We were lucky to catch up with Natalie Sofer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Natalie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

In my business, my clients and vendors are so important to me. Whether they are having a 5 star event at the Four Seasons or having a smaller scale event at a private home, I want to make sure every client feels taken care of and heard. I take pride in myself that I will always go above and beyond with every client. Whether it is a wedding or a milestone birthday or a mitzvah, each of these events are so memorable to the client. I want each client to feel like a King or Queen. The event will only happen once in their lives and it is THEIR event. Every one of my clients know that I will always respond to them quickly and take care of their needs and questions. They know they can come to me for advice and guidance regarding anything as it pertains to the event. They know that i appreciate their trust and put them first.

There are some clients who feel so comfortable, that they will confide in me regarding all family and wedding party dynamics. Many times I am talking to the mother of the brides just as much as I talk to the couple. Each member of the family are so important. They have all been waiting for this special day just as much as the couple. There is one particular bride. I will call her Sara to protect the identity of the family. Right away I connected with her and mom from the very first phone call. They loved my work and were both very excited to talk to me. The next day I spoke to her dad who just wanted to make sure I would take care of his only daughter. They contracted me and I began a year of working with one of the most special people ever. They appreciated every call and every vendor I introduced to them. And of course each vendor went above and beyond to give 100 percent to Sarah, her fiance and their families.

There were times when Sarah needed talk when her one of bridesmaids was upsetting her. She called me in tears. Of course I would talk her off the ledge. Planning a wedding can be stressful. I always suggest having a bridal party who is there for you and will support you throughout the process. In this case, Sarah felt her bridesmaid did not want to participate in any of the wedding related activities and called me for advice as she would normally do.
I listened to her and advised her to also talk it out with her mom before making any decision. This was perfect as I am there to listen and not lay blame. Getting family support in regards to making decisions is key. Fortunately Sarah has a family who care about her. Her mom called to thank me for listening to her and guiding her to talk her family first. She appreciated me taking the time to always be there for Sarah no matter what. The family knew I had their best interests at heart and would be a yes if I could to anything they needed when it came time to taking care of everything.

It was awesome to be able to surprise Sarah and her family with extras on the wedding weekend. The hotel was able to give her an upgraded suite. We made sure everything Sarah and her fiance had planned was fulfilled and more. Having clients like Sarah’s family who appreciate everything has my vendor team and myself go the extra mile as they are so special. It is why we are in this business.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started by working in a 5 star restaurant in Beverly Hills for years. I would take care of high profile customers on a regular basis. One of my coworkers gave me great advice to take care of each and every customer as if they are a major producer who could give me the job of my dreams. I took this advice to heart as I went from being a maitre’d to a theater producer, to eventually an event producer. Planning weddings and other social events is the biggest joy of my life. It is not a job but an opportunity to fulfill on couple’s dream day. I cannot imagine doing anything else.

What sets me apart from most of my competitors is that I will always take the time to listen to my clients as it is their day. I want their vision to come alive. I am not a cookie cutter planner. Every couple is different and every wedding should be the vision of my couple. I listen for whatever they want. Being from London, I bring a calm British flair to every event. I always take the time to make sure everything will be perfect within my control.

During 2020 as every event was postponing due to the pandemic, no one knew when we were going to get back to business. As each client called to postpone their event, I took time with each client to make sure they postponed to date where all their vendors and venue was available. I did not want them to lose any of their vendors. I also did not want the vendors to miss out as well. It was important to match up everyone to date that we could all do. The clients were happy as they did not lose the retainers they paid in the beginning and they got to keep their favorite vendors. The vendors were so happy that I checked in with them every time we had to postpone. In some cases, I moved a big quarter million dollar wedding 4 times. In another case, I had to postpone a wedding due to the client being exposed to covid 3 days before the wedding. It was a partnership among everyone. I cannot imagine not having the team I had behind me. I also took time to listen to all my clients during that crazy time in what they wanted.

What I am proud of is that I can make anything happen. Recently one of my couples cancelled a wedding 5 weeks before their scheduled date at a top hotel. My client decided to pivot the entire event to a fabulous graduation party at the venue. We worked together to redesign the entire event from a sit down dinner to a fabulous cocktail style party. The entire team of vendors pivoted so beautifully. I worked hard and fast to make sure my client was so happy with everything. Her guests were able to feast on caviar and champagne, before dancing till 1 in the morning. Every single staff member gave 100 percent to make sure the party was the best ever. I was so proud of myself and the team that we pulled off the redesign in a few short weeks.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I started my business in 2008. I would plan events for friends or people who were referred to me by people I know. In 2012 and 2013, I started to scale up my business by advertising and doing wedding showcases.

June 26, 2013 was extremely special as it was the day that Prop 8 was overturned and everyone had the right to marry whomever they love in California. I am a huge stand for same sex marriage and I was beyond excited for everyone being able to marry. I remember being at a networking event that morning. Someone asked “What is new and exciting in your business today” I raised my hand and excitedly announced “Everyone has the right to get married!!!!!” What transpired was meeting a lot of wonderful people in the LGBT community. I did a gay wedding showcase through Frontiers Magazine and met my most wonderful couple that trusted me to plan the wedding of their dreams. That couple became my family as one of the grooms wanted his planner to be his best friend. I continued to plan events for them and their charity organizations. Many other same sex weddings followed suit and I made a name for myself as someone who will stand for the LGBT community. Last year I had the opportunity to plan a transgender wedding for a fellow board member for one of the organizations of which I sit on the board. It just happened that 2022 and 2023 were very good to me as so many people wanted to get married, so I was able to donate my entire fee for that wedding to the LGBT organizations that matter so much to me.

During those 10 years, I met some wonderful vendors that always have my back and create so much beauty for my clients. There was one in particular who took me under her wing and guided me to make confident decisions when it came to design and styling each event. She taught me to always create the drama in each event. I owe alot of my success to her and to the other vendor partners that give wholeheartedly to each event. It is truly a team!

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I take the time to celebrate all my vendors and their teams. I want to know each one of them by name whether it is one of the floral assistants or one the designers. I take time to get to know the staff. It takes a village to create a beautiful event and I don’t take that lightly.

Whenever possible, I arrange for lunch to be brought in for the vendors setting up.

At the end of the event, I take time to completely acknowledge of the vendors and what they did to go above and beyond in an email. I will also copy the clients so they can experience how each vendor gave so much and their contribution.

I want each person to feel completely appreciated for what they are giving. The vendors have become my family and we are all in this together.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nataliesoferweddingsandevents.com
• Instagram: @nataliesoferevents
• Facebook: Natalie Sofer Weddings and Events
• Linkedin: Natalie Sofer
• Youtube: @nataliesofer6072

Image Credits
Andrena Photography Shumanev Production Next Exit Photography Gloria Mesa Photography