set expectations and give [prospective clients] information.” Some information brides-andgrooms-to-be might want to make note of early is the area is an ever-popular spot for tourists and events, so it’s best for couples to hire a planner well in advance—most couples do a year. “On top of weddings, it’s just a busy destination,” Ford says. “There’s a lot happening here in a small area.” When Ford signs a contract with a couple, she says, “A lot of my clients, I tell them one of the first things I’m going to book is hair and makeup. It’s hard to find even nine months out.” But if a couple is from afar, how do they pick their venue, or the menu? “When you’re hiring a planner, you’re hiring me for my expertise and my vendor partners,” Ford says. “I give them recommendations based on their style and budget, in a way to be a matchmaker for them, guiding them on who would be a good catering team.” But that comes after the couple flies or drives out early in the process to choose the venue—that’s step one. Step two, after numerous Zoom meetings, and about four to seven months in advance of the wedding date, the couple comes out again for a tasting, and to see Ford’s vision for the design. “Planning a wedding is a very complicated and emotional process for a lot of people,” Ford says. That’s understandable—a wedding is a milestone of a lifetime—but in the right hands, doing the heavy lifting of turning a couple’s dreams into reality, it’s a process that should end with magic. And that, after all, is the ultimate destination. MICHAEL DADULA 22 THE BEST OF MONTEREY BAY ® WEDDING GUIDE 2025-2026 Gentlemen Prefer Cigars CIGARS CIGARETTES CUTTERS PIPES PIPE TOBACCO PUNCHES TORCHES OPEN 10AM–10PM 7 DAYS A WEEK 765 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey 831-645-9021 M IB Light Up Your Wedding PREMIUM CIGARS
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