Episode 2 TPS Podcast

Guest: Patricia Aro: Your Plan A Events  @yourplanaevents 

Show description

In this week’s episode, we had the pleasure of chatting with event planner and founder of Your Plan A Events, Patricia Aro. Patricia shares her event planning industry insights, best practices for collaborating, and connecting with vendors, and more!  

PATRICIA’S STORY:

Patricia’s journey toward becoming an event planner started at the ripe age of eight years old. In the podcast, she reveals she kept a word document filled with screenshots of all the details she wanted to incorporate into her big day, sometime in the future.

Coming from a family who enjoyed putting together elaborate events, it was only natural for her to follow the event planning path. Her father was a design architect and, by owning his own company, inspired her to do the same one day.

Patricia earned a degree in Business Administration from William and Mary and pursued event planning on weekends while she was going to school.

She started her own company, Your Plan A Events, in 2019 and got married that same year. And yes, you guessed it, she planned her own wedding!

What she loves most about wedding planning is how every project/event/couple is so different. She loves getting to know new clients and helping them bring their vision to life.  

“I’m a believer in what you put out is what you get back.” – Patricia

EPISODE 2 TAKEAWAYS:

INS AND OUTS OF EVENT PLANNING; CONNECTING CLIENTS WITH VENDORS

It’s important to have integrated relationships with your vendor team. Event planners often participate in styled shoots so, these are great opportunities to get to know the work of others and showcase your own.

We don’t have a set list of vendors that we refer, we have a list of people whose work we love in different areas, but we prioritize the clients’ needs first so if it means looking for someone new, we will do that.  Budget and design constraints are always taken into consideration before we share options with the clients.

When clients are looking for a photographer for their big day, they want to make sure they find a good combination of someone who can capture their aesthetic preference, but who is also a good personality fit.

Wedding planners and vendors who have a good relationship will often refer opportunities, clients, and vendors to each other when they think they’ll be a good match. 

TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO WANT TO WORK WITH VENDORS AND EVENT PLANNERS

If you see florists, event planners, or venues that fit your style, reach out via email or Instagram, and start working on building that relationship.

Wedding trade shows can be a great opportunity to meet face to face with several vendors at once however, the interactions can be short and won’t feel as intimate as making a one-on-one connection.

If you’re hoping to get into the wedding niche be sure to attend content days and networking events. It gives you the opportunity to connect with other industry experts and exchange experiences and ideas.

Wedding photographers can build relationships with wedding planners through participating in styled shoots and educational workshops. Connect with people you want to work with through social media by sharing feedback on a post or sending a compliment.

Photographers can make a wedding planner’s life easier by being clear on what their timeline and process is. This helps wedding planners factor your timeline into the overall timeline for the day.

Be open to different people’s perspectives and try your best to give people the benefit of the doubt. Clear and open communication is so important.

Don’t be afraid to just introduce yourself, and not everyone is going to like the taste of your tea, and if they don’t, don’t take it personally! Keep introducing yourself until you find your tribe.

Be conscientious of what other people feel their value is worth. If there’s someone you want to work with, but they don’t fit your budget, just be kind and respectful of how they value themselves.

Don’t miss our content building workshop day coming up in August. This is a great educational opportunity, and an opportunity to walk away with content you can use in your portfolio. Every level is welcome, beginner to expert!

Josie and Vania will be coaching photographers who want to be coached. We’ll be available to give tips and advice as you shoot and provide you with insights into our thought process when setting up for photoshoots so you can understand what factors to consider when shooting.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media @the_photo_scene

Connect with Patricia Aro @ Your Plan A Events on IG + FB @yourplanaevents