Ask an Expert | Amber Small of Sweetest Thing Weddings
Friday December 3rd
Michelle Turner, one of our photographers based out of Mexico and Maine, encouraged us to check out Amber Small, event designer and wedding planner of Sweetest Thing Weddings, and I am so glad that she did! Sweetest Thing Weddings is based out of Bangor, Maine, the state in which Amber proudly was born and raised. After learning a little more about Amber, I discovered that she has also worked with Cake & Pictures photographers, Stacey Kane and David Murray.
Not only did she work with three of our photographers—Amber worked with all three of our photographers together for one wedding! Along withthe talented Audra of Audra Photography, as the wedding event’s head-shooter, the photographers captured Aron & Gita‘s beautiful wedding. Aron & Gita were winners of a free Maine wedding giveaway, which brought together top Maine wedding professionals and vendors for one event. Check out Real Weddings Maine for all of the wedding details. As coordinator of such an extraordinary event, I had to ask Amber about her vision and drive as a wedding planner and her experience in the wedding planning industry.
When/How did you realize you wanted to become a wedding planner?
Well, I have loved design all my life. I used to rearrange my bedroom once a week to see how it would look best. I think the designer blood was always in me. However, it wasn’t until college that I saw my “quirkiness” being my future. I worked in catering working weddings when I saw my future in planning.
What separates Sweetest Thing Weddings from other planners?
We are a full design studio, we do planning, floral design, lighting, luxury out of town bags…We create unique design for each individual couple, not cookie cutter events. My goal as a designer is that guests as well as the couple will feel that the event was totally “them.”
What’s special about Maine weddings that every bride should know about?
Maine is the perfect destination for a wedding. Our State is known as Vacationland…we know how to treat and service our guests. Our seacoast and mountains are amazing. We have rocky coast lands as well as sandy, we have mountains, cities. Whatever you are looking for my State has it.
How was working with our Cake & Picture photographers?
I love Cake & Picture photographers. They have great professional standards, they get me images for my blogs and publications quickly. They take amazing photos. Cake & Pictures photographers make my job easier, they are always on time, prepared and generous with all the vendors.
Do you have a favorite wedding moment?
I have two. I try my best to let the bride see the reception area before the guests, I want them to see what their guests see. My design are ALWAYS about the bride, I want her to take in all the details and see her that her vision has come alive. My second would be after the bride and groom come down the aisle together married. It is a precious moment, when they are alone and enjoy their “we did it” moment.
Do any new trends stand out to you?
I am so excited to see bride’s taking risks with colors….canary yellow, oranges, and reds are becoming more popular. Riskier palettes such as jewel tones, grey & canary yellow, turquoise & red. It is a great way to express your individuality as a couple—with great color!
What is your best bride advice?
Trust your instincts with who you think would be the best vendor for you, personalities should match, and once you hire them, trust your vendors. We know our craft, whether it be photography, catering, or design. If you let us do our job, we will make your day amazing.
What’s an interesting fact about you that would surprise people?
I am the mother of four young children: Emma-8, Izze-6, Parker-5, and Thomas-3. Izze & Parker are irish twins. They are 51 weeks apart. So, for one week every year they are the same age.
What our photographers had to say:
ON WORKING WITH AMBER:
Amber is a creative soul after my own heart—she appreciates color and diversity in her designs. I love that she isn’t afraid to scour antique stores to find something unique for her clients and she doesn’t shy away from breathtaking color. In a world of muted, cookie cutter designs, her work stands out like a breath of fresh air. — Michelle Turner
I LOVE working with Amber! Not only is she a very talented designer with a vision that shines through in everything she does, she is a very caring professional. She truly loves her clients and wants to help make their day perfect. Those attributes alone should be enough reasons for a client to hire Amber. From a vendor’s perspective, there is another very important reason that I adore working with Amber. She recommends the professionals that she trusts and then she does something that, in my opinion, only the very best coordinators do…she lets us do our job! She provides us with the information we need and then allows us to do what we do best. — Stacey Kane
The three photographers are great friends and colleagues and it is a wonderful model for why great relationships with other photographers are so important in the business! One part of Aron and Gita’s wedding that was especially meaningful for David and me is that in addition to being co-owner of David Murray Weddings, I am a documentary filmmaker and director-producer of The Breast Cancer Diaries a feature length documentary about David’s youngest sister. David too worked on the filming and did all the still photography for the film. So when we had a chance to contribute by documenting a fellow documentary filmmakers wedding we just knew we had to do it–especially working with great vendors like Amber and the other photographers. — Linda Murray of David Murray Weddings
