You’re engaged—congratulations! As the excitement settles in, so does the realization that you now have a wedding to plan. Between balancing your own vision, navigating opinions from family and friends, and trying to make your celebration truly “you,” it’s easy to feel both thrilled and overwhelmed. Maybe you’re wondering where to start, which trends are worth embracing, or how to make your wedding stand out in a sea of Pinterest boards.
To help bring clarity (and calm) to the process, we sat down with Cleveland-based wedding planner Emily Berg of Emily Berg Weddings and Events. With years of experience designing meaningful celebrations across Northeast Ohio, Emily shares her expert insights on staying true to your style, making smart decisions early on, and planning a wedding that feels effortlessly personal.
1. Start by focusing more on meaning and experience than design.
I highly recommend reading (or listening to) Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering at the start of your wedding planning process, and letting the purpose of your wedding guide your decision-making on everything from your floral designs to whether you go with a band or DJ. This also really helps with decision fatigue!
2. Include “Easter eggs” that reference your individual interests, cultures, or backgrounds; your love story & your new life together.
For example, did you go out for ice cream on your first date? Serve ice cream from that shop as your dessert! If you’re getting married in your hometown but currently live elsewhere, bring a local treat from your new city to share as a guest favor. We always start our planning process by getting to know you and your story so that we can incorporate seemingly random elements in a way that’s cohesive and polished.
3. Choose to include traditions that are meaningful to you-and let the others go.
If you have family who feel strongly about certain traditions being included that you aren’t particularly enthusiastic about, talk with your planner or officiant about how to incorporate them in a way that honors your family, faith and culture while still being true to who you are.
4. Don’t worry about trends.
Choose colors, motifs and experiences that YOU like, that fit your personal style, and that make sense as part of your love story. Work with vendors who are more concerned about those criteria than their own portfolio.
Emily Berg Weddings
Emily Berg Weddings offers planning, design, and coordination for couples who want their wedding to be anything but ordinary. She enjoys incorporating quirky interests, colors, and themes into her designs. Known for embracing bold ideas and offbeat styles, Emily specializes in deeply personal, imaginative celebrations for the wildly creative couple.
At the end of the day, your wedding should feel like you. It’s easy to get caught up in Pinterest-perfect details and everyone’s opinions, but what your guests will remember most is how your celebration felt—the emotion, the connection, and the meaning behind each choice. By grounding your plans in purpose, weaving in personal touches, and letting go of trends or traditions that don’t resonate, you’ll create a day that’s timeless because it’s true to your story.
As Emily reminds us, a wedding isn’t about following a formula—it’s about celebrating the start of your marriage in a way that reflects who you are together. Focus on meaning, surround yourself with people and vendors who understand your vision, and trust that when the day comes, it will be perfectly, beautifully yours.
