Planner - Elise
- Business: Keen Events PDX
- Location: Portland, Oregon OR
- Experience: 5 Years
- Profile: Keen Events PDX
- Website: www.keeneventspdx.com
1. Introduction: What's your story?
Hey! I'm Elise and I'm the owner and lead coordinator at Keen Events located in Portland, Oregon and serving the general PNW. I started this small business in 2017 as a way to have a creative outlet to my boring 9-5 desk job. It's an absolute honor to help couples plan their weddings - we love being part of such a special time in your life.
2. What's your experience as a wedding planner? How many weddings have you planned?
We've planned over 65 weddings in the five years we've been in business while still working a full time job. We also have experience from planning lots of events of all shapes and sizes for years prior to starting the business. Since 2020, we've scaled back and limit ourselves to one wedding a weekend and often keep it to two per month so we can be fully present and rested to serve our couples.
3. What sorts of services do you offer (month-of coordination, full-service planning, or à la carte planning)?
We do things a little differently at Keen Events. Our base service is Partial Planning ++ so all of our couples, regardless of their budget, get the time and attention they need. We start planning with you the moment you book and will work with you on all your timeline, task, budget and vendor questions.
4. How do payments work (a percentage of the wedding budget, a flat fee etc.)? What are the different packages that you offer and which one is your most popular package?
Our services start at $2,800 and increase base on your wedding party size, venue location and guest count. Services range from $2,800-$6,000 on average for our Portland, OR couples.
5. Who else is in your team and how many people on your staff will be at the wedding?
The owner and lead planner always attends and will bring 1-4 assistants as needed based on guest count, wedding party size and the amount of decor needing to be setup.
6. What happens if you're sick or otherwise unable to be there on the day of the wedding?
We have an incredible team who has trained under us over the past few years. The benefit of us being so involved in the planning process from day 1 is that we have all of our notes impecably documented. In the event that I'm sick and unable to attend your event, you can decide if you want one of our teammates to lead the show or we can transfer you over to another wedding planner friendor who can pick things up and take over. We keep our notes tidy, organized and easy to follow so in the event of an emergency it's an easy transition.
7. How many meetings will you have with the couple and how will they be involved?
Once your deposit is paid and your contract is signed the communication is open between us. Typically we will have a phone consultation call once every month or two and then weekly as we get closer to your wedding day (month of). Emails, texts and DM's are always open in between. We pride ourselves on timeley, helpful communication with our couples. It helps us build rapport with you and ensure a smooth wedding day.
8. Will you handle the invitations, from wording and ordering to the addressing and mailing? What about guest list coordination and RSVPs?
We provide you with guidelines on things like what to regiser for, invitation wording and vendor gratuity. Often our couples are hands on with making these decisions but we are always here to offer a fresh perspective, new idea, creative changes and of course gramatical editing. We are happy to track your guest lists and RSVP as well but this again is often something our clients typically handle on their own.
9. Do you handle rentals? Will you coordinate delivery, arrival and set up times with the photographer, the florist, the musicians and the caterer/banquet manager?
We sure do! One of the areas our couples need the most support is in figuring out what rentals they do or don't need. We help figure out quantities, design, and layout with our couples. We will also work with your entire vendor team to ensure set up and breakdown are smooth and easy.
10. Can you create a timeline that tells everyone involved in the planning process (other pros, members of the wedding party, to-be-weds and families) what to do and when to do it? How will you make sure everyone sticks to the schedule?
We create both a primary timeline for our internal team to follow and then we also can create wedding party specific timelines to ensure your guests and wedding party know exactly what to expect. We also review the key wedding party timeline items during your rehearsal to ensure everybody feels good about the next day. We are known to stick to our schedules down to the minute but we also are experienced enough to know when to move things up or slow things down. We build in plenty of time for private moments and down time so our couples can take everything in and enjoy their day they worked so hard to plan.
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