I have always loved the wedding ritual, the thrill of a new beginning for the couple as they start the journey of their life together. After I planned and carried out every detail of my own wedding, all the positive feedback I received from my guests planted the seed of desire to become a wedding consultant. Several of them commented that I would be great at relieving the stress that many people feel as the big event approaches and the list of tasks is lengthening! On the contrary, I was almost sad when our wedding was over because I so enjoyed the planning process.
My goal is for each of my clients to experience the same feelings of joy, love and excitement on their wedding day as my husband and I did on ours; an experience that is possible because each detail has been tailored to the couple's relationship, traditions and personalities. I believe a wedding is not simply a performance, but a celebration of important human emotions, such as love, joy, gratitude, generosity, friendship, loyalty, trust and spirituality. It is such an honor and privilege for me to share these rites of passage with my clients.
- Founder, owner and principal wedding consultant of Circle of Love Weddings since 2006
- Nearly two decades of experience planning and coordinating weddings, showers and parties
- Event Planning Certificate from Clayton State University
- Atlanta native and active member of the local events industry
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I am thrilled that many of my clients have taken the time to write about their experience with my services. Please click on the logos below to read their thoughts about Circle of Love Weddings.
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I am an Atlanta native who graduated from Oglethorpe University with a B.A. in English Literature. After spending eleven years in a corporate career as a proofreader, editor and project manager at a leading national publisher of consumer guides, I embarked on a new path of entrepreneurship in 2006 with the founding of Circle of Love Weddings, Inc. Over the years, the company has grown to be well-known and highly regarded in the Atlanta event planning community.
As your Atlanta wedding planning partner, I am committed to providing the best service possible. You can depend on me to always exhibit the following characteristics and personal values:
- Natural organizational talents
- Exceptional attention to detail
- Focus on customer service
- Flexible and calm
- A great communicator
- Polite, friendly and compassionate
- Comfortable multi-tasking
- Dedication to high quality
- Ability to get things done
- A good listener who truly cares about the needs of others
- Passionate about weddings
- Determination to reach and exceed my personal goals
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Five questions from Lindsay Mast of Sublime Photography, interviewing me for her blog:
Lindsay: Hey Daria, it's clear you're pretty infatuated with what you do. Tell me a little bit about how you fell in love with wedding planning.
Daria: It's very important to me to incorporate service to others in my life. When I was in the corporate world, one of the things that bothered me was that the work I was doing didn't feel meaningful to me. It didn't seem to make any lasting impact on the world or those around me. I've always loved weddings – the thrill of a new beginning, the joy that comes at the union of two people in love. What better way to serve than to help people to have one of the most special days of their lives go perfectly?
Lindsay: You talk a lot about authenticity and being genuine. How does that help brides out when planning their wedding?
Daria: Planning a wedding can be a challenge, not only with all the choices that need to be made and details that need to be handled, but because of the underlying emotions and expectations that surface, sometimes unexpectedly. The bride and groom are both faced with the prospect of creating an event that is not only meaningful to the two of them, but that meets the needs and traditions of their parents and sometimes even their culture as a whole. My focus on authenticity means that I help with this process of identifying and meeting these needs (and helping the couple decide which ones are truly important to them), by being supportive and acting as a neutral third party. I don't make it more difficult by injecting my needs and ego into the mix. I think this has been a big part of the secret to my success.
Lindsay: So indulge me here, cause I'm sure you have lots of stories…what's the biggest challenge you've had on the day of a wedding?
Daria: My biggest challenges come when a key member of the family is not being supportive of the bride and/or groom, and is trying to make the wedding about themselves and their needs, rather than about the couple. My tactic for dealing with this situation is to shield the bride and/or groom from that person as much as possible, both during the planning and on the wedding day. I also make it a point to try to hear that person, to figure out if there is some need that can be immediately met to help diffuse the situation. My priority is always for the couple to float through the day and feel as little stress as possible.
Lindsay: What do you wish more brides knew about wedding planning?
Daria: I really wish I could fast-forward brides in time to the few weeks right before the wedding, when all the little details and tasks come to a head and they begin to feel overwhelmed. This is one of the major reasons to hire a wedding planner, in my opinion. Ideally, these tasks wouldn't be overwhelming during those last few weeks, because we would have planned ahead and handled things one at a time. And since it's a fact that there will be something unexpected to deal with during those last weeks, having your planner there to help you so you can focus on your family, friends and your husband-to-be becomes vitally important.
Lindsay: Just for fun, now: It's your day off. Where would I find you and what would you be doing?
Daria: You'd find me sleeping late and enjoying a leisurely breakfast while listening to some great music. In the spring or fall, I'd be gardening or walking my precious pup, Sylvie. My husband and I might eat dinner out or have a cooking date at home (he's a fabulous chef!), watch a movie, or visit a museum. If it were a long weekend, we'd probably take a trip to the beach to relax or to another city where we could walk around soaking up the culture and enjoying different food and sights. And reading is something I'll always be ready to do, although it's a toss-up whether I prefer historical fiction or wedding magazines.
Some questions I have received from potential clients during the interview process:
How long have you been doing weddings in Atlanta?
I started Circle of Love Weddings in early 2006. I have been a full-time wedding planner here in Atlanta that entire time. However, I have been planning showers, parties and weddings for almost my entire adult life. It's just something our family always did, and I have always loved it.
Have you done any weddings at [my particular venue]?
I have planned and coordinated weddings at many different Atlanta and Athens venues, including private homes. As an Atlanta native and active member of the Atlanta event-planning community, I am familiar with most venues. Please rest assured that even if I have not yet worked at your particular venue, this will not affect my ability to effectively coordinate your wedding. Once we sign a contract, I will set up a separate meeting (if needed) with your venue so I can become familiar with it. This meeting, along with our walk-through meeting three or four weeks out from the wedding, should be more than enough to give me an accurate picture of the venue.
What should I know about how you work to make sure we work together well?
This is a great question! The main thing I like for my clients to know about me is that customer service and flexibility are hallmarks of my business. Making sure my clients have the information they need in a timely manner is very important, and in turn, the planning process tends to go smoothly when decisions are made in a timely manner as well. Flexibility, to me, means that this is your event, and I am here to help you make sure it goes the way that you want it to go. You tell me your ideas, and together we will figure out how to make them into reality - and you are always the final decision-maker. My job is to facilitate and assist where needed, and represent you and your interests.
Click here to ask me a wedding planning question.
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