Last month we featured this proposal which was planned by the amazing team at Simply U Events. Today we have an interview with the girl behind it all – Heather Vaughn – as she fills us in on what The Yes Girls are all about! Not only do these fabulous ladies help with the planning of your wedding day … they also help out the guys to plan a perfect and personal proposal as well!
Photo Credit: Melissa Disston Photography
How long have you been in business?
About 2 years. I started Simply U Events and Proposals in November 2008.
What inspired you to start your business?
I dreamed of being a wedding coordinator since high school so starting an event planning company was a goal of mine for years. When I graduated CU Boulder in 2008, I decided to go for it and started Simply U Events, LLC. After hearing some marriage proposal stories and doing some research on marriage proposal resources I realized that men could really benefit from a helpful, female proposal planner; however if I was going to plan their proposal it needed to be completely customized to their relationship. I opposed the idea of just giving my clients a general idea because no couple is alike and what makes proposal stories amazing is thoughtfulness. I was hearing too many stories of guys proposing in uncreative and unromantic ways. According to a survey, 80% of women were disappointment in how they were proposed to. So I started helping gentlemen, head over heels for their girlfriends, create and plan personalized proposals. So not only less stress on guys, but their girlfriends get the “wow” proposal story they dreamed about.
Tell us why you think your business is successful.
There are few companies that have tapped into the proposal industry. That can have it’s advantages but it can also be a challenge as many guys don’t realize a resource like Simply U Proposals is available.
I truly believe what makes our proposal business successful is that we are a team of experienced, female event planners who can relate to other females and each proposal is 100 percent customized to our client and his girlfriend. Guys understand they don’t relate to women like women relate to women, especially when it comes to romance. We are now considered “The Yes Girls” and have assisted over 100 gentlemen with their proposals and so far we’ve only heard, “She Said Yes!”
What makes your business unique?
Every proposal starts with our clients filling out a relationship questionnaire in order to get to know them and get a sense of what his future fiancee loves. We don’t just contract his proposal vendors and plan the details (which is important), we give him a female’s perspective so his idea is unique to his gal. When it comes to planning weddings, we have the same philosophy which is customizing a wedding to the couple.
Is there a particular niche you target?
For the proposal business, men getting ready to pop the question. Specifically ones looking for a creative, original and romantic proposal idea and/or in need of help contracting quality vendors and executing that idea due to lack of resources or time.
What is your company’s philosophy when working with wedding couples?
Our company name “Simply U” says it best. Our hope is that every proposal or wedding is simply you; meaning when couples look back on their special day everything from the planning process to the proposal to the wedding captivated their personality.
How do you help couples customize their weddings?
Whether we’re planning a proposal or a wedding, we start by getting to know the couples personality, likes and dislikes so we can work with their style and budget. It’s about building a healthy relationship so each of our clients planning process and event is enjoyable and catered to them. You can read client’s customized proposal stories on our blog Love, The Yes Girls
At what point in the planning process do you typically work with couples?
We offer different proposal packages (and wedding packages), but our most popular starts from the conception of the idea to coordinating the day of the proposal.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your business?
Getting the opportunity to assist guys with their marriage proposals is truly a blessing. We meet extremely amazing couples and listen to these gentlemen explain how much they love their girlfriends … it’s amazing to be apart of such a joyful occasion. I love this job!
Here are some images from a recent proposal the girls helped plan …
Photo Credit: Alexandra Sommerfeldt
Click here to read the whole Yes Girls blog post about the proposal.
An Underwater California Proposal!
I absolutely love this proposal sent to us by Juan from Juan Turcios Photographer! This couple definitely has a great story to tell when asked about their proposal. With the help of Defined Proposals, Jordan elaborately planned the entire day to perfection and surprised his soon-to-be bride, Lori. Below their photographer Juan explains how it all took place …
Photo Credit: Juan Turcios Photographer
Photo Credit: Juan Turcios Photographer
Photo Credit: Juan Turcios Photographer
Juan: “The proposal began with a limousine arriving at her door step with a note from her soon to be groom. From there she was driven to one of her favorite restaurants “PF Changs” to pick up a little snack for the ride, just one of the many intimate details designed to showcase his love and knowledge of his soon to be bride. From there she was driven to the Long Beach Aquarium where she was greeted by a guest services representative that escorted her to a private room where he was waiting. When she opened the doors to the room she was met with an abundance of natural light beaming upon an aisle of photographs that created a pathway of their relationship, recalling the moments and memories that led them to this moment in time. At the end of this aisle was the love of her life holding the treasure box. Inside the treasure box was a hand painted map of the Aquarium that lead her to the location where two childhood dreams would come true….the opportunity to swim inside the Aquarium of the Pacific’s amazing tank and accepting a marriage proposal from the man of her dreams.”
Photo Credit: Juan Turcios Photographer
Photo Credit: Juan Turcios Photographer
“Once suited and in the tank, the couple was able to swim freely as they took in the variety of sea life throughout each sections of the habitat. As she entered the engagement section, she was greeted by the words ‘will you marry’ in the sand. As she turned around to look at him, he had pulled two letters out of his pockets to spell ‘me’ so that even though he could not speak the words, it still came directly from him. Buried in the sand, she choose the letter ‘Y’ to signify her YES. Which she proudly displayed to her family and an audience of helpless romantics watching from the other side of the glass as it all unfolded before their eyes. The best part the underwater scuba kiss!”
Photo Credit: Juan Turcios Photographer
Photo Credit: Juan Turcios Photographer
Photo Credit: Juan Turcios Photographer
Photo Credit: Juan Turcios Photographer
Congratulations Lori & Jordan!!
Photo Credit: Juan Turcios Photographer
Photo Credit: Juan Turcios Photographer