We checked off the boxes, sent the email back, and the "hard part" was done.... Or so we thought.

Enter Johann Brown and Eventions Event Planning and Design.

I'm one of those people that need to work from start to finish. I need to get my hands dirty first to figure out if I don't like something. Johann has the gift for visualizing the end product before it begins.

Normally, these types of people annoy me. They have the "vision," but not what it takes to get there. Johann has the vision, knows the steps in the process, and will fuss with every last detail to make it complete.

She also understands our budget constraints. Lu and I want the most bang for our buck, but we realize that we don't have a ton of bucks to work with for the wedding.

Some vendors will suggest the most expensive options, then make you feel like your wedding will be a total bust if you don't have all of the little details. At the opposite end, you have the people who suggest things that are totally tacky and obviously cheap because they know we're students.

Johann is somewhere in the middle. She has a blend of letting us know what she can do (custom centerpieces, unique lighting, draping the whole room in fabric, creating a "lounge" area, and bringing in all sorts of fabrics and materials, etc.) without making it feel like we have to do everything to have a beautiful day.

She's a great listener, and she'll also offer advice -- but only when she's asked. She has mastered the art of taking people seriously even when they have no idea what they're talking about. Most importantly, she really works to make sure she understands and can enhance our theme, not create one of her own.

I'll give you a comparison: Think back to high school or college. Remember that one teacher who made everyone feel like they were geniuses? You could ask the most off-the-wall questions, and they would praise you for thinking outside of the box. You would give an answer that was 100% wrong, but they would flip it to introduce a new topic of discussion.

Johann's like that.

Lu and I knew what we wanted, but we had no idea how to get there. Instead of dismissing us or getting (obviously) exasperated, Johann took the time to listen to what we were saying. She repeated her understanding of our jumbled, disorganized words back to us until we were all on the same page.

We learned that our theme was more "Harlem Renaissance" than "Shabby Chic." We learned that fancy font on a small card can be distracting and hard to read. We learned that although using bright yellow in the fall wasn't typical, our choice to pair it with burgundy gave the overall palette a sense of elegance.... Overall, we learned that our ideas were kinda quirky but not "wrong."

Johann has been courteous, professional, responsive, and a great guide. In fact, it amazed me when I found out that she has a traditional career in the government with its own large set of responsibilities.

Over the last few months, Johann has transitioned from a good vendor to someone I really admire and generally like as a person. Event planning and design is truly her passion, and it shows.