Wedding Season is quickly approaching and as a bride to be swooning over our special day, I took a moment to reflect on the elements that go into planning one of the most special days of our lives.
NFL weddings, just like all weddings, are magical because of the union of two people and the sanctity of them declaring their love publicly to their closest friends and family.
Two decades of experience grant Tiffany at Tiffany Cook Events, knowledge and expertise in the industry. When her husband, John Cook, is not being super dad to their four children, this power couple travels the world meeting with excited engaged couples who are ready to plan one of the most special moments of their lives.
I sat down with Tiffany Cook, of Tiffany Cook Events to discuss how she and her team plan and design some of the most memorable events for athletes around the world.
What led you to pursue this journey as a wedding planner?
I've been planning weddings for over 15 years. I started in the music and corporate/celebrity event area doing everything from concert and stage show production domestically and internationally. When my children were school age and too old to travel the world with me for business, I wanted a career shift that would allow me to utilize my extensive production background and be able to stay at home and raise my kids. A close friend suggested wedding planning, a field where I could use my large scale production background and destination management experience to create amazing weddings for brides. At the time, most weddings weren't the major productions they are today and I was determined to take weddings to another level with stage and concert type production elements.
What is the greatest challenge and greatest reward when working with NFL/High Profile clients?
Due to their careers, many of our clients and their spouses have chaotic schedules. However, at Tiffany Cook Events, we have mastered the art of power planning. We handle every aspect of the wedding for our clients, which enables them to show up and make decisions through our unique “power planning” sessions, then get back to the business of their demanding profession and life. We are well adept at planning elaborate weddings on expedited schedules.
Is it difficult planning weddings all over the country?
The majority of our clients live all over the country, often one place during season, another during off season, and they get married all over the country (even globally). I am well adept at making sure it feels as if my bride's and I are sitting next to each other even when we aren't. Because of my background prior to wedding planning and design, everything I did was all over the world. I mastered the art of "power planning" so that travel costs are minimal. Modern technology and FaceTime give me quality face t0 face time with my brides. We have also mastered the ability to execute weddings all over the world in a cost executive manner when it comes to the logistics of travel, trucking and staff.
The belief that it is not cost effective for me to plan and produce a wedding because I am not local is completely false. It pains me when I speak with a bride and I know after the call she loved me and wants to use me, yet chooses a local planner because I am not local. It is a complete case of being penny wise but pound foolish. I often see photos of their beautiful weddings and shake my head because I know we could have done so much more for the same budget, and I know it would have exceeded the couple's expectations.
What is the greatest aspect of being a wedding planner?
My greatest reward is being able to bring our client's dream wedding to fruition in the way they envision. Seeing the love and happiness of the couple on their wedding day and knowing we were a part of one of the greatest days in their life is rewarding beyond measure! I also really enjoy the personal relationships that are established with my clients.
What is the most exciting element of the planning process?
The entire process of planning a wedding is exciting, although I truly enjoy creating the decor aspect for my girls. Taking the abstract thoughts they have in their mind for their wedding day and creating those unique elements is incredibly exciting.
Let's talk design elements. In today's wedding era it's all about the decor and details...
How does Tiffany Cook Events create that fabulous wedding day look?
I take a nothing is impossible approach to wedding planning, design and decor. I plan and design every aspect of a couple's wedding from creating the perfect menu that reflects who they are as a couple, to designing centerpieces and custom dance floors. Customization is everything and there is no design element too small! We have our own design lab where I design amazing specialty items for our clients and our team manufactures these ideas as one-of-a-kind. Whether it's a custom sweetheart table, cake table, platform, backdrop and lounge, specialty lighting items, or even our patented bling aisle runner (which was the first of it’s kind), we do it all! When planning with me, the rules don’t apply! The bride (and groom) should have the wedding of her dreams in every way!
What is the most memorable moment for you on Wedding Day?
The two most exciting moments are the few seconds right before the bride walks down the aisle, and the room reveal for the couple. The expression on both the bride and groom's face when they see their reception for the first time is absolutely amazing!
What unique service does Tiffany Cook Events offer to couples?
We offer a luxury full service production company that grants both the bride and groom a VIP Wedding experience. When designing our company, my husband John felt that many times the grooms needs were overshadowed by the bride. However, the day is equally important for the men. John walks the groom through everything from finding the perfect custom tailor, what to do for the bride, and what to do leading up to the wedding. He also handles taking care of the groom and the guys on the wedding day.
