SAS Weddings & Celebrations

04/18/2023

I love to post pretty pictures, but what about all the behind the scenes stuff that goes on as a wedding planner... Not just the photos of me folding a napkin or fluffing a dress.

I ran across this email I sent to all my clients back on March 3rd 2020 about the importance of event insurance. Honestly, I had completely forgotten about it until now. Then I re-read it knowing now what I know 3 years later and WOW. Several of my clients had already purchased insurance, as we recommend that to everyone, but a few purchased because of this email.
Every single one of my clients in 2020 either postponed or cancelled completely and all of them were able to recoup most their investments.

The last few years have been a doozy but we are emerging stronger, wiser, and a hellofa lot tougher. So there is a little less sexy but all the more important behind the scenes of what I do.

04/14/2023

A Specialized and Sophisticated Wedding never goes out of style, and may even be ahead of its time. Looking back to one of our favorite ceremony’s in the round that was over 5 years ago. Still a gorgeous classic that holds wedding inspiration for many upcoming weddings.

We worked tirelessly with this bride and groom to help them achieve this grand vision in their head and turn it into a reality.

Each wedding party couple danced down the aisle (to Maroon5 Love Somebody) towards the Crystal Acrylic Chuppah filled with hundreds of hand folded paper origami cranes. The flower girls tossed origami cranes instead of rose petals. Crystal Acrylic Chiavari chairs were set up in sections to create a star design all facing the center alter. Bright vibrant yellow hues were continuously used throughout everything we did. With a mix of old world traditions and new contemporary designs, we still look back and just adore this wedding.

An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes will be granted one wish and good luck. So it’s no surprise that in more recent times couples have adopted this lovely tradition and adapted it for their wedding decor. We had almost 2,000 origami cranes for this wedding during the ceremony and reception.

Venue: Millennium Gate Historic Museum Atlanta Georgia
Planning & Coordination: SAS Weddings & Celebrations
Photos: Nancy Jo McDonald
Decor: Legendary Events

04/12/2023

We’ve been working really hard on building our Social Media presence again after a bout with writers block.

Thank you all for continuing to like, share, and interact with our world of weddings & celebrations.

We are sooooo close to 5,000 followers on Instagram… I hope to be celebrating 🥂 that milestone soon!

Please like and follow us if you haven’t yet.

https://instagram.com/sascelebrations

04/03/2023

A little more about Sarah:

I love Glitter, Confetti, and anything that Sparkles!

Champagne and Prosecco are my drinks of choice … always! 🥂

I began my career by way of hotels & local flower shops. Starting off in floral gave me an edge on the design aspect of a wedding right from the beginning. And having knowledge of how hotels fill their space and the inner workings of the banquet department was priceless when navigating food & beverage contracts and managing room blocks. From there I found my way into Country Clubs where I was tasked with not only member events but selling the space to non-members for weddings and private events.

375 is highest number of events I have produced in a single calendar year. This included small breakfast board meetings, multi-day golf tournaments, garden parties, grand Southern Weddings, and everything in between.

I’ve been in the Floral, Hotel, and Live Events Industry since 1994. Way before Facebook and Pinterest. I even had a pager back then! 🤣 📟 I still create a paper binder for each wedding client no matter the fancy wedding planning software we use. I just can’t shake my roots.

My creative wedding clients is where I find the most joy, personal satisfaction, and the drive that keeps me going.

I like to say that I produce Real Weddings for Real Couples. Taking an idea and turning it into a reality that they can enjoy with their friends & family. Soaking up all the memories that one day provides them while SAS takes care of behind the scenes.

My dream job: I have it!

03/30/2023

Truly humbled and honored to receive the Best of North Idaho Wedding Planning Firm award for the 4th year in a row.

I’m kinda in shock. Why?
Well to be quite honest it’s been a difficult few years … not just the challenges of a global pandemic running rampant and ridiculous staffing shortages etc. But challenges that made me question my abilities. Compound that with seeing all the perfectness of social media being posted constantly and well I shut down. I didn’t know what to say or post anymore, frankly I didn’t have a voice nor did I think I had a voice worth listening to.

Where did this come from? I’ve spent the last year in a half seeking that answer. The consistent answer for me came down to this.

The bad, unrealistic, problematic, critical clients and vendors get all the attention. How do I address this without becoming “bad” myself. Planning and Coordination is such a subjective role. It’s not as tangible as producing a product as we are producing more of a feeling. Our time and energy is just sucked into a vacuum of “being not good enough” while our wonderful grateful clients/vendors take the back seat.
They take the back seat because “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” and yet a “bad” client or vendor to me might be perfect for another planner. Along with personality and priorities that are different with each client. Our side of the industry is far more fluid and subjective than others. As planners we take on the responsibility for the entire wedding, all the vendors, and the overall outcome of the wedding.

Think about it … really digest these facts. There are 8760 hours in a year, average life expectancy is 77 years in the US so that’s 674,520 hours in a lifetime.
We spend between 430-650 hours planning 1 wedding celebration that typically lasts for 12 hours.
I’m no math expert but 12 hours out of 674,520 hours in a lifetime is a fraction of a fraction of a percent in time. But is it???

Those hours are memories that last FOREVER! Those hours can shape and mold how a couple work together, how a family interacts together, how long lost friends are reconnected, and how future generations remember that day. You will NEVER invest more Time, Energy, or Money into a single day, Ever! NO PRESSURE!

Our clients come to us not only because of the pretty pictures that look perfect on social media but also to help them navigate a situation they know very little about and want only good memories to follow. How do we do that… TIME and EXPERIENCE.
We pour our heart and souls into every celebration.

There are 2080 full time hours in a year. This equates to about 5 weddings a year for full service planning by 1 planner to not be on full-tilt burn-out mode. And let’s be real, most planners are planning way more than 5 weddings a year. The average salary for a Wedding Planner in the US is $45,000 no matter if they are doing 5 or 25 weddings a year.

New technology helps.
Trusted vendors help.
Good weather helps.
Amazing friends and family help.
Wonderful clients help.
They all help us manage our time and expectations. Trust me when I tell you we have our favorites for a reason.

But where did I go wrong ??? Just me … I let the negative outweigh the positive. I let the bullies take over and stopped enjoining the amazing impact I was having on my wonderful clients.
I let that ugly little voice in my head get louder and louder with each bully that said I Was Not Good Enough. Frankly, I let my wonderful clients down by not being present enough.

You see I don’t get a “do over button”, Ever. With all other industries if they have an “off night” they do it again. Comedians can have a bad set and take the stage an hour later and kill it. A restaurant can be short staffed, post a closed sign on the door, re-open the next weekend with a killer menu and excited patrons ready to eat. A trial lawyer can have the worst court experience of their career and file for an appeal and later win.

WEDDING PLANNERS DON’T GET A DO OVER BUTTON

We don’t get a do over with the hundreds of hours we poured into planning the wedding. And we most certainly don’t get a do over on wedding weekend.
Doesn’t matter if the couple didn’t feel good or love the planning process, if there was a drunk Uncle we knew nothing about, a freak lighting storm that knocked the power out, a baker that baked the wrong cake, a venue that had 5 weddings that weekend instead of 1 and couldn’t keep up, a vendor that just didn’t show up, or God forbid the worst thing that ever could happen… I make a mistake.

We take it all on ourselves, as planners. We don’t have 1 piece we have ALL the pieces of the puzzle!

We do this job and are in this profession because we LOVE it. We have almost an unhealthy obsession with creating something out of nothing that lasts for moments.

Well I LOVE what I do. I truly deeply self-identify with being a wedding and event planner. I love my clients whether they love me or not. Every single one of them has shaped and molded me into the experienced award winning planner that I am. All the good and all the bad went into the making of “me”. I’m grateful of each of those experiences and through it all I’m beyond grateful to be recognized as one of the best.

More than that… I’ve found my voice again. It’s not always going to be perfect but it will always be real.

03/07/2023

Say HI to my Bestie!

6 years ago Stacy and I were friends but she hadn’t ever worked and wedding and I was in a pinch… she jumped in with both feet and worked her tail off.

Her amazing work ethic and super fun personality was a hit with all my clients and she’s been on the team ever since. Gosh I just don’t know what I would do without her anymore. (Both personally and professionally) She’s always there when I need her both near and far. And she’s always willing to travel with me too!

Thanks for being my rock!

03/02/2023

A Specialized and Sophisticated Wedding never goes out of style!

02/24/2023

So many perfectly pretty images I post on socials … as I should right?
That is my job.

It’s been a while since I posted about just me. And here’s some real life action photos of some behind the scenes at a wedding where we just couldn’t catch a break.

The image of my son with the “ummm now what” look on his face really says it all 🤣

But back to me… I’m Sarah Day the founder and creator behind SAS Weddings & Celebrations. I accidentally became a wedding planner over 25 years ago before it was really a thing. And to put it in perspective, before Facebook & Pinterest!

We got rain out, flooded, did shots at the alter, and even I had a tequila shot with the bride at the end of night. A little different than my celebratory champagne.

Nothing too glamorous to see here other than hundreds of hours of planning the span of 2 years (thank you Covid) falling apart all around me. And when I look back it’s one of my favorite weddings with some of my favorite humans.
The love and laughter they all shared not only got them through the day but has brought so much joy to all of our lives then and now.

Having the ability to have my son by my side at weddings and events has become a privilege as he grows into his own adulting with a wife and baby. (Yes I’m a grandma now!)

The pure joy I feel at the end of night with a hug from a grateful client is truly what I strive for. When it all goes perfect or it all goes wrong. Either way we are in the trenches together and I won’t ever leave your side.

02/04/2023

Sh*T Happens

One of my favorite couples ever, who not only got caught up in the postponements of 2020 but had an unexpected torrential down pour perfectly timed with “walking down the aisle”.

We knew there was a slight chance of rain in the afternoon and discussed it as a team with the couple, parents, photographers, and venue. It was decided that a little rain would be fun and make for great photos.
Uh they weren’t wrong!

What started as a slight drizzle quickly turned into a complete downpour. As the guests all scurried inside to “wait it out” a drain pipe broke on the hillside and proceeded to flood the entire entrance and a water broke though the ceiling and started to flood the inside of the venue as well. Buckets everywhere!!!

“Plan D” (at this point with 2 years of planning) was a wedding inside complete with tequila shots at the alter.

You would think this would be enough for 1 day but with the added heat and humidity of a late August day the cake decided to melt and fall over too. It’s like we just couldn’t catch a break.

It’s customary for me drink champagne at a wedding to celebrate the culmination of all the planning coming to life and my work done. But… this was the first time I’ve ever done a shot at a wedding and with my beautiful bride.

It was a wedding for the record books! Everyone had the best time ever. Danced like no one was watching and loved every minute of it.

Video Description: photos taken by Jerome Pollos and SAS Celebrations of a rainy wedding day.

SAS Staff: my Son and daughter-in-law. I was soooo happy to have them help and share in these crazy memories with me.

P. S. Rain on your wedding day is we have special jars to save the rain water and give to our clients.

01/25/2023

If you know me then you know I love a good shoe.





A Specialized and Sophisticated Wedding (and fabulous shoes) never go out of style!

01/21/2023

A Specialized and Sophisticated Wedding never goes out of Style!

Especially with bold colors mixed with greenery. Maybe even a bit of trend setter with hues of Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta 18.

Love your colors and let them shine!

12/20/2022

We love a winter wedding and obsessing over this cape!

11/30/2022

A Specialized and Sophisticated Wedding (and fabulous Grazing Tables) never goes out of style.

11/15/2022

A Specialized and Sophisticated Wedding (and a fabulous cake) never goes out of style.

11/14/2022

A Specialized and Sophisticated Wedding (and fabulous cake) never goes out of style.

11/12/2022

A Specialized and Sophisticated Wedding never goes out of style.

09/29/2022

Who doesn’t love a good Disco Ball installation.

09/12/2022

About this weekend ❤️

07/12/2022

❤️

07/09/2022

Getting set up for todays wedding bringing the outdoors in …
Montvale Event Center
Patina Rentals & Design
Rose & Blossom
Parks Place Plants

04/12/2022

Happy National Grilled Cheese Day to all the lovebirds out there!

This memory is a special one for us as it was a surprise late night snack the Father of the Bride orchestrated with us and the Ritz Carlton team. Heart shaped grilled cheese sandwiches were butler passed as a sweet memory of the brides college days and love of grilled cheese.

04/12/2022

So excited to roll out a new look and feel to the website! www.sascelebrations.com

10/27/2021

Who said table numbers needed to be a “number” ??? No one !!!

We had a blast helping to create these personal tables for our clients that was so personal to each of them. Let’s take a stroll through Atlanta or feature some of your favorite pets.

We happen to partial to both 😊

10/14/2021

We know “sassy” or “sass” can get a bad rap …

People often ask me what SAS stands for and I tell them Specialized and Sophisticated or Sarah’s Always Sassy 😆 but in all seriousness we love nothing more than Bold - Lively - Full of Spirit Weddings and Events.

It brings pure joy to our hearts to create very unique celebrations for our clients no matter what style they want. No cookie cutter events on our watch! We just love to eat cookies!

06/22/2021

Yay 🥂 And just like that in a year that seemed so bleak in so many ways we have been awarded one of the most beautiful weddings in the world for 2020! nor will it ever be.

We had the privilege to work with such a special couple last year in creating their Elegant Halloween Wedding. The state, venue, vendors, and guest count all changed due to Covid. But what remained throughout was a stunning vision of what a Halloween Wedding could be.

It might not be a wedding for everyone but it was a wedding for “them” and that is what I truly love about my wedding world. It’s about creating a celebration that is uniquely the couples. I could not be more proud to have this wedding stand the test of time as one the best!

Thank you to Luke Lambertson for capturing this day so eloquently.

06/20/2021

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing Dads out there!

06/09/2021

A fascinating read highlighting some of the challenges we have faced and are still currently facing in the live events industry and wedding world.

It’s ok to be excited and to have anxiety all at the same time. Everyone is handling their personal celebrations and guest lists differently. Some are ready to party right out of the gate and others are still adhering to many precautions.

Gearing up for 2021 wedding season and booking for 2022 has provided us a whole new section of questions and check list items to chat with our clients about.

We got you! Weddings are our world!

For millions of Americans, weddings will be the first gatherings at which they will be surrounded by dozens—even hundreds—of other people after a year of relative isolation