Advice from Wedding Planners: Sugar Plum & Co.

Today I am so excited to introduce my ladies, my friends, the INCREDIBLE wedding planners Krammer and Abby of Sugar Plum & Co.! These girls know their ish and are such talented wedding planners. I got them to take a few minutes from their busy schedule to share their wealth of knowledge about wedding planning and why you definitely should bring a wedding planner on to your team. Take a look!

Can you tell us a little about Sugar Plum & Co.? How did you get started? What has your experience been thus far?

Sugar Plum & Co. started back in 2014 and was then known as Abby Lee Events. It was started by Abby after getting her start in events through various internships in college.

I got started the same way. Taking all different kinds of internships which led to paid positions and kept moving forward with different companies until I found Abby and the rest is history.

I started with an internship in LA then took another one there. One of those led to a paid position after about 1 1/2 years. Then I found a few internships in OC and completed those. Then those turned into a paid position after a year or so. Then a few years later I found Abby and I knew I wanted a bigger role in a company and more responsibility and she really gave me that and we have kind of made this beautiful little thing we got going on!

I'm engaged! What's the first thing I should do planning wise?

Start the discussion of guest count. Big or small, destination or local? Every venue you tour will ask you your guest count in one of their initial questions so once you have a rough idea on guest count then start touring venues. Then start booking vendors. I would recommend asking or reaching out to your planner for vendor referrals as we have a curated collection of vendors we use often and know who would be the best fit style wise. Also don't get ahead of yourself in planning with small details as those will all fall into place throughout the process and once you start having meetings with your planner. In the beginning the main focus should be your venue and vendors.

What is the role of a planner?

I will try to keep this as short as possible since I could probably write a book on this subject. The role of a planner is endless. For one, they keep you on track and organized! With wedding planning it is so easy to get lost or overwhelmed. We keep our couples on track and give them checklist, help with budget tracking, help with booking vendors, create and execute a very detailed timeline, narrow in your design and make sure it is all cohesive and goes together, work out all logistics and small details most couples over look, we become the point of contact for vendors, we are the ones that make the wedding day go smooth and ensure that the couple and their family can enjoy their day and not worry about one thing.

What's the benefit of hiring a wedding planner/ coordinator?

I think the biggest thing is that you will actually be able to rest easy and enjoy your engagement because we will be handling everything for you and keep you on track and focused. You won’t be stressed out knowing you have us helping you with everything. I also can’t stress enough the day of the wedding benefits. There is so much that goes on the day of the wedding that most couples don’t even know about because we are there to handle any situation that arises. Any little fires that come about we put them out and no one ever knows about it.

What is the biggest misconception people have about wedding planning?

I would say that some couples are put off by it because they hear it is stressful or crazy etc.. and although it can be and at times, that is all the more reason to hire a planner as we ease so much of that for you. If you hear someone say it was really stressful or a lot of work, ask if they had a planner and I bet they will say no. 

What's the most important piece of advice you give to couples?

Stay true to what you guys want for your wedding as a couple. This is your day and you need to make sure all the must have elements make it in there. Also, try to keep as many people out of planning as possible. That is when you start getting opinions and people will always have something to say about something. Don't let people try to influence you one way or another. Another thing I find my couples struggle with is guest count. Coming from myself who was a past bride, my biggest regret is that I had too many people at my wedding. Be very intentional when making your guest list. When it comes to people outside of your family, really look at who you are inviting. Have these people been in your life for a long time and will they continue to be in your life for a long time? As an example, a lot of people invite so many co-workers from their current job and then they end up leaving that job and never talk to or see those people again. Wedding planning should be fun and enjoyable, that is why we cannot stress enough how important a wedding planner is! 

It was such a joy to chat with Krammer and Abby and get their insight about wedding planning! They are so talented, and if you’re in the market for a wedding planner, hit these girls up! . If you’re feeling especially creepy take a look at the wedding that started my love affair with Krammer and Abby here. Thank you for following along, and make sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up with all the exciting things going on! And if you’re in the market for a totally bomb wedding photographer, my DMs are always open. See you next time!