John Gandy’s Emily Schrowang Goes From Event Planner To Client

Emily Schrowang, an event planner, spends her weekends immersed in wedding timelines, directing creative partners and assuring that happy couples have the weddings they have always dreamed of.

On her wedding day in February 2019, it became Emily’s turn. The roles reversed — Emily handed the reigns over to her colleagues at John Gandy Events.

You’ve helped to plan many weddings, what was it like planning your own?

It was easier in some ways and harder in others. It was easy because I have established many connections with creative partners that I like and trust. It was harder because it was difficult to be hands off since I am a planner. I was involved to some extent, but the day of, I had to let it go and just have fun.

How do you think your background in event planning helped you?

It helped because I wasn’t as worried the day of. I knew everything had been taken care of. If anything did go wrong, they would ensure that I would never know. I was able to truly enjoy the night surrounded by friends and family because all was taken care of by the amazing team.

What is some advice you would give to brides planning their weddings?

In planning, make sure you get a professional to help you. It makes a world of difference. I can’t imagine a wedding without one. On the day of the wedding, I was in such a blur. I work at weddings all the time, but I didn’t fully realize that when you’re the bride, it becomes overwhelming. You should hire a professional so you can be fully with your guests.

Who were some of your vendors?

John Gandy Events, of course. My photographer was Catherine Taylor with Woodland Fields. She is great with family dynamics — she makes you laugh and just be yourselves. She’s one of my favorite people. Missy Gunnels was my fantastic florist who created stunning work. The band, Blackberry Breeze, was the life of the party. Catering Caper’s food was amazing. On the Rocks helped me craft two signature cocktails that everyone loved.

What was the best part of your wedding day?

Once the ceremony was over and I had said hello to everyone and I was able to go dance and let loose with family and friends.

What do you love about working in event planning?

Seeing a vision come to fruition. The best feeling is when a couple thanks us at the end of the night for making their ideas come to life. I also love that I get to be creative. I got into this industry because it’s a great outlet for creativity.

What was the vision for your wedding?

I’ve seen so many weddings, and I wanted something different. Not because the current trends aren’t beautiful, I just wanted something that I had not seen before. My wedding was very dark, elegant and formal — black velvet linens, dark flowers, black dresses, tuxes and mood lighting.

What should people experience when working with an event planner?

Someone that is well connected with their community. You should seek a team that is organized and has a good vision. It’s important to select someone you click with and can trust because you want to create a rapport and relationship.

How does John Gandy Events set themselves apart?

In so many ways! For instance, the team you get on the wedding day. On the day of, we have five-to-six people on site to assist you. We have one person specifically for the bride and bridal party. The team sets up and stays to make sure creative partners are there and on time. They put out fires, put on a smile, fix it and never let the client know should anything go wrong.

What does the John Gandy Events team want clients to experience?

We want our clients to provide their vision, their ideas for every aspect and the overall look and feel they have in mind, but other than that, we want them to step back and let us handle the creative partners and timeline. They tell us what they want and we make it happen so they can be stress-free and happy from start to finish.

Photography by Woodland Fields