daniel + megan photography blog

Planners + Pie is an exciting new series on our blog in which we interview Wedding Planners whilst eating pie! Is it legal for this to be ‘work’? I hope so. At least that’s what we’re telling the IRS.

Our hope for Planners + Pie is that if you’re engaged, or know somebody who is engaged, you’ll not only have a referral for a dynamic wedding photography duo, but a phenomenal Wedding Planner as well.

We’ll make no promises about how often we’ll be showcasing Planners + Pie; we’ll just wait until the crème de le crème of Wedding Planners cross our path. And when they do, we’ll be sure to share our interview with you (but not our pie).

So without further ado, allow us to introduce our inaugeral Planner + Pie!

The talented Rebecca Gaffney of Red Letter Days!

d + m: Thanks for allowing us to interview you over a slice of pie, Rebecca. Tell us about Red Letter Days!

rebecca: Sure! Red Letter Days is the Wedding Planning business I have with my business partner, Mia Saling.

{ Sadly, Mia could make it to our interview. So, Rebecca did the next best thing and pulled up a photo of Mia on her iphone while we ate pie. You were with us in spirit, Mia! }

Red Letter Days is based just North of San Diego, so, many of our weddings are in the San Diego, Palm Springs, and Los Angeles areas.

d + m: Rebecca, what kind of pie will you be having today?

rebecca: I’ll have a slice of the peach pie, please.

d + m: Good choice. We’ll have the old-fashioned apple pie (daniel) and the lemon meringue (megan).

{ mmmmm }

d + m: There are certain moments that inspire and motivate us in our business. For example, I (megan) love getting to see or hear the client’s reaction when they see their images for the first time.

What is your favorite moment when planning and executing a wedding?

rebecca: My absolute favorite moment is when the bride and her father are standing behind closed doors about to walk down the aisle. There are so many emotions contained within that one moment.

d + m: What is your method for creating unique, custom weddings for you brides + grooms?

rebecca: I begin by getting a sense of the identity and vision of the bride and groom, and then use the resources available to me to create a wedding out of their concept. It’s not about projecting my style onto their wedding, it’s all about creating a wedding that perfectly suits them and their style. I adore working with brides and grooms who know who they are and can communicate their identity to me; those are the weddings that are truly unique and personal.

d + m: Describe your ideal bride + groom to work with.

rebecca: My ideal bride and groom are clear and direct in their communication style, like me. I enjoy couples who have a sense of certainty about what they want and are willing to speak candidly throughout the planning process.

d + m: Could you tell us about a wedding you planned that was completely customized and unique to one of your clients?

rebecca: I’m pretty proud of Andrea and Scott’s wedding at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in 2008. First of all, Andrea and Scott were completely in love and a joy to be around – in fact, I’m still friends with Andrea. We planned a gorgeous, Asian-inspired wedding with black, white and wasabi green for their colors. We paid a lot of attention to details, and completely transformed the venue: the escort card table was adorned with floral sushi; there were bamboo centerpieces strung with votives, and up-lit yoshi screens gave the room an amber glow. It was a beautiful and touching wedding.

d + m: We love meeting with each client before the photo session. We find that this allows us to take photos that really capture our clients’ relationships. How often do you meet with brides + grooms before the Big Day?

rebecca: Mia and I will often meet with clients 10-15 times before the wedding to see the ceremony and reception sites, meet vendors, and plan the day. Our packages are customizable to include unlimited phone meetings and in-person meetings as-needed.

d + m: That’s wonderful. Can you tell us about a time when your skills as a Wedding Planner really paid off, and you got to save the (wedding) day?

rebecca: Well, I’m proud to say that we’ve never had a complete wedding meltdown. That’s the result of good planning! However, one wedding comes to mind. The bride used vendors we had recommended for everything except the florist. On the wedding day, the flowers arrived and they looked absolutely terrible. Mia ended up taking apart the bouquets and completely re-creating the boutineers. By the time of the wedding began, Mia had transformed the flowers. That wedding–and the flowers–ended up being featured in Ceremony magazine!

d + m: Great story! Well, our pie has been reduced to crumbs, so we have only one more question: what is your hope for the couples whose weddings you plan?

rebecca: I hope that they will have both commitment and passion in their marriage.

Thank you Rebecca Gaffney and Mia Saling of Red Letter Days.

Dear Readers: We whole-heartedly recommend their Wedding Planning services!

Also, we recommend pie. You know, in general.