Client Showcase – Ashley Gain
Ashley’s Website: ashleygain.com
Template Style: Emilie
Tell us about you and your business.
My passion for events came from my years of planning charity events. From large galas and balls to smaller more intimate affairs, my love of events grew really fast. I was able to fully immerse myself in the event without being in the spot light. Then I got married, to my best friend on the best day of my life. From there I started Ashley Gain Weddings & Events in hopes I could help each bride & groom feel the same way. It’s a dream come true! I work out of Scottsdale, Arizona but do events all over the world.
How many weddings are you doing each Week? Month? Year?
I sleep, dream and eat events. They truly make my world spin round. I have any where from 4-6 events a month, this includes charity events. I am very blessed to have the amount of business that I do. I take it very personally when someone hires me, it the biggest compliment I can receive.
How do you begin to plan a wedding?
I immediately meet the bride where she is at mentally, who she is in her core. I ask her where she likes to shop, what she likes to eat, what her favorite colors are, what her favorite movie is, what she likes to do on the weekends etc., Her answers really help me narrow her personality down. A wedding is a true reflection of what is in the heart of the bride & groom, so I get to know them, inside out! From there I tell them to start listing off their ideas, colors and details that they like and the planning begins.
What would be your ultimate wedding to plan?
Immediately I think of an Ireland Castle Wedding, white orchids lining the green aisle, a gorgeous Monique Lhuillier gown, the bride’s bouquet wrapped in her grandmothers handkerchief. It’s a fairy tale wedding and SOMEDAY I will do one just like it!
But my heart goes in a different direction. To a couple that has overcome huge odds to be able to say their vows. Maybe a family member has passed or they fought off cancer with the love of their life by their side. Money can buy a lot of things but it can’t buy true love, it’s something the lucky get to experience. Then, of course, I would ask Oprah to give the couple $1 million dollars to spend on their big day.
Which Photographers are the easiest to deal with? Do you have a preferred photographer?
The easiest photographers to work with are those who work as part of a team and respect the other vendors needs on the wedding day. On the day of a wedding hours seem like minutes, and time literally flies by. When you work with professional and talented photographers they follow a timeline, they arrive early, they have already been to the wedding venue and know the perfect spots to shoot, and they are respectful of every other vendor, and after 10 hours and their feet are killing them they still capture every shot.
My two personal favorites are Stephanie Fay www.stephaniefay.com and Katrina Wallace www.sedonabride.com. They capture the emotion of the day and understand how to naturally pose the couple! Which is a talent in itself!
Are you always in attendance at the wedding ceremony? Reception?
Does the fact I carry tissues in my pocket at every wedding answer that? I am always at the ceremony, I fluff the brides dress before she walks down to meet her groom. I am at the reception to make sure each detail is executed to perfection and I stay until the last guest leaves. There is nothing like being a part of someone’s day.
I guess you need to plan and plan again for the unexpected? What’s the craziest/funniest moment you couldn’t have prepared for?
Oh goodness. I have a couple but the one that stands out the most is where the groom passed out on the head table from drinking too much. It was so heartbreaking. The bride was crying, the reception felt awkward and guests were leaving. There was nothing I could have done BUT after that experience I am very strict when it comes to pre-wedding drinking. Lesson learned.
Not including the Wedding Planner, what is your favorite Movie?
Enchanted, hands down. I have each song memorized and swear I could have been the actress who played Giselle in the movie. I am a sucker for anything that involves a princess and love.
What sets you apart from other wedding planners – are there any additional amenities or services you provide?
Without sounding too vain, I am friends with every bride I have ever planned a wedding for. I am not a planner who is going to meet with you and tell you all the hundreds of ideas I have, I am going to get to know you, and try to reflect a vision of your day that is truly your own. I have a huge heart and can’t get enough of my clients. When a bride calls me just to tell me about the color of her lipstick for her day I get so excited. It means so much that they feel close enough to me to share every detail.
When the wedding season slows down, what is your favorite holiday location?
My husband and I love any place with a nice beach and ice cold drinks to just relax. My favorite holiday spots are Turks & Caicos in the Caribbean, Positano on the Almafi Coast and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
How important is your website to your business?
Have you ever heard the phrase “He could read me like a book”? That is how I feel about my website. It is a door into who I am as a consultant and person. If spend some time on it you will know me. It is my first impression to a client about the person they will hire.
I literally get compliments on it on what seems like a daily basis. Thanks to CMD because without them it would not be possible. I am so grateful to you and your talented team!
