A Tiny Feature: Pop! Wed Co.

Ladies and gents, the search is over. Your stress-free wedding awaits and is just an email away! Why not visit the nation’s capital, take in the sights and get hitched at the same time? Pop! Wed Co. can make it happen for ya.

Husband and wife team Maggie and Steven combine their creative energies to bring you the best that DC and its surrounding states have to offer with their AMAZING pop-up wedding services. How did I find these guys? Public radio of course! I knew I loved NPR for a reason! So, what’s a pop-up wedding? Like magic, a loving couple, celebrant and photographer appear unexpectedly in the most lively, unique spaces and put on a show!

There’s not much planning involved besides selecting a date and location - that’s really all you need to worry about when you're in good hands. Big weddings are fun, but pop-up weddings are so much more awesome! There’s just something so whimsical about it!

I had the pleasure of talking to Maggie Gaudaen from Pop! Wed Co. for this tiny feature. Enjoy!

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I love the concept of a non-traditional/off-the-beaten path type of wedding, what made you realize there was a need for your services? 

We plan weddings that are exactly how we wanted to get married — all of the fun parts of a larger wedding with none of the stress. Plus, tiny weddings are so much more affordable! We mostly do things that we find extremely fun, so our weddings end up being pretty awesome :) 

Your site is so vibrant and fun, you guys seem to have a blast every chance you get. How awesome is it being able to work together? 

It's great to be able to work together. Steven is really talented at almost everything, he does all of the behind the scenes stuff that keeps us in business, which lets me focus on the photography, our blog, and creating a rad experience for our couples.

A couple can plan for the perfect wedding, but there is a slight possibility you may be kicked out of a certain location for having a surprise nuptial. Running from security seems like such a thrill (I love it!) and makes for a great wedding day story. What do you do if this happens? 

There's always a chance when you don't book a venue that you'll be asked to leave. Spontaneity is part of the fun, and no matter what happens, pop-up weddings make for a good time and a great adventure! However, if you'd prefer for your wedding to go 100% as planned, a pop-up wedding might not be for you (and that's totally ok, they're not for everyone!).

I love your portfolio! You've had some pretty awesome ceremonies so far. What's your most memorable ceremony and why? 

We have so many amazing couples, it would be impossible to choose just one wedding! We've had a wedding where the guests made protest-style signs, but with messages of love for our couple; we've had picnic-style weddings in the park in between rain storms; we've had a pop-up wedding at a vintage shop where the people in the store all started cheering when our couple kissed — so many awesome wedding days!

Do you have any advice for our couples? 

If you get married exactly how you want to — not letting society, or anyone else's expectations get in your way — your wedding will be perfect for the two of you! Don't let it stress you out! :) 

For more information, please visit: 

www.popwed.co

www.facebook.com/popwedco

A Tiny Feature: Waterlily Weddings

Wanderlust. We have it. I'm sure a lot of you do too, so why not do something about it?! I recently went to Wedding Salon (a bridal show) and received a copy of Destination Weddings & Honeymoons. I love this magazine and would definitely recommend it for the travel bug in you. If you're going to elope or have a tiny nuptial, why not make it the most incredible, adventurous experience ever? Take advantage of what this planet has to offer! About two years ago, my fiancé and I created a sort of bucket list of places we wanted to visit. One of those places is Ireland. 

Although we have yet to tour the Emerald Isle, Ireland is insanely gorgeous. Castles, lush landscapes, beautiful coastlines...the list goes on. There's only one word to sum it up: magical. It is truly something that dreams are made of. A few weeks ago, I started looking into how to tie the knot in Ireland and I came across Waterlily Weddings. 

Established in 2006, founders Michelle and Sile have been helping happy couples turn their Irish dreams into reality. They offer full service wedding, elopement and vow renewal packages and make it their utmost priority to be available "every step of the way." I'm delighted to have had the opportunity to speak with Michelle Johnstone Clark of Waterlily Weddings to get an idea of what it is to be a wedding professional in such an extraordinary place. Enjoy!

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A Kiss in Haggs Head

How did you get involved in the wedding industry? What lead you to become a wedding planner? 

I was working in a marketing agency in Dublin, Ireland for about 7 years and loved planning and coordinating events. Friends kept telling me I should plan weddings and so the seed was planted! I started Waterlily Wedding in 2006 and I love my job!

Are you seeing a trend in couples opting for smaller weddings/elopements? 

We have always specialized in smaller weddings since we opened, but yes I am definitely seeing more couples over the last two years opting to elope. These couples are very clear on what they want and a large traditional wedding is not on the list. Escaping to Ireland for the holiday of a lifetime AND saying “I Do” while they are there offers their dream solution.

Do you have any suggestions for US citizens traveling to Ireland to be wed? Any requirements? 

Yes, if you are hoping to legally marry in Ireland then you need to give the Irish State three months’ notice of your intention to marry. This can be submitted by post from the US. Then ,you need to be here five working days before the wedding to present yourself to the civil registrar (who will issues you with you license) in person. We have a lot of couples who simply pop into the courthouse at home and look after the legal aspect before heading to Ireland. Then they have a wedding blessing in Ireland.

There are so many breathtaking locations in Ireland, what is your favorite and why? 

Oh this is so hard. We are just spoilt with options. My top three would be Haggs Head at the Cliffs of Moher, the Stone Circle in Kenmare and final the lake at Ashford Castle! These are all locations that simply leave you speechless and are quintessentially Irish!

Do you have any advice for newly engaged couples that are in the beginning stages of planning? 

I always ask my couples to tell us how they see there day unfolding  - tell us about what you want the experience to be like. Then we ask them what are your top five must haves. It is important to remember the things that are really important and not worry about the things that are not. 

A destination wedding at Wicklow Lighthouse

For more information, please visit: 

www.waterlilyweddings.com

A Tiny Feature: Small Miami Weddings

Waves crashing. Palms swaying in the breeze. A cool mojito made to perfection, sitting nicely in my hand. Ahhhhh...yes! This is the life! Can you picture it? Well, hop on a plane and come down to Miami! It's where my fiancé and I call home. Your first cocktail's on us!

When I first started searching for local wedding planners/experts, I quickly discovered Small Miami Weddings. I literally typed their name in the search bar and there they were! Small Miami Weddings provides intimate beach weddings and elopements to clients who want "...no fluff - just beauty, tranquility and love." Their budget-friendly packages include a ceremony location, officiant, photography and more. You can even choose from their a la carte options to customize your big day! Easy peasy if you ask me! I love them because they're what I'm all about: simplicity. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing Gen Martinez of Small Miami Weddings for this feature. Enjoy!

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How did you get your start in the wedding industry? What inspired you to become a photographer/wedding planner? 

I never set out to become a photographer or have a wedding coordinating business, but life just naturally guided me to it and I couldn't be more grateful - I love what I do! I picked up photography as a hobby when I finished grad school and was mostly interested in street and live music photography.  Then one day, a buddy of mine (who is an amazing wedding photographer), called me up and asked me to second shoot a wedding he had the following day.  I told him that I really had no idea what I was doing and hadn't even attended a wedding in years but he somehow convinced me to tag along. I was hooked.

I had such a great time with it that I began assisting him and learning as much as I possibly could by shooting for anyone that would let me. Then I started taking classes, attending workshops, and reading everything about photography that I could get my hands on.  I eventually I started booking my own clients and my hobby turned into my full time job.

I started this blog because I wanted to showcase vendors like Small Miami Weddings. When did you realize there was a need for this type of service? 

As I started booking weddings on my own, I noticed that I felt a connection with my clients and a sense of creativity that I didn't get when I shot larger weddings. The smaller weddings felt more raw, more real. Everyone was happier and everything felt so much more relaxed.  The majority of my smaller parties also wanted outdoor ceremonies, which I LOVE. And so I found myself turning away the 100+ weddings and focused on working with the smaller groups. 

It was at this point that I started noticing that the grand majority of my clients were asking me for advice on so many other things because most of my clients weren't from Miami and some even came from overseas.  They were feeling lost and didn't have the budget for a coordinator that charged a hefty flat fee, regardless of the guest count. Keep in mind that most of these coordinators were accustomed to working with groups of 50+ and so they didn't really understand the concept of an intimate wedding. And my clients weren't really looking for anything out of this world - just some help with finding a florist, officiant, maybe a nice hotel nearby or restaurant to celebrate. But their dream was to have a beach wedding.

That's when I noticed that there was a void for a service that caters to small weddings in Miami. So I got a team together and began offering the services they were asking about. Now, my team helps with every aspect of the wedding and specializes in coordinating small ceremonies and elopements for groups of 2 - 50.

What is it that you love about small weddings and elopements? 

I love that I get to work one-on-one with my clients to develop the vision that they want for their wedding day, in a very relaxed way. I speak with my clients over the phone, email, and Skype and so because we don't have a traditional showroom, we don't have to be tied down to traditional business hours within our time zone. That makes my clients very happy which makes us very happy. They know they can call or write me at just about any time and usually, someone is available to them. 

We tailor every aspect of the ceremony to be reflective of the couple's personality and because our clients travel from all over the world, we get the opportunity to work with all sorts of tastes and styles. Overall, our clients don't sweat the small stuff. They're genuinely happy about what they're doing, with the people they love most, and are focused on the fact that they're marrying the love of their life vs all the details that are sometimes in place to please or impress someone else. I also love the fact that we can book an event two years in advance or two days out, so I'm always on my toes. I never know what the day is going to bring me.

South Florida has a plethora of interesting venues/locations to choose from. Which is your favorite place to shoot and why? 

Though I absolutely love the beach and could never see myself living more than 30 minutes from the ocean, my favorite place to shoot at the moment is Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami. It is a very unique place and the gardens are absolutely stunning.  My creativity goes into overdrive when I'm there.
 

Planning can be so overwhelming, do you have any advice for our engaged couples? 

My best advice for engaged couples is to start by making a written plan of wants and needs, including a budget. Take some time to talk to each other about what you truly want in terms of style, guest count, etc. as this will help you move forward in planning the wedding you truly want - not what others want you to have. Be open to the people you hire and the advice that they give you. Pinterest can both be your greatest asset and your worst enemy as it is inspiring and can make an undecided couple even more indecisive.

For more information, please visit: 

www.smallmiamiweddings.com

I would like to give a special thanks to Gen Martinez for taking the time to answer my questions! It is much appreciated! Thank you for being a part of #atinyfeature!