One area woman has a knack for planning the perfect wedding, and she will get to show those talents to quite an audience.
WeTV, the cable television network that airs bridal shows such as “Bridezillas,” “Rich Bride Poor Bride” and “Platinum Weddings,” plans to debut its newest series, “The Wedding Planners,” this summer. Set to be featured in the new series is La Jolla wedding planner Melissa Barrad of I Do”¦Weddings!
The one-hour show will follow Barrad and one other coordinator through every aspect of the exciting, emotional and always stressful business that is wedding planning.
For Barrad, the owner of I Do”¦Weddings!, a full service bridal event and design company, a keen sense of timing and an endless array of resources are paramount in order to guarantee that every couple’s wedding is a genuine success.
With a degree in advertising from San Diego State University, Barrad has fine-tuned her design and project management skills in event planning to offer brides and grooms a creative foundation upon which to build.
As for her new role in “The Wedding Planner,” Barrad plans to continue designing and creating out-of-the-box weddings while staying true to her company’s motto: “Be Beautiful. Be Inspired. Be In Your Element.”
Asked how she got this opportunity, Barrad said she was approached last year right before the holidays.
“I had a great rapport with the production company, and submitted a video demo that my husband Brett helped create,” Barrad said. “Being involved in a television production is very exciting, as well as nerve-wracking. I was so thrilled that not one, but two of my brides and grooms welcomed being a part of it. I also wouldn’t be here today without a great group of vendors and venues, not to mention the support of my couples’ bridal parties and families.”
Barrad said a huge concern for everyone involved was the tone of the show.
“Since there are shows of every magnitude (‘Bridezillas,’ ‘Platinum Weddings’), I wanted to make sure that my amazing clients were shown in a positive light,” Barrad continued. “I also had to make sure everyone involved, down to every guest, was on board. It was challenging but fun. It was very different to have my own camera crew following me everywhere I went.”
With today’s tough economic times, Barrad said couples are doing what they need to do to make it a fun, yet affordable wedding day.
“I think that everyone is scaling back, to a certain extent,” Barrad said. “But I do find that it’s making couples more creative. Also, I do see that couples are really examining what is non-negotiable for their wedding celebration. They may be more willing to make a concession in exchange for what is really important to them. For example, forgoing favors and menus for an additional hour of photography coverage.”
Asked what makes the perfect wedding, Barrad said the answer is different for each couple.
According to Barrad, “That’s why I created my tagline: ‘Be Beautiful. Be Inspired. Be in Your Element.’ I’ve had wonderful experiences at all different types of events ” from a black tie soiree at the Hotel Del with an ’80s cover band, to a cocktail reception at a swanky restaurant in Hillcrest, to a wedding at the Wild Animal Park, where many of the guests were trained dancers. All of the weddings are completely different, but I certainly walked away from each one knowing that the event was a beautiful representation of my couples and what is important to them.”
The show, which is set to air later this month and run through September, was enjoyable for Barrad, who noted, “I did seven full days of filming ” three days with each of my two featured brides, as well as a day of filming me in my home studio. It allowed me to really get to know each of my couples as well as all of the vendors.
“It was really important to me that on the day of the wedding, the bride and groom remained the focus, not me. I had a number of conversations with everyone involved, and I am so thankful for everyone’s time and patience, in particular, the two photographers I worked with ” Luna Photography and Kim Irons Photography. Having a camera crew made getting the perfect shot challenging, but I was so impressed with working with both teams ” their finished products were amazing.”
For more information, call (858) 405-7244 or visit www.sdwedding
planner.com.