Today we’d like to introduce you to Kirstin Rose Godat.
Kirstin Rose, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
As silly as it sounds, after seeing the movie, Father of the Bride, when I was around four years old, I fell in love with weddings. At four years old, I started to dream about my own wedding… who I’d marry, what flowers I would choose, how the cake would taste, what song my husband and I would dance to as Mr. and Mrs… Watching the hilarious character Franck Eggelhoffer plan and execute the most gorgeous wedding in Father of the Bride – not to mention it took place on January 6th (my birthday) – I knew I wanted to be a wedding planner. During the summer going into my senior year at Texas Christian University, I had my eyes set on interning at a large floral and event design company in Dallas. To set myself apart from the several hundred applicants, I created and hand-delivered a wedding invitation suite-inspired application.
The next day, I received a phone call asking for an interview. I ended up accepting an internship at another floral and event design company because after weighing my pros and cons, I decided a small business atmosphere was a better fit for me and my future career plans. And I am SO glad I did. I was able to work side by side with the company’s owners. I interacted with clients, wrote design proposals, managed large budgets, and executed some very memorable events. However, after a few years there, I decided it was time to make a change and solely focus on wedding planning rather than planning and design. I accepted a position at a boutique planning company. This position allowed me to completely manage my own clients and events. I loved the special relationships I developed with my clients. After a couple years at that company, I decided it was time to take a leap of faith and start my own company. In October 2017, I launched Kirstin Rose Events and haven’t looked back since. I think Franck would approve!
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
The easy answer would be wedding planning. But I often think my business cards should include Accountant, Therapist, Wardrobe Stylist, etc. I offer full service event planning meaning I am there from the moment the bride and groom get engaged to the moment they drive off in the departure car. As a wedding planner, some of my duties include recommending a strong team of vendors, creating custom storyboards and design inspiration, managing vendors’ contracts and proposals, creating and managing a personalized budget, scheduling hair and makeup trials, cake tastings, and dress appointments, sourcing fine linens and furnishings, offering etiquette guidance, stuffing, stamping, and hand-canceling invitations, creating minute by minute itineraries… the list really goes on and on and no detail is left untouched. It’s a balancing act, but I would not have it any other way.
I have two main goals when planning a wedding: to create a personalized, one-of-a-kind wedding and to create happiness. I want guests to walk into a space and say, “Wow! This is so (insert bride and groom’s names)!” Details are everything and the smallest nods to the bride and groom can go a long way. Details inspired by their love story, heritage, pets, careers, and hobbies. From the invitation suite to the escort card display, to the menu, to the dance floor favors, I love incorporating personal touches because they easily make a wedding go from cookie cutter to original and unique.
I take a limited number of events each year because I want to give my clients an experience they remember. After the confetti is settled, I want them to look back on our time together and smile. People often ask, “What is the best part of your job?” Easy. My clients! And the connections made during the months and months of planning. I have so many clients who have turned into great friends. It’s bittersweet when our planning process comes to an end because I’ll miss talking to them every day!
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
Wedding planners often work at the same venues several times a year. It is easy to repeat room layouts, color schemes, menu offerings, and schedules of events because they’ve proven to be successful. Sometimes it is easier to do “the usual” but as wedding planners, we should try to approach each event with the goal to make it unique and tailored to the couple. What unforgettable elements can we introduce to set the wedding apart from other weddings at the same venues?
I also think that social media and Pinterest can occasionally be really great sources for inspiration, but they can give clients a false sense of reality for two reasons. First, as I mentioned previously, my goal is to create a one-of-a-kind wedding. Brides will show me photos of weddings and events they found on social media and Pinterest and tell me that they want their wedding to look exactly like the wedding in the photos – the exact floral arrangement on the exact linen with the exact china, flatware, china, and menu, the same bridesmaid dresses, the same cake, etc. Of course, we can pull certain elements from the photo such as the color palette and particular types of flowers, but I want my clients’ weddings to be uniquely special and tailored to them. Reproducing events results in cookie cutter weddings.
Second, budget! I always want to be respectful of my clients’ budgets, and because of that, I sometimes have to be the bad guy and tell my clients that what they have found on Pinterest or social media is simply outside of their budget. Weddings are expensive and things add up very quickly in the Dallas wedding market. When I have clients who rarely entertain and it’s their first daughter getting married, the sticker shock is real!
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
On Saturdays, you can usually find me in the planning closet at Dallas Country Club double checking my escort cards and place cards, lining up the wedding party in the Narthex of Highland Park United Methodist Church, bustling my bride’s dress in her hotel room at The Four Seasons, or shuffling family members around on the steps of The Belo Mansion so we can get the perfect Christmas card photo.
My work is in the eyes of the couple when they see the ballroom for the first time or the smile glued on the father-of-the-bride’s face because he’s so proud to see his daughter and new son-in-law having the best night of their lives. The tagline of my business is “Oh happy day!” for a reason. My work is in my clients’ happiness. If they are happy, it’s a job well done.
Thankfully, I partner with incredibly talented photographers who capture my work and my clients’ happiness. Images of my events can be found on my website as well as on my Instagram @kirstinroseevents.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kirstinrose.com
- Phone: 972-890-2425
- Email: kirstin@kirstinrose.com
- Instagram: @kirstinroseevents
Image Credit:
Photography: Chandler Grace Photography, John Cain Sargent Photography, Joseph Mark Photography, and Lindsey Shea Photography. Floral Designers: Branching Out Events, Garden Gate.
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
