Jan 22, 2020

Spotlight Series: CAUSE WE CAN EVENTS

A series of posts dedicated to the pillars of the event design world that spotlight talent and creativity. Today we focus on Gabrielle Pinkerton of CAUSE WE CAN EVENTS. Staying true to their name, this team spans the country with their reach; but the sky is the limit with what they can accomplish. Read on to learn why they have never had to say "no" to even the biggest challenges. Considering a Burning Man inspired wedding? This team has "been there, done that."

Please describe your service in 3-5 sentences.

Since we founded ‘Cause We Can Events 8 years ago, we’ve done it all: from building a three-day wedding festival in the Utah desert with live bands and unlimited food and drinks to hiking with a couple and their 30 guests to a river in Scotland in the pouring rain. Underlying every event we’ve planned is a sense of adventure and a deep love of the great outdoors and all of the natural elements that are a part of it. We’ve all been to that incredibly gorgeous, but totally predictable ballroom wedding, where the food is bland, the schedule is set and the pictures and speeches consume the entire night. It might be the wedding our parents wish we’d have, but it’s also the kind of event that makes the curious, adventurous souls among us want to elope.

We have a small but mighty team of 3 adventurous planners and one creative projects assistant. One of our planners is based on the east coast in Maine, one is relocating to Nashville and the other is on the west coast!

Favorite flower (to work with): Anthurium

Complete this sentence. A wedding can never have too many Dogs! (Oh my, we are obsessed)

Best describe your style:

Luxury boho - we do high end experiential weddings with a very laid-back feel out in nature with a bohemian style.

Champagne: Rose or Classic. Rose all day! But that’s just me. Our clients are actually skipping the champagne all together and opting for really fun signature drinks and craft beer instead.

What trend are you happy to see in the past? What trend are you excited about? If I never have to see a mason jar or burlap runner again I will be happy! Super excited about the low-waste movement and keeping wedding design minimal yet modern. It has us getting really creative and making plates and linen napkins statement pieces rather than trying to fill the table up with junky trinkets.

Have you ever had to say no or steer a client away from a crazy ambition? OR What is the wildest or most challenging event that you have ever been a part of? We like a good challenge so have never said no but have certainly gotten ourselves in some crazy situations! The wildest one of all was the “burning man-inspired” wedding we created in the middle of a dried lake bed. We brought in an “art car” that’s basically an old school bus that transforms over 2 days into a light show and music apparatus! Inside the school bus there’s a room with couches and headphones where guests can go in and take part of a musical meditation! (not that this is a competition, but this takes the cake)!

Why should people hire an event planner?

What I think many couples don’t realize is that we don’t just walk around with a clipboard like we see in the movies (thanks JLO!). We troubleshoot things like finding generators to renting luxury bathrooms and even finding “art cars” for our clients. These aren’t necessarily the magical fun things that client believe wedding planning is but it takes an experienced person to navigate through the contracts, requirements and some of these vendor personalities. We also push our clients to think outside of the box and incorporate personal details. Hiring an event planner isn’t just about being stress-free for the couple, it’s about making it an experience for the guests as well.

Self-Aggrandizing bonus question: When planning an outdoor wedding, how often do clients comment on the challenge of wearing heels in grass? Do you suggest Solemates Heel Protectors? Funny enough our team each carries a pair of Solemates in their emergency kit! I’ve had guests come up to me asking if I had anything that would help their heals and their jaws dropped when I said I had the perfect thing for them and pulled out a pair of Solemates Heel Protectors! Not all superheroes wear capes, am I right?! :)

Tips of the trade: please provide 3 tips or tricks for each event category:

Outdoor (wedding or any other celebration). What are 3 things everyone planning an outdoor wedding should consider:

Weather back up plan - always budget for a tent just in case!
Sending outdoor dress code information to their guests - a wedding website is a great way to add all this extra information and help clients avoid getting bombarded with texts the week before the wedding
Noise ordinance/curfew - even in the desert we bump up against certain noise restrictions. Get informed (or hire an experienced planner) before booking your venue!

At home. What are the 3 things everyone planning a “simple wedding” at home should consider:

Do you have enough power?
Proper kitchen space for the caterer?
Parking for your guests
BONUS: your plumbing probably can’t support your guest count

Destination (remote). What are the 3 things everyone planning a destination wedding (in a hard to reach place; ie, not a major city), should consider?

Nearby city to source vendors
Access to water and power
Permits/legal documents needed

Favorite quote about celebrating or planning: “Let’s wander where the wifi is weak” While this is maybe a little unconventional, we want our events and weddings to be so fun, adventurous and experiential that guests won’t need to look at their phones.