The Ones Who Make the Magic
To our readers: My name is Marta Santamaria! I own The Planning along with my two venues, The Venue and The Ridge. Our lead Wedding Planner at The Planning is Nicole Luka. This is our blog – we hope to teach you all about the wedding industry from our perspective and provide a great resource for our brides to turn to when in need of some comfort or creativity.
In a sense, I have always put my career first and I have often been referred to as a workaholic. However, when you’re blessed enough to do what you love and build a life out of it, it’s not really considered a job anymore; it is my passion, my life’s work. What I love about the wedding industry is being handed a blank canvas and running wild with different ideas. No matter how many events take place in a single space, it is impossible to recreate the same vision. Each couple that I work with brings in new ideas and a new energy; this gives a spark to my creativity and makes for an incredible collaboration between us!
The Wedding Industry has a sensation of magic involved. When we mix magic and love together, it creates a beautiful day that our couples and guests will reminisce over for many years to come! The incredible thing about my job is being included in the excitement and anticipation that our couples feel during the planning process, which often spans over a year! I love being able to take the reins of creativity into my hands and turn their wildest dreams into a reality.
Every single event that has my creative input, I consider it my own! Exceeding expectations and refining details is what drives us as wedding planners to want so much more. My team and I have a hunger to always chase something bigger; we know that more can always be achieved, that we can always continue to be challenged. Our work ethic and imagination knows no limits, and that is what I love about owning The Planning.
About Me: Nicole Luka
I’ve been in the wedding industry for five years now. I love being a planner because of the people that I get to connect with. My clients are everything to me, they fuel the work I do every single day! I am blessed to play a role in my couples’ wedding days; I get to orchestrate one of the happiest days of their lives and be a part of the foundation of their marriages. There is nothing more exciting than getting a 5 Year Anniversary Card from couples that I sent down the aisle.
I have never backed down from a challenge – it is the only way to learn! I keep this mindset in my personal and my professional life. I love the saying: “If there is a will, there is a way” because the possibilities are truly endless in this industry! I let this motto carry into my creativity when it comes to floral arrangements, floor plans and menu design – there is no wild idea that I cannot bring to life.
I come from a background in hospitality, so I love working with vendors and making sure everyone is accommodated accordingly. Taking care of the little details whether it be lighting candles, creating the perfect escort card table and making sure the aisle décor is set just right – these are the things I love about being a wedding planner.
