How to Make Your Wedding d'Luxe: An Interview with Wedding and Event Planner Danielle Aspromatis

At Inspire Med Spa, we’re in the business of helping people relax, take a breather, and so is Danielle, in a way. Danielle Aspromatis is the founder of d’Luxe Events in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, which is a boutique-style wedding and event planning company that specializes in coordinating stylish and affordable events. Some of Danielle’s services include assistance with venue selection, floral and event design, and, perhaps most importantly, budget analysis and control. Since many of our clients are in the midst of planning their special day, we thought we’d sit down with Danielle to talk about how she helps her clients cope with the stress of planning a wedding, as well as how she ensures that her clients enjoy their special day. 

Based on our interview, it’s clear that Danielle loves everything about wedding and event planning. She’s got the right mix of patience and creativity that help her work with people to bring their ideas to life.

Spa: When couples come to you to plan their wedding, are they more excited, nervous, terrified? Do they usually come because they have no idea how to begin planning a wedding?

DA: Most couples come to me feeling an equal mix of excitement and nervousness...the nervous part is what brings them to me since they usually don’t know where to start, what they can afford, and what they should be spending their money on.

Spa: What would you say stresses a bride out the most about planning her wedding?

DA: The biggest stress is usually finances. More and more brides and grooms are financing their own weddings and are concerned about how to spend their money most efficiently. A lot of brides have TOO many design ideas and really can’t narrow their focus, vision, and style, which can be stressful. Pinterest has been great for the wedding industry as far as ideas and DIY projects go, but more often than not, it just overwhelms the brides.

Spa: How helpful is the groom, usually, in sorting out the details for planning a wedding?

DA: More and more grooms are getting involved in the process, especially if they or their families are contributing to the day. I love when the groom has style and an opinion because it’s the couple’s day, not just the bride’s, so I love to have the groom’s input as well.

Spa: What do you do to ease some of the stress of planning a wedding for the bride while still including her?

DA: The first step in taking away the stress is to build the bride and groom a “dream team” of vendors for their day who are talented, within their budget, and easy to work with. When you have a great team for the day, it’s amazing how stress just starts to melt away because they have the assurance that they are in the best hands possible. The bride and groom have full say in who’s hired, but I narrow down their choices by providing them bite-sized information on the best people to work with in each category. The people I recommend are all amazing, have worked with me before, and fit within the budget I’ve constructed for them. After all the vendors are in place, the fun design and details can be tackled, and everyone has fun with those!

Spa: What are some of the biggest trends you’re seeing in weddings, now?

DA: What I’m really loving now is anything eclectic in aesthetics. Bridesmaid dresses no longer have to match: brides are choosing multiple shades of a color for a dress and having each girl look unique in dresses of different styles and colors. Similarly, guys are picking ties that vary in style and color for each of their groomsmen. All this eclectic mixing and matching lends itself fabulously to the whole rustic and vintage trend for weddings this year: table centerpieces are no longer the same, brides are hunting around antique stores for unique pieces and are really trying to think outside the box for this look. The idea is to be purposely mismatched but in a cohesive way.

Spa: Are theme weddings big? What themes?

DA: With the release of The Great Gatsby movie this year, a lot of brides went for that theme, touching upon the roaring 20s, art deco, black and gold, opulence.

Spa: How much are people willing to pay for a wedding? How affordable are your rates?

DA: Wedding budgets vary greatly, and I try to cater packages to be affordable to each bride I work with. Since no two brides are alike, no two d’Luxe packages are alike! Obviously, the amount of assistance varies according to budget, but brides typically come to me with overall budgets anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000.

Spa: How has your previous experience as an NYC fashion buyer helped you as a wedding planner?

DA: Fashion has helped me immensely! My trained eye for design, color, and texture allow me to create a whole look. I was a buyer for different chains that all had different kinds of style, from the Cache stores to the Ashley Stewart stores to the Alloy catalogue. Working for different kinds of customers has helped me get out of my own head, my own taste, and plan specifically for the bride and groom’s own taste in order to make the day truly reflective of THEM. My experience as a buyer has also enabled me to be an incredible negotiator for my clients and to stick to a budget.

Spa: What’s the best piece of advice you can give a couple for planning their wedding?

DA: I would say that a venue, flowers, all the details are lovely, but they shouldn’t lose sight of what a wedding really is. I got into this business because of the creativity it allowed me, but also just because I really love being part of a couple and family’s big day. Two people starting to build a life together is incredible, so my best advice is for the couple just to enjoy and remember what the day is actually about.

Spa: What was your own wedding like? Are there any weddings you’ve planned that you wish could have been your own?

DA: My own wedding was wonderful, and I think about it often. It was a totally black and white, Vanity Fair type of wedding with lots of feathers, damask, and bling. I wouldn’t have changed anything but as I love so many different types of design, I would love to renew my vows and have a totally new type of wedding. I love rustic barn weddings, beach weddings, and very modern city weddings. I would be happy planning a different kind of wedding for myself each year. 

Inspire Med Spa 
477 Stuyvesant Ave, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
Telephone: 201 933 2333 FAX: 201 933 3885
info@inspiremedspa.com 
www.inspiremedspa.com