Get to Know: Brilliant Event Planning – Proposal and Event Planner

In continuation of my Get to Know series, I’d love to share the work of Brilliant Event Planning.  Headed by the fabulous Sarah Pease, Brilliant Event Planning offers busy couples fresh approaches to wedding planning and engagement design. She is the perfect person to think about with Valentine’s Day coming up.

What inspired you to develop Brilliant Event Planning?

My signature service is designing, planning and producing the perfect marriage proposal moment, and I’m known as The Proposal Planner™. I realized there was a need for this service when I heard a proposal story about a friend-of-a-friend”. The groom-to-be thought it would be romantic to put the engagement ring at the bottom of a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken and pop the question to his girlfriend when she found it. Even though she said yes, I knew there had to be a better way.

Was event planning always your passion?  Where do you draw everyday inspiration from?

I come from a background in finance.  During my annual review, my boss asked me where I wanted to be in five years. My immediate thought: not here! I went home that night and decided to start my own event planning company. When I told my coworkers I was quitting my job and starting my own business, three of them said “You know what, Sarah?  You would be really good at that!”  and asked me to help them plan their weddings. Those were my first three clients and they are still referring me business to this day!

Every couple is different, which means my job is never boring! My inspiration always comes from my clients themselves and their unique love stories.

So what does Brilliant Event Planning have to offer wedding couples?

While marriage proposal planning is our signature service, the bread & butter of Brilliant Event Planning is creating incredible weddings. We pride ourselves on being masters of both the organized left brain and the creative right brain to bring our clients’ dream day to life.

We offer two levels of marriage proposal planning:  Full Proposal Planning and Proposal Concept Design.

For the bride and groom, we offer Full Wedding Planning, Partial and a la Carte Wedding Planning, Day-of Wedding Coordination, and Destination Wedding Planning with a special focus on destinations in the Caribbean, Latin America and Ireland.

Why do you think proposal and wedding planners play such an integral role in today’s weddings?

There is a need for proposal/wedding planners because these are moments that people dream about and remember for their entire lives. They only happen once. If you want it to be perfect, you’re going to need a planner, or at the very least, a coordinator. My job is to let you be completely in the moment, while I handle the behind-the-scenes.

What do couples have to gain by enlisting your help?

My signature service as The Proposal Planner™ is often controversial because it’s a totally new field.  Most of the people that hire me to plan their proposal realize that this is the most important question they will ever ask in their lives.  They know they want it to be truly memorable, but aren’t quite sure how to design something amazing, and struggle to pull off the entire plan on their own.  Having a proposal planner, similar to a wedding planner, allows them to show off their creativity and thoughtfulness with the help of an expert.

Is there any advice you’d give to couples considering your service?

I love working with clients that are open to pushing their boundaries.  When hiring a proposal or wedding planner, it’s important for couples to work with someone that has the experience and taste level that you require.  My specialty is luxury marriage proposals.  If your future fiancé loves Chanel and Louis Vuitton, you don’t want someone who will plan a Kmart-level proposal for them.

What do you think makes Brilliant Event Planning so special?

Brilliant Event Planning is known for our fresh and innovative approach to wedding planning. We are pioneers of marriage proposal planning and masters of engagement design. We maintain a smaller clientele in order to provide an unparalleled level of service.

I have worked with Sarah and Brilliant Event Planning on both proposals and weddings. Here are a few: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. My couples have a calm and enjoyable experience which makes my job much easier. Sarah is always on top of everything and never afraid to jump in and get her hands dirty. I have seen her move tables, boxes, vases full of water, schlepping bags and even jumping in at the end of a proposal to get rid of the ice sculptures. After your engagement, do you want to have to climb into the shower and melt down your ice sculpture? I don’t know about you, but that is not what I want to be doing in the shower. =)

headshot courtesy of Brilliant Event, all other photos Sofia Negron Photography