A Purposeful Way To Plan: Planning With Purpose
Wanting to start a service that truly celebrated the uniqueness and individuality of the couple, Brooke launched Planning with Purpose. Planning with Purpose’s sole focus is wedding planning that allows couples to break the usual wedding mould and help them dream up a wedding that perfectly reflects their love and relationship. Mr Theodore sat with founder, Brooke and gets an insight into the world of Planning with Purpose.
By Mr Theodore
Image By: Olguin Photography
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Give us a little introduction to Planning with Purpose and tell us what you do…
Planning with Purpose is for those who want to do their wedding a little differently. We create space for couples to break the usual wedding mould and help them dream up a wedding that perfectly reflects their love and relationship. We offer planning, styling, and on-the-day coordination services. We have also recently added zero-floral foam/ethical floristry to our repertoire. Planning with Purpose lets couples break all the wedding rules!
Why did you start Planning with Purpose?
I have long been a champion for the unique, and love it when couples express their true personalities by including personal and alternative ideals into their weddings. I feel a lot of wedding stress is created because couples think they ‘should’ be doing this or that, rather than thinking about what their wedding says about their relationship and their years of marriage ahead. I wanted to create a business where no one ever felt shy to speak up about what they envisaged, whether weird, wonderful or otherwise. The name Planning with Purpose was born from the desire that a couples’ wedding is planned with a sense of mindfulness, intention, and purpose, rather than from doing things just because they’ve seen it done that way at someone else’s wedding.
“Too often couples are pressured into having large numbers of guests by trying to keep their families happy, or feeling guilty about not inviting certain people, but now, weddings are needing to look different.”
What is unique about Planning with Purpose, how do you differ from other wedding planners?
Planning with Purpose is unique not necessarily because of what we offer, but rather because of our business ethos. There are so many incredible planners and stylists in the industry which we absolutely tip our hats to. Still, I pride myself on having created a business for purpose, one that supports local communities and is committed to preserving our environment. We actively seek out ethically minded businesses to align with and offer to our couples, and you’ll always see me at the end of the night running around collecting menus, flowers, and anything else I can ensure are disposed of correctly or distributed to guests.
Weddings can be stunningly beautiful and elaborate in nature but can leave minimal impact on our planet. I hope that Planning with Purpose’s ethical focus also rubs off on the suppliers we work with so we can all do our part in the industry to minimise waste and think differently about weddings.
Are you both a planner and stylist? Or do you focus more on planning?
Yes, I am both a planner and a stylist. I have begun to dip my toe into the zero-floral foam floristry to further assist couples to create something magical. I feel lucky as a planner that I really get an in-depth look into a couples ideas for their wedding day so I feel the transition from planner to stylist/florist is really natural.
How would you describe the ideal wedding for you? What is your look/aesthetic?
Ooh, tricky question but my ideal weddings are those where the wedding fun runs from the ceremony right through to the end of the night. Bring on having your guests drink cocktails whilst you say your vows, having dance-offs during cocktail hour, and booking in a fantastic band or DJ that gets even those wall-flowers on the dance floor. I suppose I’m more about a fun wedding vibe rather than an overall aesthetic. I want couples who want to do things differently, break the rules, and have a bloody good time. In terms of look, bring on the colour! Couples who want bright, fabulous, and bold colours and theming are the best!
Let’s talk about 2021… how do you predict weddings will look?
I think that the weddings in 2021 are going to be smaller than the average wedding, but I don’t think that is a bad thing. Too often couples are pressured into having large numbers of guests by trying to keep their families happy, or feeling guilty about not inviting certain people, but now, weddings are needing to look different to how they usually are, so there isn’t the same external pressure on couples. Your wedding can be full of love, fabulousness, and 100% fun even with smaller guest numbers - bigger doesn’t always mean better.
What are some great new trends that you’ve seen emerge that you definitely suggest couples consider?
We are loving couples who are doing away with a sit-down affair and going for more cocktail style weddings. Food stations (from boho van style, through to elaborately styled, interactive creations) are a great way to keep the vibes going.
Also, pop up/micro weddings are hot hot hot! Cram into a couple of hours EVERYTHING wedding and the fun and emotion is strong. They look amazing, don’t cost the world, and are completely stress-free.
What inspires your creative process?
I am always driven creatively by my couples. Getting to know them and then taking their relationship, their style, and their unique personalities and creating something reflective of that is all the inspiration I need to make something awesome for them. I am inspired by each couple’s uniqueness.
What are some starting points that you can suggest to couples who have no idea where to start planning?
I would say that seeking out your venue first really helps as the first step in the big wedding puzzle. The venue you choose will determine your overall wedding look. It can help determine the size of your wedding, what menu style you’ll have, and if you’ll need additional suppliers to round out the look of your wedding day. From there, it may be cheeky, but seriously, speak to a planner. Whether you’re super organised and even competent or a total novice, they are your anchor through the whole process of planning your special day.
In your own words, describe a perfect wedding…
The perfect wedding is one where the couple is happy, stress-free, and having the time of their lives. Everything else comes second to that.
You can find Planning with Purpose on Mr Theodore by clicking below.
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