Vendor Series 2020
As I navigated the halls of The Paramount and Meyer Ballroom I started to get nervous. I had been here before, but did I go left or right? We were halfway through a very full wedding day. Something I love, but at this moment, I needed to stop and think. 😳
That’s when I met Kelsey. It’s like she just knew I needed help. She walked up, smiled and asked me if she could help me find something. Love her!
A year and a half later, I got to play a different role for Kelsey. Instead of a confused vendor, I got to be her wedding photographer. 😃
Needless to say, when thinking of this series, I had to include my Watson Bride, Kelsey! She is fantastic at what she does, has a heart for others and her or Breanne can expertly lead you through your day. 😊
Check them out!
Meet Kelsey & Breanne at The Paramount & Meyer Ballroom
Q&A with Kelsey & Breanne
How did you get started in events?
Kelsey: Honestly, I was just out of college and looking for all kinds of jobs in all different cities. I knew I was interested in working in the arts though, so the Paramount was on my radar. I initially was looking for an admin job to put my Business degree to work, but when I saw the posting for Event coordinator I just thought “I could do that!” and applied. Here I am 5 years later moving from weddings to fundraising events.
Breanne: I have always been a planner my whole life, so that helped me know that my passion is events! I planned and executed campus events for students throughout all my years in college, and I loved every moment of that. This is when I was really certain that I wanted to continue it in the future.
What do you love most about what you do?
Kelsey: I always tell couples “There’s no wrong way to plan a wedding”, and that speaks to one of my favorite parts. Every couple and wedding is different! Every day at work is different than the day before. Weddings are also an event that keeps you on your toes! No matter how much you plan, it can still rain, items can still get left at home or the hotel, and zippers can still rip; I love helping in every situation even if it’s just grabbing your lipstick. I truly love making people happy and being part of one of the biggest days of their lives is such an honor. There is no better feeling than a bride whispering “It’s perfect, thank you” as she walks into the reception. To know I helped make their day as stress-free and enjoyable as possible makes the long nights and tired feet totally worth it…not to mention the flower girls and ring bearers, how cute are they! I like to call myself the ‘ring bearer whisperer’ because I always become best buds with the shy ones, so I can get them down the aisle easier : )
Breanne: I love meeting new people and I enjoy striking up conversations with people I don’t know! I like having something new every day. I really love making a couple’s days perfect. Seeing the smile on theirs and their guests’ faces & knowing they are happy to celebrate the couple’s big day at our venue is the best reward.
When looking for a wedding venue, what should every Bride know?
Kelsey: I have a whole list of questions, but my main question would be, how does catering and bar service work in the venue (i.e. in-house, outside vendor, BYOB, etc). Also, I would say do your research! So much of a venue is customer service-based. If they’re worth their salt they will have plenty of recent positive reviews. Check both The Knot and Wedding Wire….
Breanne: Come ready with a list of prepared questions! It helps to know just about everything about the venue before making the big decision. Also, check out the venue & reviews online first. Scoping their social media & website, or reviews on Wedding Wire & The Knot help you get to know the venue before stepping foot in it!
What is the best part of having your wedding at The Paramount’s Meyer Ballroom?
Kelsey: Three things. Complimentary valet for your guests, amazing views of the river and Paramount Theatre, and best of all, each guest gets a complimentary ticket voucher for a Broadway show!
Breanne: It is such a flexible space, you can really tailor it to each couple’s personality. We’ve had people do so many different things at our venue. We really want to be sure that the couple can show their personality at our venue to be able to share that with their family & friends on their big day. 🙂
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Kelsey: Watching movies and binge-watching shows with Luke. I also like photography and volunteering with community and high school theatre.
Breanne: I enjoy watching movies, both old and new. When the weather is nice, I like to be outside! Biking, hiking, & such. 🙂
Hear it From the Expert, Our Watson Bride Kelli
“I would highly recommend The Paramount Theater/ Meyers Ballroom for your wedding. Before choosing The Paramount Theater we saw 6 venues. We wanted to make sure the location was convenient for our guests. We both had family traveling from out of state and also local guests, but wanted to make sure it was somewhat central for everyone. It was very important to us that we worked with a place that was going to be there for us. I work in customer service so response time is super important to me. The ladies we worked with at The Paramount answered all my questions very quickly.
This may sound crazy but we did really like another venue but that carpet in the ballroom was hideous! When we saw The Paramount/ Meyers Ballroom we fell in love with the wood floors and view and knew before we left the first tour that this was where we were going to get married.
Since I am a planner we had most of our venues and services booked more than a year out. I loved the fact that you are assigned one person for your day and they work with you through the process. During this time I had so many questions and Kelsey at the Paramount answered all of them. She was also very thorough with her answers. She sent documents to help as well. Once we booked we received a little package with caterers that they work with. This is very helpful so you are not searching for an approved caterer. They updated their chairs right after we booked and they were perfect, no need for the extra cost of chair covers. They had bathroom baskets as well which I was going to put together. One less thing for you to do!
After we booked we went back 3 or 4 times to do some measuring and to show close family members the space. My mom lives out of state so it was very important to me to show her the space before our wedding. It was not a problem at all to set up those other visits. Each time we had more questions and they were answered promptly and in detail.
We did our rehearsal Thursday before our wedding and Kelsey was there to walk us through and help us with everything. We were able to leave our decorations in her office so we were not running around the morning of. We had some family members there on the morning of our wedding and there was no issue with anything. They said Kelsey was super helpful and very nice. We changed a few small details the night before the wedding and Kelsey was amazing at making sure everything was taken care of. She gave me her cell phone and we were texting the night before.
Everything went smoothly the day of our wedding. I would recommend doing the valet parking. It is an extra expense but so worth it. We didn’t, and we wish we did. It was a little harder for some of our guests to find the venue and parking since close parking is very limited.”
-Kelli
I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about the heart behind The Paramount & Meyer Ballroom! Thanks for checking it out and as always, love hearing from you!
Come back Wednesday to learn about another fun vendor!
Much Love Friend,
Team Watson For Life: Our Story: How We Met
More from our Vendor Series…
Vendor Series: Taylor Slager Design
Vendor Series: Riverside Receptions
March 11, 2020