So You're EnGAYged, a LGBT wedding blog

I first met Myra Lewis at a wedding in 2008, and she and her team were absolutely amazing. It was a large wedding with many moving parts, but they all kept things under control and seemingly without breaking a sweat! :) You can tell that Myra and her staff and take pride in their work, and always strive exceed their clients’ expectations. As she says, “When it comes to planning the most important day in your life, we believe that you only get to do it once, so we have to do it right!”

Tell us about your business’ mission or vision statement.

Expectations is a unique wedding & event management company specializing in affordable, professional and reliable event coordination services. We understand that love is in the details and take care of every element of your special event to reach perfection. We work with our clients to create events that fit their taste, and most importantly, their budget. We offer various levels of services and customized packages to meet our clients’ needs. Our passion for planning and attention to detail give our clients the piece of mind needed to enjoy their most special day.

What do you love about what you do?

I love the fact that I get to be a part of two people’s most important day of their lives. It is such a great feeling to spend months working on a project, and then seeing the pieces of the puzzle come together. I also love that no two events are ever the same. The couples, themes, and guests are different, which keeps us on our toes to create unique and memorable events.

How did you get into doing what you do?

I have always been the “planner” in my family, and love to celebrate special occasions. In my senior year of college, I took the Wedding Planning course that was being offered for the first time at my university. I received the highest grade of all students taking the course. I realized my passion for planning, and the need for affordable event coordination services. I become a Certified Bridal Consultant, and opened my business in 2006.

What do you wear when you’re doing what you do?

My staff usually wears black suits with turquoise tops, (our business colors). We wear clothes that we can move around in, as our job sometimes requires us to be on our hands and needs, as well as moving items throughout the event.

If you haven’t coordinated a gay wedding, what would your dream gay wedding be?

I love personalized and intimate celebrations! My dream gay wedding would be working with clients that have great style, attention to detail, and most important, that the couple is truly in love with each other, which is the most important item needed when planning a wedding :)

Do you have a favorite “moment” that happens while you’re doing your job?

My favorite moment is when the couple is announced to their guests for the first time, and when they share in their first kiss. In that moment there are no cares in the world, and you can feel their nervousness and stress replaced with happiness, and excitement for what is to come.

Rave and picture time!

“Myra and her team were exceptional. With only 4 months to plan a wedding for 100 people, Myra helped us create an elegant yet informal wedding that was truly fun and special for everyone involved. Even our guests commented on how professional, respectful, and helpful the team was — and I couldn’t agree more.” – Jennifer married 05/08

“Wow, where do I begin? Myra was amazing to work with. She was my day of coordinator and went above and beyond in every way. I told her how dear my grandmother is to me and she checked on her every half hour. I had a very detailed vision for the venue and she made it look better than I dreamed it would.” – Becca married 09/08

“They really do stand by the name of their planning company because they “exceeded my expectations”. That day was perfect and she kept me calm assuring me that she would take care everything and she really did! I was able to enjoy my event knowing that I was in good hands with her and her staff.” – Selena married 11/08

“Knowing that everything was in their capable hands meant that I could relax, spending time with family before the wedding rather than worrying about all the details.” – Meredith married 10/08

“I initially hired her based on her affordable rates, and I have to say that she and her team were one of the best investments I made for my wedding day.” – Lindsey married 10/08

Laura Auer runs Wish Special Events, one of the premier wedding coordination companies in the Washington DC area. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Laura and I can’t even begin to describe how incredible she is at wedding coordination, how calm and easy she is to work with, and how well she puts her clients at ease! Seriously, I haven’t seen a more relaxed couple on a wedding day than when I worked with Laura. Wish’s reviews on Wedding Wire speak for themselves.

What’s the main goal of Wish Special Events?

Our goal is to ensure the couple, our clients, have a stress-free wedding day. We specialize in wedding day coordination but can very easily provide additional planning services if the couple needs a little more help during the engagement. Our role on the wedding day is to set up the ceremony and reception decorations, get the ceremony started on time in an organized fashion, and run the logistics of the reception between the many vendors working simultaneously. In a few quick words, we provide peace of mind to the newlyweds and their families.

What do you love about what you do?

My clients are people who are in a happy point in their lives. They have found the love of their life, that person feels the same way, and they have decided to make things permanent. Therefore I get to be constantly surrounded by smiling faces, cheerful personalities, and open hearts. It doesn’t take much to love this job.

What do you wear when you’re doing what you do?

I’m very lucky to be able to work out of my home office. There are some days when I don’t leave the house except to run personal errands. My standard uniform is a pair of well-worn jeans and a t-shirt. On wedding days, that all changes. I wear a wrap-around black shirt-dress at events. It’s formal enough to blend in with the guests but also durable enough that I can climb around on the floor and tape down lighting cables if necessary. The best part is that it has pockets for my cell phone, timeline, and pen…my three essential tools for the big day.

Do you have a favorite “moment” that happens while you’re doing your job?

My favorite moment is when the newlyweds walk back up the aisle after just exchanging vows. I am quite lucky to be the first to wish them congratulations. Seeing the sparkle in their eyes and the love they have for one another is simply moving.

If you haven’t worked at a gay wedding, what would your “dream” gay wedding details include?

Gay weddings to me don’t seem that much different in terms of the planning or the decor as opposed to heterosexual weddings. I do have one idea for any type of wedding that I would love to see… the ceremony being performed by the couple’s parents. The couple would turn and face their guests instead of having their backs to the audience. The parents would stand at their seats and each recite a piece of the ceremony (ie: the vows, the exchange of rings, the blessing, etc). I think this is a wonderful symbolism and really shows the combination of two families creating a new family. I almost wish I had thought of it in time for my own wedding!