Wedding Vendor Feature - Rad Occasions, Victoria, BC - Event Planning

Saturday 22 February 2020



Last year, I ran a little wedding planners blogging extravaganza and featured the local event planners that consistently and lovingly support us. We love the trust they give us! Enough trust to refer us to their incredible clients!!  Are we completely grateful? Absolutely YES.  Last year, I had the pleasure of adding Rad Occasions to the list of event planners that continually support us and we had an absolute blast working with Radhika and her awesome team.  Radhika, owner of Rad Occasions located in Victoria BC, is incredibly sweet and incredibly kind, beyond descriptive words.  So let me introduce you to Rad, her team and find out what makes them tick, view some previous events gorgeously planned, find out why we love working alongside her team AND why they landed a very notable Finalist position at the Vancouver Island Wedding Awards.  Way to go!


1.  How long have you been in business and why did you choose to be an event planner?

"We will have been in business for 5 years as of April 22 this year! A little off topic, but with this milestone coming up we will be launching a new website and podcast, which I’m excited/nervous for.  I chose to become certified with the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada after planning my first wedding and after assisting for a couple of seasons with another local wedding company. What really drew me to planning weddings were all the small, beautiful details and how all the moving parts fit together to create one big (or small) event full of so much meaning and connection. "



2.  What makes your company unique, inspiring or different?  

"Lately I’ve been calling us the team that could and that in itself is so inspiring! We are constantly challenging ourselves to learn and strive in new situations be it coordinating a sparkler send off, working with birds, or folding hundreds of cranes. 
I’m also so proud that our team puts a focus on the couples needs while setting a healthy boundary so everyone feels respected and heard. I know when I started in the industry this wasn’t something that I was honouring for myself or with our couples but we have come become more experienced and confident in our abilities over the years and continue to learn and grow."



3. Who are your ideal clients and why?

"We have had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people from all over the world and along with that many different personalities. Ideally we are drawn to working with people who are looking  to bring all of those that they love together with a meaningful celebration to celebrate their connection. These clients are usually looking for someone to assist with guiding them through the process but they still want to be hands on through out the planning. This is so helpful as we can help stay true to their personalities and rituals while planning and coordinating a rad day that they will love for years to come."




































4.  Why should couples planning a wedding hire you?


Sometimes I make quips about how we are the ‘insurance policy’ for the wedding day - meaning that we are there to ensure that if anything does go wrong or run late the problem is solved while keeping it on the down low. In all seriousness though, we take a lot of stress off of the couple and their loved ones and do it with a smile on our faces. 

I also stress education and learning in many forms for myself and the team. For example, all of our lead planners are certified by the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada and we are always going to conferences and workshops to learn new skills or fine tune interests. If you aren’t learning, you aren’t growing!






5.  If there's one piece of advice to your prospective clientele to give, what would that be? 

"I have two pieces of advice: one biased and one I hope that helps!

1) if your budget allows for it hire a wedding planner, even if for month of coordination. If you can have someone along with you during the planning process it saves so much time in obtaining quotes etc plus if you need to take a time out your planner will keep working in the background. If you can’t justify the cost of a full or even partial planner then definitely hire a month of coordinator  - it takes so much responsibility off of your family and friends plus your vendors will love you for it!  

2) remember that it is your wedding day and your chance to honour your identity as individuals and families coming together to celebrate a beautiful coupling. Make it as traditional or untraditional as you want it to be and don’t be afraid to incorporate elements that celebrate your couple-ness. "




6.  Describe your design style when approaching events! 

"It is a little different every time but generally we like to take cues from how the couple’s home is decorated, their personal style, and a Pinterest board or a saved Instagram collection. From there we create a mood board complete with colour palette, design of each element of the wedding day, and a list of vendors that can provide the items. Once I’m completely satisfied with my design it is presented to the couple and we work together to tweak the design until it is just right. Then it’s all about connecting with vendors and securing them to bring the vision to life on the wedding day. "


7.  How far in advance should people contact you to work with you?

"Ideally 1 to 1.5 years for a full/partial plan but some couples book us within 6 months to a year of their date. We once even had someone from out of town book us two months before their date, it was an amazing challenge for us! "

It's been incredible watching Rad Occasions grow into a leading event planning company here in Victoria, BC. Our team absolutely LOVED working with Rad Occasions as there organizational skills were hands down impressive, their creative efforts are outstanding, and truly, the kindest. I loved watching and witnessing their genuine interest in curating incredible events for their clients, defiantly blew us away.  We are thrilled to have 'won them over' and are excited to get our creative juices back onboard this year for 2020.  Thank you, thank you Rad Occasions!  

 Looking for a planner?  Want to reach out to Rad Occasions?  Give them a follow on their social media threads.  Check them out below.  


rad@radoccasions.ca
250 516 3770
Instagram: @radoccasions 

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