Meet Amy Mcnall from Unmistakably You

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR COMPANY

MY NAME IS AMY MCNALL, AND I'VE BEEN PLANNING WEDDINGS FOR EIGHT YEARS. UNMISTAKABLY YOU STRIVES TO CATER TO COUPLES' UNIQUE NEEDS BY OFFERING COMPLETELY CUSTOMIZABLE PACKAGES FOR EVERY CLIENT. THAT WAY, COUPLES GET WHAT THEY MOST NEED TO REDUCE THEIR STRESS AND PLAN AN AMAZING WEDDING.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO WEDDING PLANNING?

TO BE HONEST, I GOT MARRIED. :) I'D ALWAYS BEEN THE PLANNER IN MY GROUP OF FRIENDS AND ON VARIOUS STUDENTS' COUNCILS, SO IT WAS NATURAL THAT WHEN I ENJOYED PLANNING MY OWN WEDDING, I'D INVESTIGATE DOING IT PROFESSIONALLY. I GOT CERTIFIED WITH THE WEDDING PLANNERS' INSTITUTE OF CANADA, AND HUNG OUT MY SHINGLE, SO TO SPEAK . . . THE REST IS HISTORY!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE JOB?

HMMM. THERE ARE SO MANY. I THINK, HONESTLY, IT'S WHEN I SEE THE LOOK OF ABSOLUTE JOY ON THE FACES OF THE COUPLE DURING THE RECEPTION. AFTER THE NERVES ARE GONE, THE 'BIG STUFF' IS OUT OF THE WAY, AND THEY'RE JUST ENJOYING THE PARTY, IT'S TOTALLY GRATIFYING TO KNOW THAT I PLAYED A PART IN GIVING THEM THAT EXPERIENCE.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED, AND WOULD PASS ALONG TO OTHER NEW WEDDING PLANNERS JUST GETTING STARTED?

DO YOUR RESEARCH! IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE CONNECTIONS IN THE INDUSTRY, CHECK OUT NEW VENUES AND VENDORS, AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE RECOMMENDING QUALITY PROFESSIONALS TO YOUR COUPLES. ALL IT TAKES TO TARNISH YOUR REPUTATION IS ONE TERRIBLE RECOMMENDATION OR BAD DECISION ON YOUR PART. SECONDLY, CUSTOMER SERVICE IS SO VERY IMPORTANT. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH TIME I WASTE FOLLOWING UP AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO RETURN MESSAGES. I KNOW HOW FRUSTRATED I AM BY THAT IN DEALING WITH OTHER PROS IN THE INDUSTRY, SO I STRIVE TO BE FAST AND EFFECTIVE IN ALL OF MY COMMUNICATIONS WITH MY CLIENTS AND WITH OTHER INDUSTRY PROS.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES OR NON-WORK-RELATED ACTIVITIES?

THAT WOULD IMPLY THAT I HAVE TIME FOR HOBBIES! LOL. ACTUALLY, I'M A TRAINED MUSICIAN, SO YOU'LL OCCASIONALLY FIND ME PLAYING IN THE PIT BAND FOR A MUSICAL, OR CONDUCTING A CHOIR OR TWO.

ANY GREAT STORIES FROM WORKING WITH A CLIENT?

LOTS! AFTER I'VE RETIRED, I'LL WRITE A BOOK . . .

ARE THERE ANY TRENDS THAT YOU ABSOLUTELY LOVE OR WOULD LOVE TO SEE BRIDES LEAVE BEHIND?

I COULD HANDLE LESS BURLAP AND MASON JARS . . . BUT REALLY, MY JOB IS TO GIVE THE COUPLE WHAT THEY WANT. I'VE HAD MY WEDDING, SO NOW IT'S ALL ABOUT PLANNING THEIRS, AND IF THEY LOOOOOOVE BURLAP, WE'RE DOING BURLAP!

WHAT TIPS OR ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO COUPLES WHO ARE IN THE MIDST OF PLANNING?

HIRE THE BEST PROFESSIONALS YOU CAN AFFORD. IT MAY SEEM ECONOMICAL TO USE YOUR FRIENDS OR ACQUAINTANCES TO BAKE YOUR CAKE, DJ YOUR DANCE, OR TAKE YOUR PHOTOS, BUT IN THE END, I'VE SEEN TOO MANY DISASTERS TO TRUST AN AMATEUR WITH A CUPCAKE, A SOUND SYSTEM, OR A CAMERA. YOU'RE ALSO NOT REALLY GOING TO WANT TO ARRANGE ALL OF YOUR FLOWERS THE DAY BEFORE YOUR WEDDING, OR BAKE A MILLION COOKIES YOURSELF. CONSIDER WHAT'S REALISTIC, AND PERHAPS MAKE SOME CHOICES BASED ON PRIORITIES. IF YOU JUST CAN'T AFFORD CUPCAKES, AND WON'T HAVE TIME TO MAKE THEM YOURSELF, WILL ANYONE REALLY NOTICE THAT THEY'RE MISSING? PERHAPS YOU COULD ELIMINATE THE LIMO, HAVE THE WEDDING PARTY DRIVE THEMSELVES, AND THEN DEDICATE A BIT MORE MONEY TO AN AWESOME PHOTOGRAPHER AND VIDEOGRAPHER. IT'S ALL ABOUT MAKING COMPROMISES TO GET WHAT YOU WANT.