Today on the blog, we welcome our first guest – expert: Dublin Wedding Planner Sandra from Infusion Wedding Concepts!
We had the pleasure of chatting with Sandra about the secrets behind what makes dream weddings really happen. We also explored the difference between a ‘coordinator’ and a ‘wedding planner’, the origins of Infusion Wedding Concepts and her tailored, hands-on, skin-in-the-game approach to wedding planning.
Image: Infusion Wedding Concepts
Can Wedding Planning Ever Be Easy?
No matter what kind of wedding you have planned (whether that’s a lavish castle wedding or a stylish DIY backyard wedding), no couple wants to be left feeling understaffed and overwhelmed.
It is an absolute buzz-kill to know you have planned everything ahead of time and feel like the day is -somehow- still slipping out of your grasp!
Planning every detail meticulously in advance can still lead to unforeseen stressors cropping up on the big day – be that a misplaced boutonniere, a passing rainstorm, or that one uncle who loves to go AWOL just in time for family portraits.
The biggest blessing to couples on their wedding day is knowing that everyone and everything will be there at the right place and the right time.
With no Wedding Planner, whose job are all the moving parts?
Recruiting your nearest and dearest to help run the show on time can help. And it can be nice to make your DIY wedding feel like a group project – but only IF that’s what you want and you actually have those kinds of friends (I’m talking Monica from Friends, or Amy from Brooklyn Nine-Nine!).
Planning your timeline with your photographer is another big part of making your day run smoother. In fact, this is something we strongly advocate for! Personally, we love to get into the details with you and see the wedding through your eyes. BUT – we’re not professional planners and see things best through our photography lens.
But the best thing a couple can do is to allow their loved ones to simply be guests and hire a dedicated wedding planner.
“I always recommend a wedding planner to give you peace of mind on the day, leave your family and friends free and ensure your wedding will be professionally executed.”
– Sandra (Infusion Weddings), Wedding Planner in Ireland.
Image: Infusion Wedding Concepts
Enter: Sandra from Infusion Weddings!
Her expertise ensures a seamless, enjoyable wedding planning experience. As a non-traditional Wedding Planner and Stylist, Sandra adopts a unique, collaborative approach. She blends bespoke design with expert coordination to bring couples’ visions to life. This is the essence of Infusion Wedding Concepts.
“A wedding planner can provide peace of mind and ensure a smooth, enjoyable wedding planning experience. Many couples are happy to plan the logistics of their celebration but want a more bespoke celebration where they just need the expertise of a planner,” says Sandra.
Infusion Weddings shares our commitment to helping couples realise their dream wedding (whether it’s unconventional or traditional).
What is a Dream Wedding? It’s the wedding that they secretly hope for and imagine, but feel it’s not feasible, practical… or even “not what my parents are expecting of me”. Sandra understands that wedding days should reflect the couple’s unique story and desires, not societal expectations.
That is why we emphasise to couples that wedding days really don’t have to follow any rule book or set tradition. Just because your parents (or grandparents) got married a certain way, does not mean that’s how YOU have to get married!
Sandra gets this – It’s why she became a wedding planner and created Infusion Weddings!
What does Infusion Weddings do for couples? What is your superpower as a wedding planner?
“I love to plan intimate destination weddings in Ireland [for couples] who are looking to have a bespoke celebration,” Sandra tells us. “I have an unwavering dedication to making each couple’s wedding day truly unforgettable, and I can adapt quickly and make decisions.”
Sandra says that she loves “losing herself” in the design process; “it’s a happy place that enables me to switch off and focus on ‘creating’” (We can absolutely relate there). Like us, Sandra prioritises personal attention and collaboration with clients, ensuring each wedding is a reflection of their personalities and values.
This clearly comes through in her work; in fact, Sandra’s speciality is planning intimate destination weddings in Ireland. She infuses each celebration with bespoke touches and appropriate creative expression.
Image: Infusion Wedding Concepts
What does being a ‘Wedding Planner’ actually mean to you?
Like us, Sandra works as part of a small, focused team to facilitate deep focus and personal attention to her clients: “One of my core values is personal connection and this is very important in my client experience. We are a small team and I am involved in all my weddings.”
Sandra’s approach is collaborative and she wants to bring the couple’s own vision to life with professional guidance and expert styling. This is so special as her couples gain a sense of ownership over their day, but can leave the lion’s share of the work to the professional wedding planner!
Now you may be thinking: “but many couples hire ‘coordinators’ from their wedding venue to do this job.” And they can indeed help facilitate a smooth wedding day…
But what is the difference between a ‘Wedding Coordinator’ and a ‘Wedding Planner’?
“Very simple: The “Venue Coordinator” works for the venue – I work for you, the couple.” Perfectly put.
“Venue Coordinators oversee the logistics of the wedding venue, focusing on setup, catering, and venue-specific details. However, Wedding Planners manage all aspects of the wedding, including venue selection, vendor coordination, design, and overall event coordination, working closely with the couple from start to finish. We are there to ensure your vision is being executed.”
So a ‘Venue Coordinator’ is essentially an extension of the venue, whereas a ‘Wedding Planner’, such as Sandra, is an extension of the couple. She sees the bigger picture and works as a director of the wedding experience as a whole. As Sandra pointed out, wedding coordinators are an extension of the venue and their guidance is limited to what goes within those walls.
I wanted to know where Sandra gained this perspective and expertise, and how she created Infusion Wedding Concepts around this.
Image: Infusion Wedding Concepts
How did Infusion Weddings begin? What led you to becoming a wedding planner?
Sandra’s journey to becoming a wedding planner in Ireland began after a long tenure in hospitality; “I have been in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years,” Sandra tells me, “I was running a catering company with my husband for many years, but when Covid hit I felt very burnt out and we were looking for a new challenge.”
Indeed, the start of the pandemic massively disrupted not only our lives but our careers too. It provided a wake-up call for many entrepreneurial-minded folks in Ireland to pursue a radical change in their life. If everyone’s job was at risk, then there really was no point spending so many years working a job that didn’t matter to them.
And this is exactly what happened to Sandra; “I wanted to concentrate on my favourite events and combine my existing skills with my love for interior design. Infusion was born… We are now in our 4th year and I am very excited about what’s to come!”
Sandra fuses her love of style, design and planning into Infusion Wedding Concepts (an apt name indeed). She strives to serve those couples who can’t compromise on a comfortable and easy wedding day that sings with style and joy.
Wedding Planning with Heart and Focus
Far from the approach of a traditional wedding planner, Sandra draws from her extensive experience, travel inspiration and of course of her couples’ own love story to craft their day. She’s not afraid to work with colours, textures and even understands florals to truly take her couples’ weddings to the next level. But ultimately, it comes down to what her couples really desire most from their wedding day.
Thank you so much Sandra for your insights! Before we finish, please tell us where people can find out more and how your couples find you.
“Ideally through the contact form on my website. From there I aim to schedule a call to get to know each other and hear more about their wedding vision. Then I put together a bespoke proposal and when the proposal is confirmed I will start the full onboarding.”
We highly recommend Sandra for her expertise and obvious passion for wedding planning in Ireland. Infusion Wedding Concepts offers One-Month Coordination, Wedding Design & Styling as well as Full Wedding Planning. You can find out more about Infusion Weddings and get Sandra on your team as your tailored wedding planner over on her website and give her a follow on Instagram to catch her valuable insights!
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