Joy believes that above all, weddings are supposed to be fun. So when we chatted with Ashley Allan and Meagan Pinney of Your Jubilee Wedding & Events, a dynamic duo of wedding planners in Phoenix, Arizona whose business is based on the idea that “life should be celebrated,” we knew we had met kindred spirits. Find out what kind of magic happens when two women who share “a mutual love of making things pretty” combine forces and make wedding magic.
Photo Credit: Let Me See You Sparkle Photography
How long have you been planning weddings?
We’ve been planning weddings since as far back as we can remember, but we’ve owned our company for a year and a half. We have a combined 10+ years of event experience.
Describe your style in one sentence.
We believe life should be celebrated, as such, so while we always provide our couples with our creative ideas and knowledge, we also keep the wedding planning process fun with surprises, like little gifts at planning milestones and the occasional trail of glitter along the way.
As a planner, what are your favorite parts of a wedding?
One of our favorite moments is fluffing the brides dress before she walks down the aisle. We love watching the exchange between a bride and her father and the special words spoken before he gives his daughter away.
Where is the most interesting place you’ve planned a wedding?
This spring we transformed a backyard not once, but twice. First, we turned a shed into an altar with floral accents, and then 45 minutes later we transformed the same space again with a custom dance floor and family style farm tables.
Photo Credit: Your Jubilee Weddings & Events
What’s the best wedding cake you’ve ever had?
We love when couples think outside the box! In lieu of a cake, one of our brides chose a donut tower. Another went with a custom gelato cart, trading forkfuls of cake for spoonfuls of creamy gelato. And still another went with peach cobbler served in mini martini glasses. Cake isn’t for everyone, so why not showcase your personality with a sweet treat you really love!
What have been your favorite wedding favors?
We’re both Arizona natives, so we love when a couple includes little bits of Arizona into their wedding story. We’re in love with little individually potted succulents for guests to take home. It’s ecofriendly and substantial, but also a fun reminder of the event.
Photo Credit: Step on Me Photography
What’s been your biggest wedding day challenge?
In our experience there is a speed bump during every wedding, but our goal is to be the only ones that know about it. Last minute seating swaps, broken bustles, re-gluing a pair of eyelashes onto a dancing queen bridesmaid or tacking the grooms pants are some of the things we are prepared for (and have done) thanks to our wedding day survival kit.
What piece of advice would you give brides and grooms to ensure that they get wedding planner who will ensure their big day goes off without a hitch?
The most important thing is to make a connection with your planner. Our favorite planner/couple relationships are the ones that feel more like a friendship. We want our brides to feel comfortable, whether that means texting us questions or joining us for a spin class, but also confident in the knowledge that we are going to do everything within our power to make their wedding the most special day of their lives.
Photo Credit: Sarah Bishop Photography
If you weren’t a wedding planner, what would you be doing?
Ashley: I would be a travel and food blogger… because I could eat my way through anywhere, especially Italy.
Meagan: It’s hard to say that I would do something else, because I genuinely love planning weddings, but to add to that, I would love to own my own wedding venue with mountain views, that showcases local vendors and specializes in unique events for brides.
