BEN ENG PHOTOGRAPHY
Weddings KAYCEE CLARK© REALLIFEPHOTOGRAPHS.COM
Helping People
Celebrate Life
WHO
Wendy Jacobs Hampton
WHAT
Owner/Operator of Soirée Telluride
WHY
“I have always been a party thrower...I love bringing joy to people’s lives.”
WEDDING AND EVENT PLANNERS such as Wendy Jacobs Hampton of Soirée Telluride can find themselves in strange positions, from squatting beneath a bride in the bathroom to adjust her gown, to walking down Madison Avenue in New York to meet with the Bush and Ralph Lauren families to plan their childrens’ Telluride wedding. The life of an event planner, it would seem, is never boring. But for most people, planning a huge event or a lavish wedding is stressful. Not for Hampton—she says it’s fun. She has owned and operated Soirée Telluride for 13 years and says she loves what she does for a living. “I feel like the luckiest person in the world. It is such a joyful experience helping people celebrate milestones. I am a planner—it’s just my nature—and I love the pieces and the logistics. I have always been a social person who likes connecting with people, and I really enjoy the clients, getting to know them and their stories.” The secret to her success, she reveals with a smile, is her obsessive attention to details. For the Bush-Lauren affair, which was featured in the December issue of Vogue and was Telluride’s equivalent of the royal wedding, she had a timeline that was nine pages long. Every aspect of the event was orchestrated down to the minute. “That’s my key, the baseline of the whole thing,” says Hampton. “Timing and flow. If I have written down that at 4:32 p.m. the bride is walking down the aisle, and at 4:32 p.m. she is walking down the aisle, then I know everything is going to flow.” Despite her concentration on the mechanics of a wedding or event, and even though she has been in the business for a long time, she can still be moved by the emotions and beauty of a celebration. She says once in a while she gets choked up by a great father-ofthe-bride speech or very personal vows, but that the most heart-tugging stories are the people who have faced some hardship, struggle or illness and have survived and are now able to celebrate. “That touches me. I love being able to put on the perfect event and give them exactly what they want.” Let the Telluride Tourism Board help you get exactly what you want on your special occasion—their group sales associates can help you find just the right event planner to complement your style and to make sure everything is perfect at your celebration.
800.525.3455
www.VisitTelluride.com
Telluride is the ultimate place to gather guests, whether your wedding is outside in a cathedral of towering peaks, in an alpine meadow filled with wildflowers or inside an elegant ballroom, historic opera house or mountaintop lodge. It’s easy to round up the necessities for a romantic celebration here—Telluride and Mountain Village are filled with hotel rooms, restaurants, caterers, photographers, florists, bands, DJs, hairdressers, estheticians and wedding planners. Telluride Tourism Board (800.525.3455) is your one-stop resource for group services information. Check out VisitTelluride.com to find the best of everything for your dream wedding.
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