Coterie Spotlight: Texas Wedding Planner La Fete Chic Showcases Impeccable Style

I’ve always been interested in design and beautiful things. I discovered a book about Marie Antoinette in the school library when I was 12, and was instantly hooked.  I loved the grandeur, the dresses and jewels, and over time developed almost an obsession with the French aesthetic. It lead me to major in History at TCU.

As I got older and could afford it, I started throwing parties and hosting showers every chance I could. Eventually, when one of my sisters got engaged, I helped plan every aspect of her winter wedding. For weeks afterwards our parents’ friends called to compliment my work and I started to think “Maybe I can really do this”. Then in 2010 I designed, planned, and did all the florals for another  sister’s wedding.  It was in downtown Dallas, black-tie, and had almost 300 guests. After that, creating La Fete Chic was inevitable.

What did you do before Wedding Planning?

I was a successful pharmaceutical rep for 11 years.  While I enjoyed the work, there was no creative outlet.  I haven’t regretted leaving the industry for a second!

What are your dreams for your company?

I want La Fete Chic to be the go-to events company for brides who have big, big wedding dreams and want lots of glamour.  We only do 12 full-service weddings a year, so I want our clients to always feel exceptionally special and well looked-after.  We also want to be known as open to anyone: regardless of color, religion, or sexual orientation.

What do you love most about your job?

The creative process – walking into the flower market on a delivery morning – having a bride tell us how happy and thrilled she was with her wedding and how it exceeded her dreams.  Nothing feels better than that!

In your area what are some of your favorite venues and why?

Villa Antonia is breathtaking.  I’m having my own wedding there!  It’s like getting to have a destination wedding only 30 minutes from downtown Austin.  Stonehouse Villa is also an amazing, stylish, and luxurious venue.  The absolutely best thing about it is the amazing manager, Senor Amor.

We also adore The Driskill Hotel, Cedar Bend Events, and The Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria (where we did our styled shoot shared in this post).  The Driskill is pure old-school Texas glamour and impeccable service, Cedar Bend is simply charming and very “rustic chic”, and The Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria is so romantic!

What trends are you seeing with 2012 and 2013 brides?

One of our favorite lines is from Yves St. Laurent:  “Fashions fade, but style is eternal.”  Honestly, we try to stay away from trends.  La Fete Chic wants to provide a classic and sumptuous experience that won’t ever look dated.

Have you ever had a last minute wedding disaster and how did you resolve it?

Central Texas has been in a quite a drought the last two years.  Last fall it did not rain for almost three months, but the week of our biggest wedding it rained every day.  Our bride had chosen a venue that heavily depended on being able to use the grounds – but the reality of going to the rain back-up plan was too much for her.  She called the tent company and cancelled EVERYTHING, and of course they called me in a panic because it was still raining.  Basically, I did my best to talk her off the ledge, and then called the rental company to go ahead with all the tenting.  It was risky since she’d cancelled it, but totally the right call. And in the end, she was grateful!

What would you say to brides-to-be who are on the fence about hiring a wedding planner?

Planning a wedding is a full-time job. Especially if you already have a job, why add another one? You’ll never be able to give both 100%, and both are terribly important. Also, a wedding planner helps you to articulate and develop your vision, keep you on schedule and within budget, and make the planning process FUN! A wedding planner can actually save you money, because we know all the ins and outs of the industry.

It’s important for engaged couples to know that wedding planners are not just for heiresses and debutantes. Every bride deserves to be treated like a princess, and this can be accomplished on a budget of $5,000 or $500,000.

Why should brides choose you as a planner?

La Fete Chic provides concierge-style service.  Since we only do 12 full-service weddings a year, our couples will know they are the focus of our attention for the most important day of their lives.  But I also strongly believe one size does not fit all.  For example, if you’re going for a charming and rustic look, hire a planner who has done lots of work like that. The same if you want something modern and hip, etc. And if you want classic glamour and decadence, call La Fete Chic! That’s what we do best.

Now let’s have some fun!

Thanks Marcia for letting us into your world! Please be sure to visit her listing here.  Enjoy more images from her most recent styled shoot below.

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We wanted a dreamy, feminine, fairytale feeling.  Lots of white and pink and silver, with romantic invitations, lush flowers, and a bride who looked like a princess.  Our model, Chipo Nziramasanga, is what really made the shoot work.  She was so perfectly beautiful and radiant, and impeccably styled by La Fete Chic’s bridal concierge and stylist, Chystean Sandoval.

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