The next member of our staff I’d like to introduce is Wedding Day Director – Karen Peterkin!
Karen brings great talent to The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants as her background is in music education and woodwind performance – two areas which are a huge plus in working with brides planning their ceremony…
Karen had interned with me on numerous wedding before taking a part time position as one of my wedding day assistants; Karen is also a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants and holds the associations Professional Bridal Consultant designation.
I’m so glad to have her on our team as a Wedding Day Director …our clients love her calming personality.
Here’s part of my interview with Karen:
Mark: How did you get started in this business?
Karen: I’ve had an interest in weddings for a very long time, but certainly my interest became more of a passion during my own wedding planning experience. In 2005 I had my first child and decided to stop teaching and to stay at home with my son. I figured that was a perfect time to look towards the future with a career change and to begin working my way into the wedding -planning industry (since it takes some time if you do it right!) So I joined the Association of Bridal Consultants and began networking with some fabulous peers in our area!
Mark: What is the highlight of your career so far?
Karen: Working with the Queen of Hearts and Mark (I know you told me not to write that, Mark!) But in all seriousness, having Mark as a mentor and learning so much through some valuable, hands-on experiences. There are so many knowledgeable and professional wedding industry peers that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and hearing them speak as well- I continue to learn so much!
Mark: Tell us something about you that most people wouldn’t know.
Karen: I have a 3-year old son and a 9-month old daughter…nah; I talk about them all the time!
Every summer since 2001 (with the exception of the years my two children were born), I’ve spent a week vacationing up in Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. My husband began to join me when we started dating, and we even added an additional week to our honeymoon so we could go up there that summer! We love hiking in Acadia. This summer we’ll introduce our daughter to the Park!
Mark: Tell us anything you did for your wedding you would have done differently
Karen: As a wedding planner, I would have done a lot differently for my own wedding. However, as an individual outside of planning, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Confused? Style-wise I would probably have changed a lot, but the most important thing to me that day was marrying my husband and having our supportive family and friends around us. It was something we didn’t want to drag out- we just wanted to be married! – So we planned it in 7 months. And it was very important not to go into debt for our wedding, nor have our families carry on a financial burden. So in those regards, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. It was one of the most amazing days of my life. But one piece of advice I would offer is, if you are on a limited budget (and who isn’t?), focus on a few things and do them really well, rather than worrying about every category and every detail.
Mark: What is your favorite food?
Karen: This is a tough one! I love all different types of food, and I’m a very healthy eater, but I’d have to list chocolate since I have some everyday!
Mark: What is your favorite restaurant?
Karen: Sorry, I can’t pick a favorite! I’m not that picky, especially if it’s a date night with my hubby.
Mark: Favorite Movie?
Karen: Love Actually. So good, we actually watch it every year around Christmas. And I must admit pretty much any movie with Will Farrell in it is an instant hit in my home. I think he could read the phone book and I’d cry with laughter.
Mark: Secret Obsession?
Karen: Obsession is a pretty strong word, but I’d probably say family photographs. We have no artwork in our house, only prints and collages of our wedding, our kiddies, and our vacations up in Maine. And although we certainly keep digital copies of photos on our computer, I’ve still printed out almost every photo for our childrens’ baby photos albums!
Mark: Reality Wedding Show?
Karen: Whose Wedding is it Anyway?
Mark: Favorite wedding magazine, website or blog?
Karen: Well I have 29 wedding blogs in my Google Reader so I really can’t pick ONE favorite. I do giggle when my Martha Stewart Weddings magazine gets delivered to my home.
Mark: What is your favorite thing to do on your day off?
Karen: During the cold months: stay in pajamas all day, in our home, with my husband and kids. Maybe bake something yummy. If the weather is warmer and nice: something active outdoors with my husband and kids.
Mark: Best advice you would give to couples planning their wedding?
Karen: The number one piece of advice from me always: focus on planning for your marriage, not just your wedding. That’s why I feel it is SO valuable to hire a wedding planner to take care of the details. After that my advice would definitely be to produce an event that is a reflection of you and your future spouse. Why wouldn’t you want your wedding to be a genuine representation of the types of people that you are and the things that are important to you?!
Thanks Karen- Look for blog posts from Karen in the near future