In another life, Chris might have been a designer, a chef, an air traffic controller or a zen buddhist – such are his interests and/or capabilities – but he has chosen to bring these skills to the art of wedding planning, and passionately so.
Chris's background in art and design, together with his experience in the retail and catering professions, helped us achieve the look and feel we dreamed about, while keeping us within our truly limited budget. My husband and I are both artists, and our standards for our guests' experience were very high. At the same time, we had almost no money budgeted for anything other than the venues and dinner. Chris's seemingly limitless inventive ideas, together with his specific knowledge of local retailers, helped create the experience we envisioned from the beginning. The pictures say it all!
From the very beginning we felt that Chris was personally committed the success of our event. He was excited to hear our vision and offered ideas that we felt showed he truly understood what we were after. Because we came to trust that Chris shared our vision, we felt relaxed and taken care of throughout the entire process. This was no easy feat, as both my husband and I are detail-oriented and have very particular tastes, but were incredibly busy and didn't have time to be immersed in every detail.
Chris is not only exceptionally talented, but has a passion for weddings that is contagious. His knowledge of current trends and his relationships with vendors proved invaluable when, for instance, he was able to recommend and personally introduce me to a dress designer that fit my style perfectly. Chris was able to find a stellar pastry chef who could make handmade shortcake when we had a last minute change in the dinner menu, and also found the beautiful peonies that I had dreamed of for the floral arrangements at a surprisingly discounted rate.
I'm sure every wedding has its challenging moments, and ours was no exception. Chris amazed us with his willingness to help and (almost superhuman) availability, so that by the time the big day arrived both my husband and I felt we could call him for just about any wedding-related problem we were facing. The professional and warm manner in which he assisted and guided our rather large and varied family during the rehearsals and wedding day photo organizing made these moments not only seem easy, but fun as well. The same was true of the ceremony and reception, which both went flawlessly and without any stress for my husband and I, thanks to Chris's diligence and ability to remain grounded and calm throughout the long day. Contrary to the stereotype of the high-strung, perfectionist wedding planner, Chris is able to remain focused on a very high standard while radiating a serenity that touches everyone around him.
Chris's passion for weddings was clear throughout every moment we worked with him, from the care and detail with which he attended to all the individual pieces, to the love and vision he showed in shaping those pieces into a complete experience that was beyond all of our expectations.
