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September 29, 2020

Vendor Feature: Kara Patten Event Management + Design

We are really excited about this blog post because we are featuring one of our favorite vendors: Kara Patten Event Management + Design. We got in contact with Kara and had her answer a few questions about weddings and working with us!

Tell us about yourself and where you’re based!
Hi, I’m Kara! I live in Cape Neddick, Maine – and originally from Maine, born and raised. I’ve been in the event industry since I was 14, working my first job for a clambake catering company (doesn’t get any more Maine than that) through high school/college and then seriously pursued a career after college by accepting a position as an Event Designer in Washington, DC. I spent a handful of years in DC executing + designing large scale events, and then relocated to CA’s Bay area as the Event Coordinator for UC Berkeley’s International House. After spending time in other parts of the country, I realized my heart belonged in Maine and relocated back 5 years ago where I slowly began my planning business, while working for my uncle’s tent and event rental company as well.

Wedding tabletop design
Florals by Kindred Earth Farm
Stationery by Ridgely Calligraphy
Photo by Katelyn Mallett Photo

What is your favorite part of the planning process with a client? 
The details, small and large. I love asking every possible question about how the day will go, how it will look and feel, and figuring out a seamless and stress-free way to execute it without overlooking anything. I tend to go above and beyond just to ensure that the couple and their family + bridal party can actually enjoy the day and no one is responsible to do anything except be there for the two about to say, “I do.”

Beautiful scenery at the Cliff House
Photo by Emily Delamater

Can you share a memory about working with Silver Arrow Band? 
This past June I worked alongside the Silver Arrow Team to execute a mico-wedding in our new world. It was my first wedding of the COVID-era and there were a lot of changes, uncertainty, and curveballs right up to the week of the wedding. Silver Arrow was not only the easiest to work with, but they were responsive, understanding, and there to work with all vendors to make the day for Lindsey + Wayne as special as possible. And then the day came, and they started playing and you could feel the room fill up with a certain joy that had been taken away in the last few months. What was a tense experience for everyone leading up to the day, just kind of melted away in large part because of them.


Share one of your most memorable experiences as a planner. 
The time Michelle Obama held my hand for 35 seconds 🙂 I planned and executed an event in DC (’13) where Mrs. Obama in was the guest of honor and key speaker – after her speech (where she confronted a heckler), she walked by on the way to the next portion of the timeline and stopped to talk to some guests at the event and grabbed my hand. She kept looking down at me, I think waiting for me to say something – but I was SPEECHLESS. I just stared at her. She gave me a light squeeze and then moved on. I still don’t know what I would have said but it’s a memory and experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. I attached the only picture I could take 🙂

Michelle Obama at an event in DC!

What is your business mantra? 
Everything is important. Every detail, every logistic, every tradition, every way to customize and make the day more of an expression of the two getting married. It’s a really important day and you should have someone who understands and values how important it is as much as you do, while being equipped to handle it all as the couple would but letting them detach from the planning and soak in the experience. It goes by so fast and I can’t stress enough to my couples how they need to take it all in, and you can’t do that when you’re stressing about menu cards 🙂