Frequently Asked Questions

Atlanta Wedding Planner, Destination Wedding Planner, Napa Wedding Planner

Q. How long have you been planning weddings and how did you become a wedding planner?

A. After graduating from California State University, Hayward (now Cal State East Bay), with a degree in Mass Communications, I went to work in broadcasting, planning concerts and promotional events for major radio and television stations in the San Francisco Bay Area and I was notorious for “ A Build It, They Will Come” philosophy….producing one of the Bay’s first free listener appreciation parties (who knew more than 5,000 people would turn out for Lenny
Williams at Jack London Square?….but I was prepared….more on that and the 300 porta-potties I ordered that I thought would surely get me fired, later).

In 1998, my production career inadvertently opened the door to my wedding career. I was a production assistant for a station managing the San Jose Jazz festival….five stages, multiple locations, a myriad of talent…and one of our artists wanted me to read some info and help him out…..headphones on, walkie talkies blaring at me (five stages….remember?) , I agree to do a wedding for 100 guests. That was it, I was hooked, there was an emotional connection to the couple, the event, the guests and all the details.

It took a lot of time, energy and research, but finally in 2002; I took the leap of faith and launched Tamara J Events, a full service wedding planning and event design company.

Q. What services do you provide?

A. Tamara J Events provides full service planning and design, month-of coordination and everything in between. We realize that very bride unique and so is their vision, needs and budget for their event, so our job is to provide a service that best suits your needs.

Q. My fiancé and I love your services and portfolio. Can you tell me what sets you apart from other local planners?

A. There are some amazingly talented people in this industry and we all have our specialties. What we believe sets us apart from our peers, is our hands on approach to designing your event. We want to know as much as possible about you and your fiancé, family dynamics and aesthetics so that we can design an event that is reflective of you two as a couple. Your guests should walk in and have a connection to you through the event presentation and truly enjoy themselves. We also have zero fear of the unexpected….you want a hawk to swoop in and deliver the rings, we’ve got you…..

Q. My venue has an event coordinator on staff. Should I still hire a wedding planner?

A. The role of an on-site event coordinator and an independent wedding planner is very different. In most cases, the on-site event coordinator also acts as the catering sales manager- which makes selling the space and managing the catering staff their first priorities.. A wedding planner will help with all aspects of planning the wedding, such as vendor recommendations and meetings, design, rsvp management, timeline configuration and day-of coordination.

Q. Will I lose control of my wedding if you are planning it for me?

A. Absolutely not! Think of our role as a partnership with you- working together to put your vision in to action. Now, we will do our best to help you stay focused and on budget, but the reality is there are some things that will be more important to you as a couple than others.

Q. Will you work with vendors we have already booked/found?

A. Absolutely! While we have a list of vendors that may recommend, this list is ever-growing and never mandatory. We play well with others, but we do request that you use professional event vendors who understand the complexities of events and are licensed (if necessary) and insured.

Q. What happens if you are sick or unable to make my wedding?

A. Whether it’s Tamara or another member of our team, we would make every attempt to be at your wedding. However, in the case of illness or family emergency we have a wonderful staff of consultants who are well versed in all upcoming events, which allows us to back up each other.

Q. Do you have liability insurance?

A. Sure do! Most wedding professionals are obligated to have insurance.

Q. Do you take on more than one wedding per day?

A. We want to give you and your wedding the time and attention that it needs and you deserve. Therefore, we only allow one wedding per weekend for each event consultant.