Celebrity wedding planner Yifat Oren on how to plan a bespoke wedding

Renowned event producer Yifat Oren (who’s clientele include Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman, Amy Adams, Drew Barrymore and acclaimed film maker George Lucas to name a few), is celebrated for creating effortlessly chic events. Below, are Yifat’s recommendations on how to plan a one-of-a-kind wedding.  

What can couples do to make their weddings more unique instead of another cookie-cutter wedding reception and ceremony? 

We use Pinterest to find inspiration and organize ideas. However, I believe that a couple can make their wedding more personalized and unique by gathering and implementing inspiration from how they live their lives, places that they have traveled to, art, and even how they decorate their homes. 

In terms of the wedding ceremony, couples who are looking for a more liberal experience, can write the ceremony wordings and speeches by themselves, they can have their friends participate, making the wedding ceremony truly a participatory and personal experience. As an example, for a Jewish wedding you can have one of your friends read the 7 blessings. 
The ceremony can be any degree of formality or informality.

There isn’t too much room for creativity in a religious wedding ceremony as you have to go by the traditional and rules of that religion.

What are the areas that you think couples should invest in the most for their wedding? (i.e. food, flowers, music, drinks, venue etc).

I believe that it’s all a balance. For example, it doesn’t make sense to not have enough food and too much alcohol. 

However, with that being said, I believe that music can either make or break the event. Make sure to get the right DJ. 

In terms of the food, mediocre food is not an option, and although I love flowers so much, there’s no need to over do it.

How should couples go about picking a venue or a destination for their wedding?

I suggest for couples first to make a list of what their needs are. This includes: what is their budget, how many people do they want to invite, are they looking for a beach or mountain views, does the catering need to come with the venue. 

If a couple is keen on doing a destination wedding, it’s important to look at the weather history of the destination (we look at the last 5 years). It’s also important to look at the hotel rates at different times of years. For example September can be cheaper and less crowded than August.   

Once these details have been finalized, it’s easier to go about finding what it is that can accommodate these needs. 

I think it’s really important for couples to not drive themselves crazy, and that they just intuitively know when they found the right location or venue.

What are your favorite ideas for flower arrangements?

I personally love coral peonies, a variety of wild flowers as well as obscure flowers.  

It really depends on where you live as different parts of the world offer different types of flowers. We’re big on working with what you have and not shipping flowers from a different country as it’s better for the environment. 

In terms of vendors, I don’t use the same flower vendors. I believe in being like a chameleon, adapting myself to the style and needs of clients and reinventing myself every time. 

What are your favorite ideas for wedding cakes? 

The cake needs to be in the same design, look and feel of the decor. With that said, I believe that the design of the cakes need to be subtle yet interesting. Some of my favorite cake vendors are: Jasmine Rae, Layers, Solvang Bakery, Exquisite Desserts and Susie Cakes.

Tips for brides to be? 

Take special care in selecting who you hire as your wedding event planner. And if you don’t take a planner, be very selective when choosing your vendors. Make sure that there’s a right fit in terms of style, budget and personality. 

Lastly, once you’ve selected the vendors, trust that they know what they’re doing. Micromanaging isn’t good for anyone.