Coffee with Barbara Clark of An Elegant Affair

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Barbara Clark, owner of An Elegant Affair. I've known Barbara for a few years now, but working together and sitting down over coffee are two completely different things. I have to admit I was a little nervous at first! We are talking about the wedding planner who handled Cate Edwards' wedding (John Edwards daughter) recently! She is one of the only wedding and event planners in the Carolinas who has been quoted in the New York Times!

Here is Barbara's bio from http://www.an-elegant-affair.com/:

 

Barbara Clark of An Elegant Affair is one North Carolina's most respected and experienced wedding planners. She is the only Accredited Bridal Consultant in the greater Raleigh area. 
She is a contributor to wedding related publications such as 
Real Simple Weddings, Grace Ormond's Instyle Weddings, 
Cary Magazine and Southern Bride & Groom to name a few.  

Ms. Clark successfully completed and is certified by The Emily Post Institute and is an expert in wedding etiquette and especially the modern rules of etiquette.  She offers wedding etiquette seminars to brides and their mothers.  It is one time when brides want to be sure they are following the "correct" rules of etiquette.

How did you get started in the wedding business?

I have been planning weddings for close to 15 years. What has kept me so engaged in the business is the brides. Each bride is unique and brings her own experiences to the process of planning her wedding.

I became a wedding planner because I wanted to have my own business and I excelled at event coordination. I have had worked in the non-profit sector planning large fund raising events. I had also worked in the corporate world helping to plan seminars and off-site team building meetings.  My love of planning and desire to have my own business propelled me into wedding coordinating at a time when it was a new field. There were only a few doing it when I started. There were very few mentors or role models. Brides did not know what a "wedding planner" did. She had to educate the brides. Of course, now it is a booming field.

What do you do when you are not working?

Barbara loves spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys dinner parties at her home.  She also loves to read and in fact is active in a book club. She also has a passion for travel. She is Paris bound in April!!

How would you describe your approach to weddings?

The key is good communication in order to accurately interpret the bride's "vision" for her day. I have to really understand who my clients are and what is important to them. I do this by extensively interviewing the couple to determine who they are and what they love to do in their spare time.  I then have to convey my client’s thoughts, priorities and vision to the vendors. Barbara brings her clients vision to life through collaborative efforts, constant contact, sharing her creative ideas and experiences, and a month to month "to do" list.

What's the one thing you wish everyone knew about you or your business?

I work with the best wedding professionals in the business and assemble the perfect team for my weddings so we have a seamless event.

What do you think sets your company apart from other companies?

At the end of the day, all you have is your reputation and Barbara feels she has one of the best event and wedding planning reputations in the area. She's ethical and fair with everyone. It does not hurt that the Durham Magazine recently awarded Barbara the top honor of being the area's best wedding planner!

What do you love about the event planning business?

Barbara loves the creative side of the industry. No two brides are the same. Every single event is completely different!  She loves providing creative ideas to the bride. My reward is when the bride looks at me with that happy, thankful, excited look not requiring any words. The smiles speak volumes!

What's the coolest thing you've ever seen?

There were a couple of things that quickly came to mind here.  The first item was an instance where the father of the bride was deceased and the bride danced with her brother (for the traditional father/daughter song). They had grown extremely close after their father died.   The second item was a little more involved.  The entire wedding date was moved up to accommodate the bride's terminally ill father.  When it was time for her to dance with her father, he got up from his wheel chair and danced with her.  I don't think there was a dry eye in the entire room!

What's the biggest mistake people make in their planning?

They under estimate the importance of creating a realistic budget from the very beginning of the process. This way you don't get to the end and find you have run out of money.  I tell my brides to prioritize what the most important components of the wedding are for them.  This helps them decide how best to allocate their funds.

In order for you to have a seamless event, you have to work with the best vendors.  As long as they each do exactly what they're supposed to, in conjunction with everything else (and in harmony), then the event can be successful.

  

What's the best piece of advice you can give to couples or people during their planning?

To keep calm and remember what is most important about the wedding day ~ that you are marrying the person of your dreams!  Minor things that go wrong will not even be noticed by the guests.  But the guests will remember how happy the couple is on their special day.

I hope you enjoyed the article as much as I enjoyed talking with Barbara. She's a one-of-a-kind wedding planner that handles some of the area's most elite and elegant weddings!

Keep on dancing!

Jim Unger

Professional Raleigh DJ & Owner

Ninety Nine Entertainment
"Raleigh's Source for Professional DJ Entertainment"