The Amanda Reed Weddings team prides itself on never repeating the same design and anticipating clients’ needs every step of the way.
With nearly a decade of planning experience, Amanda Reed has made a name for herself as a go-to planner in The Natural State. Based in Northwest Arkansas, Amanda Reed Weddings is known for luxe weddings with an abundance of details.
Amanda Reed’s team is an incredible entourage of planners and designers who work with a variety of budgets and styles—from full-service to day-of planning packages. The team has even combined traditional day-of planning and month-of planning into an “event management” option that begins 6-8 weeks out so that brides can rest assured that all the little details of their big day are handled.
“We believe that, although working with a planner is a luxury, it’s a luxury that should be attainable for everyone,” Amanda says.
And the beautiful part about hiring a planner is that you can actually save yourself money and time (that incalculable cost!) in the planning process. When an ARW team member is meeting with a florist for the sixth wedding of the year, they begin to develop a shorthand regarding descriptions and expectations. A planner knows the intricacies of the wedding industry more than any bride would ever be expected to—and it pays off in a big way.
“We know what a $200 arrangement looks like compared to a $300 arrangement and that you can rent that chair you love from rental company A for $3 less than rental company B rents it for,” Amanda says. “When money starts to get tight, we know what to swap in order to get a bigger impact from your design.”
Amanda’s advice for finding the perfect planner:
“The single most important factor—far more important than cost—do you like each other, and do you feel a sense of trust? Is the planner you’re considering hiring the sort of person you would invite to your wedding? You'll be spending a great deal of time working together over the next few months, and you need to genuinely like each other!”
5 Trends Amanda Is Crushing On
1. Smaller weddings. “A more curated guest list means you get to spend more lavishly on gorgeous details rather than watering down the design. Spoil those guests!”
2. Mini cakes. “Individual cakes for each guest, either displayed on a beautiful cake wall or at each place setting. We’ve done this a few times, and it’s always met with delight!”
3. Color. “We all love ‘blush and bashful,’ but it's exciting to get to work with a client who wants rich, deep color!”
4. Server-attended stations. “I don’t think we will see a return to ‘all-you-can-eat,’ help-yourself buffets anytime soon. And I’m not mad about it. Server-attended buffets or stations are a more elegant way to serve a group when you don’t want a formal plated meal.”
5. Livestreaming. “It’s been fun to watch this trend develop out of necessity and become something we can all embrace. Just because they can’t all attend in person doesn’t mean they should have to miss it!”
THE RESUME
Company: Amanda Reed WeddingsBased in: Springdale
Company aesthetic: “I’m not sure we have one–one of our greatest goals is to make sure the couple’s aesthetic shines, instead of our own. I do think we are pretty recognizable, though, through the use of carefully layered elements—from luxurious linens and sumptuous florals to gorgeous papers that complete the look.”
What they offer: Full-service planning; month-of and day-of planning (aka event management); destination wedding planning; micro-wedding planning; à la carte wedding planning
