Say hello to Melanie, the latest full time member of the Calluna Events Team! If you’ve been keeping up with Calluna for the last 5 years, chances are you’ve brushed shoulders with Melanie a time or two. Joining the team in 2013, Melanie has evolved from a wide-eyed intern to rock star associate planner to a seasoned Lead Planner. She now joins the team in a full time capacity in the role of Lead Planner with Calluna Events and Brand Manager of Love Well Planned.
This Colorado native has a built a reputable background in public relations, marketing and event planning, with a notable focus on upscale client relationships. Starting a career at prestigious advertising agency CP+B, Melanie was an account manager for a luxury automotive client, independently activating high-end events throughout the country. Melanie spent the last two years at Artifact Uprising, a paper good company with a focus on elevated design and thoughtfully sourced materials. In her diversified role as the Press, Influencer and Ambassador Manager, she provided unparalleled concierge service to Artifact’s highest VIP clientele, and resulting in thousands of paid and earned media impressions for the company.
Melanie prides herself on the ability to effectively project manage, multitask and put pen to paper in a pinch, but the intersection of creativity and human connection is what really gets her heart beating fast. She has found purpose in bringing love and light into every celebration. Leading with contagious optimism, she navigates the wedding world with creativity, gratitude, and a heaping dose of hard work.
- Favorite part of the wedding planning process: The design ideation phase! It’s a time to stretch those creative muscles and dream big. Beautiful ideas are born when you let your mind wander. Logistics will come later.
- Favorite part of the wedding day?: The vows. Hands down. But also the walk down the aisle (looking at you, groom-y). No, the first look. Actually, seeing the collaborative design process come together and the look on our bride’s face when she first sees the space. Or when the photographer catches the golden light during cocktail hour. Definitely a packed dance floor. But I’m also a sucker for a grand-endorphin filled-“we just got married!”-exit. Can I just say the entire thing!? (If not, definitely the vows.)
- Post wedding ritual: After soaking my feet right after the event (a must!) it’s straight to bed –– head hitting the pillow after a wedding day is heaven! Post-wedding Sundays are reserved for Farmers’ Market strolls and mimosas on the balcony with as little screen time as possible. It also typically includes a very passionate, very thorough narration of the wedding to my sweet (and very patient) boyfriend, Erik.
- Favorite reception song: Oldies but goodies. Everyone just wanted to boogie!
- Favorite wedding gown designer: Impossible to choose just one! If I weren’t a wedding planner, I’d be scheming to find a way to cover every Bridal Fashion Week – there’s just too many beautiful gowns out there. That said, after the lovely ladies at Little White Dress hosted us to peek through the newest selections I can’t get enough of the Sassi Holdford Collection! Would love to see one of our Calluna Brides wear her this year.
- Least loved wedding-day trend: BYOB celebrations. If you can help if, treat your guests to a cocktail (or mocktail!). They’ve taken time out of their busy lives to celebrate your union – let’s all raise a glass together!
- Trend you’d like to see more of: Hand written notes to your guests. Yes, it’s time consuming, but incredibly meaningful and will be a special touch to be remembered long after the celebrations wrap up. Everybody loves a love note.
- Best advice for a newly engaged couple? Besides hiring a wedding planner 😉 my advice is to take your time and try to making the planning process FUN. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed and stressed with all of the decisions, emotions and logistics, but you’ll only be in this stage once. Take a breath every so often and celebrate this incredible time -– you’re engaged! It’ll be over before you know it.
- Close runner up that I heard through the grapevine: stock your fridge with a few bottles of bubbly at all times during the engagement. You never know when you’ll get a surge of love and excitement during this incredible time in your life – so don’t be afraid to pull out a few bottle and clink glasses with your loved one(s) (even if it’s a random Tuesday!).
- On the weekend you can find me: Exploring happy hours and hiking trails or likely crying happy tears at the latest Calluna wedding.
Okay – now for some good ole’ fashioned rapid fire:
- Favorite cocktail: equal tie between a big glass of red or a chilled glass of bubbly!
- Beach or mountains: Beach
- Early bird or night owl: Night owl
- Sweet or salty: Salty
- Dream vacation: Capri or Positano
- Go to coffee order: American0 – hot
- Favorite Social Channel: is there anything other than Instagram!?
- Favorite movie: Father of the Bride (classic!) and About Time
- Guilty pleasure: going down the internet rabbit hole watching wedding videos (cue the happy tears!)
- Pet peeve: stemless wine glasses at a nice restaurant (or biting forks while eating)
- Favorite restaurant in Denver: Solitaire –– but it sadly closed earlier this year. The Populist comes in as a close second!
And just for fun… a few Calluna #TBT photos from over the years!
Want more of Melanie? Keep up with her this season on Instagram!
