By Sade Awe, Editor-in-Chief

People often say that the best parts of their jobs are the people. I totally relate to this frame of mind, because working in the luxury bridal industry, I get to work with some of the most brilliant and creative individuals on the face of the planet!

One of these sparkling personalities is Mindy Weiss, and knowing her is one of the greatest pleasures I have of doing what I love. A little known fact is that Mindy was my very first Creative Partner at The Bridal Circle!  She has believed in me from the very first and has been an inspiration all along the way – thank you, Mindy!

Mindy has a natural ability to calm even the most agitated nerves and dismantle the most stressful of situations, soothing anxiety away with her reassuring, sweet voice.  This is one obvious reason why so many brides flock to Mindy and also why she has such a loyal following!  The core of who she is, in and out of the business, radiates through her genuinely kind demeanor.

It might surprise you to learn that Mindy entered into the luxury wedding industry with a custom design invitation business nearly 20 years ago.  Friends and clients saw Mindy’s effortless creativity for event design and her knack for creating detailed and decadent party atmospheres.  Thus, it was a natural move to get Mindy to design elaborate celebrations and pretty parties for clients who had BIG dreams, rather than simply designing their stationery.  Very quickly, Mindy became the go-to guru for bringing these dreamers’ visions to life!

Now, in 2013, Mindy Weiss has a long client roster of Hollywood’s A-Listers, including Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Eva Longoria, and Gwen Stefani, among many others, who have entrusted her to create the events of their dreams for some of life’s most breathtaking moments.

In an industry such as this, where the culture and trends are constantly evolving, I wanted to pick Mindy’s brain to find out what she loves about the wedding industry, what’s hot (and what really isn’t hot anymore), and what really keeps her creative energy flowing!  Meet Mindy Weiss…

SADE:  Did you ever foresee yourself planning such opulent soirees back when you first started out with stationery design?

{MINDY WEISS}:  I would fantasize about grand parties and decorate them by tearing out pages I love in décor magazines (I still do that today) but always hoped that I would be able to decorate opulent events or any events for that matter.

SADE:  Does stationery still have a special place in your heart?  Do you have any stationery industry favorites?

{MINDY}:  I LOVE LOVE LOVE stationery and paper products! I have several favorites from Lehr & Black, William Arthur and BT Elements.

SADE: Other than weddings, what type of events are you most often sought after to plan?

{MINDY}: It’s such a full circle business. Right now we are planning several baby showers for my past brides.

SADE:  Can you predict this coming Spring/Summer 2014 season’s trends?  What should we keep our eyes open for?

{MINDY}: Look out for an abundance of green foliage and natural plants used for centerpieces and décor elements. Muted pastels are still present in bridal and celebrate fashion including florals and tablecloths. But color will definitely be everywhere!

SADE:  What is your favorite trend right now in weddings?

{MINDY}: Bringing the indoors out and the outdoors in.

SADE:  How do you feel about the Destination Wedding trend?  Is it winding down?  Is it beyond “trend”? Does it complicate your job or do you relish the challenge?

{MINDY}: Destination weddings are VERY IN and not going anywhere at least for 2014. We are traveling the world doing weddings! But doing a destination wedding is like planning three local ones so you need plenty of energy and stamina especially if you are going out of the country. There is NO time for jetlag!

SADE:  How does a Bride who has an extensive planning period keep her event from becoming passe and outdated, yet stay on top of the planning?

{MINDY}:  We often book the vendors very quickly. But I always say don’t commit to your “Look” until 6 to 7 months out. With all the wonderful outlets to gather ideas my brides are often changing their minds.

SADE:  When you meet with a Bride, at what point do you usually find yourself full of inspiration?

{MINDY}: Usually after our first “tell me everything” meeting. I always have one of my team members with me taking notes because I can’t write and throw out ideas at the same time! LOL.

SADE:  What advice would you give to Brides to help them stay focused when trying to plan the wedding of their dreams?

{MINDY}: Remember what this wedding is about. SAYING I DO to the man of your dreams because the reality is, after all the attention and hoopla of the big day, you still have each other for hopefully the rest of your lives. Compromise, Be Kind and Listen to all those involved in your wedding plans. Approach your fiancé and family with Calm and Kindness.

SADE:  Is there one particular detail that can totally make or break an event?

{MINDY}: I always tell the couple that the guests are watching them for cues. If they dance, the guests will dance etc…love is very powerful and can consume a room of 100’s of guests. You can’t pay for it,you just feel it! Mush makes the wedding.

SADE:  What is one of your all-time favorite events that you planned?  What made it so extraordinary in your mind?

{MINDY}: Such a hard question. Each one of my events has something special that makes it my favorite. What I love the most about doing what I do, are the forever friends I make along the way, and how I get to continue to take them through life’s celebrations beyond their wedding.

SADE:  How do you find inspiration and keep your ideas fresh?

{MINDY}: READ, museums, fashion shows, movies, I can find inspiration in seeds of flowers, it’s all around me, all the time!