deciding] yup, we’ll have chicken and we’ll have this kind of wine.” She added she wore a puffy, Lady Diana-esque gown and sported decade-appropriate teased bangs.
Today, society is more focused on the extravagance of the big day, because of the curiousity associated with celebrity weddings said Lee.
Young professionals often hire wedding planners to help them create a customized experience, which comes at a hefty price. “It’s become a bigger investment and because of that investment people want to make sure it is done right,” she said explaining the popularity of the wedding planner.
Lee has been planning weddings for ten years. She learned the ropes on the job as a wedding coordinator at the West Carleton Meeting Centre. Five years ago, she decided to venture out on her own and started her own planning business, Weddings Unveiled.
Lee earned her wedding planner certification at The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada and booked her first wedding with a couple named Valerie and David. This accomplishment was even sweeter because the ceremony took place on Lee’s birthday.
Wedding planning is an intimate affair. “[The wedding is] the biggest, most personal function in that couple’s lives.” This year, Lee will plan eight weddings.
Her process beings with a lengthly questionnaire for her clients to fill out. This helps Lee get to know the couple and understand what kind of wedding they are looking for.
Next, Lee creates a planning schedule, drafts a budget (which she said she never goes over), and makes a storyboard for inspiration.
When the big day arrives, Lee’s roles include playing host to the couple and guests, while anticipating anything that could go wrong.
This year, Lee is adding mentoring to her job description. She will teach four women entering the planning industry the ins-and-outs of weddings.
Lee gushed about weddings while sipping black tea during an interview in her Kanata Kitchen. She said her favourite aspect of her job is the building personal relationships with her clients.
Last September, Lee planned a wedding for Nicole and Mike. She said she instantly “clicked” with the couple. “[Nicole] was so excited, it was contagious…I immediately fell in love with them.”
When guests were leaving the couple’s reception, Nicole turned to Lee and said she was so sad it was all over. Lee said she felt the same way.
“They encompassed everything a wedding should be for me…Wedding planning shouldn’t be a means to an end. It should be an experience in itself. I want my clients to look back and say that was a great wedding and I had so bloody much fun planning it.”
When Lee started her company she opted to work alone in order to keep her business small and work one-on-on with couples. “You really become a team of three,” she said.
The mother of two is extremely personable, has a kind nature and is terribly modest about her accomplishments. Lee’s sunny disposition implied any couple would have a ball planning a wedding with her.