Katharine Phillips Event & Design

11/12/2024

What a joy it was to create alongside Mary & Gavin ✨ And that vision became a reality with the help of so many talented vendors! We wanted this wedding to feel like a youthful, modern and vibrant close out to summer— I’d say we hit the mark 🏹

Bride’s Attire - &
Cake -
Cinema -
Content Creator -
DJ -
Draping -
Es**rt Display & Neon Sign Wall -
Fireworks - Young Explosives
Florals -
Groom’s Attire -
Hair Stylist -
Harpist -
Ice Sculpture -
Lighting & Sound -
Linens -
Live Painter -
Makeup Artist -
Photography -
Photo Booth -
Planning & Design -
Rentals -
Stationery & Signage -
Sailboat - Canandaigua Sailing
Steel Drum Trio - Panloco Steelband
String Quartet -
Table Top Decor -
Transportation -
Venue -

07/15/2022

Hey all! So if you missed my most recent announcement the TL;DR version is that I’ll be joining the team as their Event Director.

As such, I won’t be in my studio space as much as I’d originally hoped but I’m not quite at the point where I’m ready to let her go. So tell me, is there anyone in the Buffalo that’s looking to sublet for office space or host regular work shops in?! Amenities include:

- Desk area
- Meeting Table
- Lounge Area
- Heat & AC
- Mini Fridge
- WiFi

Please feel free to DM or use the contact button in my profile to email me directly!

📷: /

05/16/2022

On Saturday May 14th a white supremacist committed a terrorist attack on what is the only super market in a predominantly black neighborhood. The reason he was able to plan and target that specific super market is because Buffalo is still a segregated city.

The first step to fixing something is acknowledging there’s a problem in the first place. It’s important for us to hold others accountable for when any racist rhetoric is used. Keep in mind we are ALL fundamentally racist because that is what our country was built on and what our history books have taught us (or should I say haven’t taught us by leaving out significant black, brown, or other notable historic figures). But that doesn’t mean we aren’t capable of doing the work to undo it.

I understand it can be easy to feel removed from it all because it didn’t happen in your community. But maybe it’s worth thinking about why it didn’t happen in your community? We all need to do better at having the difficult conversations— to not let “small comments” slide, to talk to children directly about these issues and not sugar coat these things.

I will say this until I’m blue in the face— my business is about love. But sometimes you do have to fight for it and be bold about it, because there are always those threatening to take that sacred thing away from us. If we want to see a collective societal shift you must be willing to fight the hard fight each and every day. Please, I beg of you— our black brothers and sisters are tired.

02/28/2022

Have you ever wondered how soon you should be booking a wedding planner? Well, it really depends on what type of wedding planner you're looking for.

My team and I focus on full-service wedding planning which means I work with couples from event conception to final ex*****on. At a minimum, I require 10 months to help plan an event of the scale we're used to— but ideally, 12-18 months would be best. This is because the pandemic has really created a bit of a backlog where it can take longer to secure all your ideal vendors.

Have you been considering working with a full-service wedding planner? Use the link in my bio to schedule a free consultation to learn more about what our services entail ✨

Florals -
Hair Stylist - &
Makeup Artist -
Photography -
Wedding Coordinator -

02/24/2022

The warmer weather we had earlier this week is making me so excited for Spring! When I reached out to for this spring elopement I told her to just have fun with pastels and pops of color— and did she deliver or what?! 🤩 Pro Tip: the more creative freedom you give your vendors, the better it will be ✨

Bride Fashion - .day
Florals -
Photography -
Venue & Host -
Wedding Planner -

02/23/2022

I'm an extremely sentimental person, so it should come as no surprise that one of my favorite wedding day traditions is when couples exchange letters. There is just something so romantic and heartfelt about a handwritten note that captures such a momentous and emotional day— how special it must be to have that to read on future anniversaries.

However, if the thought of what to write feels a bit overwhelming, 's article that she wrote for provided some great touchpoints on what to include: expressing why you love them, sharing how you want your big day to go, mentioning promises for your future together, revealing the moment you fell in love, and ending with how your partner inspires you.

What are some other things you think should be included in a wedding day letter?

Photography -
Venue -
Wedding Coordinator -

02/22/2022

In my opinion, planning a wedding is a marathon not a sprint— and as you may already know, you shouldn’t go into running one without a game plan.

For most couples, planning a wedding is a first and one time thing. So it should come as no surprise that creating a game plan on your own could result in quite a bit of mistakes, lost time and stress in trying get it right the first time. But working with a wedding planner is like getting a marathon coach (stick with me on this analogy). For us, it’s not our first race— we’ve seen mistakes made, we’ve learned how to course correct and now our race plan starts to feel like a formula that we can tweak to our couples unique needs. And many times that investment in a game plan pays for itself whether it’s by us helping you avoid costly mistakes, saving you money through industry accounts, or fast tracking you with vendors due to our preexisting relationships.

As they say, slow and steady wins the race!

02/14/2022

"my heart is full of you, none other than you is in my thoughts..."

may you all radiate love this

Hair Stylist -
Makeup Artist -
Photography -

02/11/2022

This is a reminder to my couples— weekends are a great time to relax and reconnect! Ideas from yours truly:

▪️ Grab a blanket to cuddle up & read together
▪️ Check out an art museum
▪️ Watercolor paint night
▪️ Make some pizzas from scratch
▪️ Build a pillow fort for movie night

What are some fun ways that you all reconnect with your partner?

Photo captured by

02/09/2022

It's Black History Month and I want to talk to you about what this time means to me and how it translates into my business.

Full transparency, at one point last year I stopped and took stock of what vendors I'd previously worked with and who I was recommending. Ultimately, the list didn't mirror the diverse couples I wanted to work with then and into the future. So when Maggie & Ro chose me as their planner, I wanted to be very intentional about the vendors I recommended so that they saw not only their style but themselves reflected in one of the most important days of their lives.

Representation matters.

The vow my team makes to our couples is that we will be checking in with ourselves, being proactive to do the work, and setting aside our egos to take ownership of our shortcomings. Not just one month out of the year, but all year round 🖤

Cinema -
Entertainment -
Florals -
Hair Stylist - .thebeautypro
Makeup Artist -
Officiant -
Photography -
Venue -
Wedding Planner -

02/08/2022

Did you know there are all different types of wedding planners? Full-time, part-time, logistical, day of coordinators— the list goes on! Personally, I am more design-focused... but what does that mean for my couples?

As a design-focused planner, ideally, I want to work with couples where I'm the first vendor that they call to start from ground zero. Venue selection, mood boarding, taking pieces of you as a couple and weaving them into even the tiniest details of your day— a creative collaborator if you will. When you invest in our services, you can rest easy knowing you can rely on our expertise, trust in our judgment, and hand over your vision to a team who’s dedicated to expressing it authentically, artistically, and in a way you and yours will never forget.✨

Florals -
Linens -
Photography -
Rentals/Decor -
Stationery -
Venue -
Wedding Planner -

01/10/2022

There are some moments in life where no logic or reason can explain something that is still inherently true; it can only be summed up as the universe at work.

When I was selected by Sarah & Caleb, it was made known early on that there was a great absence felt by the bride since her mother had passed when she was young. It was something I did not take lightly which is why I suggest halfway through the planning that we reserve a seat for her at their ceremony and that with Jayflora Designs help we could make it feel special.

On the day of their beautiful Adirondack wedding, I was by myself making sure the seats were dry and doing my last check of the ceremony site when it happened— a monarch landed on the seat we'd set for Sarah's Mom. I knew it was her letting me know "you have one more important job to do." 🦋

Thankfully I had my phone on me so I took some snaps. I went to the couple who had just finished their first look and pulled them aside to show them what I'd seen and to let them know that Sarah's Mom was there the whole time and always will be. It was an honor to relay this message and tears were flowing on both sides— a moment in my life I will never forget.

With the permission to share this story with others, I submitted it to Style Me Pretty's Best of 2021 Awards and it was selected as a finalist for the "Best Brought Us To Tears Moment" category! I'm so happy to be sharing this story with others because I think there are many people that lose loved ones and hold fear and sadness that they're no longer there for their big life moments. However, I hope this reinstills a feeling of hope and faith that our loved ones never truly leave us. If you have the time, I'd greatly appreciate it if you take the time to vote✨ https://www.stylemepretty.com/awards/vote

📷: Ricky Rodriguez Photography

10/26/2021

10/12/2020

Today I’m looking back as Catherine & Patrick celebrate their one year anniversary today! These two were such a joy to celebrate with and it was the perfect fall day 🍂 A journal recap of the day is linked in the bio! 📸:

10/09/2020

Fridays for me are about eating out, so it got me thinking— let’s talk about menus!

Food plays an important role for many in terms of family and community. Allow your menu to help tell your story. One of my favorite menus to curate was for a couple with an outdoorsman groom and vegetarians on the brides side of the family. It included venison pops, locally caught trout, pumpkin lasagna and other fresh seasonal vegetables.

Not only was this a great way to honor the couple, but many of their guests also enjoyed an entirely new experience. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box🍴

📸: Shaw Photography Co., Wedding & Portrait Photographers

10/05/2020

Yesterday was National Wedding Planner Day and in an ironic turn of events, I was actually recovering from celebrating a wedding this weekend instead of working one!

Not speaking only for myself, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the importance and value that any wedding planner can add to your big day. In fact, I wrote a piece on why we should be one of your first wedding vendor picks.

After the investment, are you just going to just let go of the wheel on your wedding day and expect everything to go according to plan?

05/18/2020

We’ve had a bit of a late start here in Western New York, but the weather this past weekend as well as the weekend ahead is the promise that Spring has sprung. That is why I am so excited to finally share this styled shoot I did this past February with such a talented team of vendors!

The inspiration behind it was sustainability, demonstrating that it’s not all that difficult to accomplish it in small ways on your wedding day. For more details, check out the blog write up: https://katharinephillips.co/eco-friendly-sustainable-new-york-wedding/ ✨

Event Planning & Design:
Photography:
Floral Designer: Wild Blossom Hollow
Venue: 500 Pearl
Cake Artist:
Jumpsuit Rental:
Makeup Artist: The Glam Chair
Hair Stylist:
Stationery: Rust Belt Love Paperie & Wedding Shop
Jewelry: Peg's Hardware
Suit: ZARA
Tie: Repreve
Linens:
Rentals: All Season Rental
Tableware: Anthropologie
Decor Items: Pier 1
Biodegradable Straws: Little Green Panda
Couple: .rabenold &

10/07/2019

Welcome, I'm so glad you've found me here. My work in event design + ex*****on is so special and I hope to share some more content relevant to that. However, for the most recent and up to date content, go check out my Instagram, as it is where I spend most my time. If you have any inquiries, feel free to shoot me an email found in the about section.

Thank you!
https://www.instagram.com/katharineephillips/

Photo Credit: Anna Laero Photography