Interview with an Expert | Blush by Brandee Gaar

A few weeks ago I got an email (or call, I can’t really remember) from our friend Brandee asking if we’d be interested in shooting her and her team for their new upcoming website. Of course we said YES with no hesitation. Brandee and her team are some of our absolute favorite people in the wedding industry to work with, not to mention they are all ridiculously gorgeous and super fun to be around. Brandee runs Blush by Brandee Gaar, a Central Florida wedding and event design and coordination team that puts on some of the loveliest weddings we’ve ever shot. You can some weddings we’ve shot that were coordinated by Brandee and her team here and here, in the current Central Florida Bride magazine, and in the upcoming fall/winter The Knot Florida magazine. We’re also shooting a wedding with them this weekend. So really, the party never ends. ;)

Meet Anna…

Laurie…

Sandi…

Alison…

Kristen…

and last but not least, Brandee Gaar

Let this one load ;)

Brandee was kind enough to let me ask her a few questions about planning, rookie mistakes, and trends. Whether you are a newly engaged bride to be or just a few weeks from your wedding, Brandee has got some great advice for you…

How did Blush by Brandee Gaar come to be?
It was always a dream of mine to plan weddings (most little girls dream of their own wedding…I dreamed of planning EVERYONE’s wedding!). After my first daughter was born I decided it was time for me leave corporate event planning and pursue my passion! Blush is and will always be focused on the details. Every wedding we do is different because every client we work with is unique. It’s our job to make their wedding reflect the very essence of who they are. PS… our name was chosen from the best movie of all time, Steel Magnolias. “My colors are Blush and Bashful.” “Your colors are Pink and Pink!” I love it!!

About how many weddings each year does your team execute?
We have 4 coordinators and a team of assistants and we execute approximately 100 weddings per year. Each of our coordinators only takes 1 wedding per weekend to ensure every client is getting full attention to her needs and I personally only take 25-30 weddings per year and focus on our Full Plan weddings to include full design of the events and wedding weekend.

What is your mission in the wedding industry?
That’s a good one! Really, I’m not looking to do anything crazy amongst the industry. We just want to plan stunning weddings for happy couples and ensure each of them is able to think about nothing else on their wedding night but each other! Sappy…I know!

What is one nugget of wisdom you can give to our readers about choosing their wedding photographer?
Make sure you click! Next to your wedding planner, your photographer will be the vendor that is with you most throughout the day. It is SO important that you get along, feel you can be calm and casual around them, and just genuinely like them. Definitely do an engagement session! This will help you to get to know your photographer ahead of time on a less stressful day and get to know their style. So by wedding day you’ll be old pals!

What is something you would like every bride who just recently began planning her wedding to know?
Find one thing that you LOVE and work your wedding design from there. It might be a bridesmaid dress, the lace on your gown, an inspirational photo from a magazine or simply a season of the year. Whatever it is, get a picture of it and keep it in the front of your planning binder. There are millions of ideas to choose from when designing your wedding and the choices can be overwhelming. When looking at ideas, ask yourself, “How does this fit into my overall design/theme?”. If it doesn’t, then it might be a cute idea on its own but together with your other elements the big event could end up being just a hodge podge of quirky items.

As a wedding coordinating expert, what would you say is the biggest mistake a lot of brides make?
Not hiring a DOC (Day Of Coordinator). I know, I’m biased but ask any wedding vendor and they will tell you that if you don’t have a planner, then at least get a DOC. A great DOC will ensure you covered every detail and even help you along the way. With the technology we have today, brides that have the time to do the research can plan a great wedding on their own but when it comes to the big day, anyone you trust enough to ensure all of that hard work is flawlessly executed should be part of your immediate family or wedding party and you want them enjoying the day with you…not running around after vendors and setting up escort cards! Put all of your perfectly planned details into the hands of a well-respected professional then sit back, relax and enjoy the most amazing day of your life!

What is your favorite aspect of the wedding day?
There are two times I look forward to at each wedding. As soon as I send the bride down the aisle I quickly glance up to see the groom’s face. It’s always priceless when he sees his bride for the first time. The other would be when my couple gets to see their reception space for the first time. The look on their faces when they see all of our hard work come together in one space is why I love my job!

Any interesting trends that you’d love to see more of this summer/fall?
We’d like to see more brides adopt the idea of a color palette instead of a single or duo color combination that everything has to be dripping in. Instead of choosing eggplant and silver as your color scheme, think about choosing the family of jewel tones such as emerald, amethyst, gold, topaz and so on. This will allow you many more options and your event will be a treat for the eyes!

What song do you think has the potential to dethrone “Single Ladies” as the bouquet toss song of choice?
Haha! NEVER! That song will go down in history as the most played song at weddings this decade! I say just get rid of the bouquet toss all together! How many of your single friends really want to be called out as “SINGLE” to the middle of your dance floor anyway? Just because it’s tradition doesn’t mean it’s right for you so if you don’t LOVE this one…toss it out!

What’s your pre-wedding Starbucks order?
Oh no! No Starbucks for this girl. I can drink coffee literally all day but for some reason Starbucks just doesn’t do it for me. I’m a Planet Smoothie Girl…Strawberries, Bananas and Energy!