The wedding planner

MANILA, Philippines – Planning a wedding can be such a daunting task for couples but with wedding planners like Lyna Larcia-Calvario, many can give a sigh of relief.

Calvario, a Communication Arts graduate from the University of Sto. Tomas, started working in the fashion and beauty industry with names such as Bob Mackie and Estee Lauder. It was after working with these top brands that she decided to venture into her real passion — events planning.

“I love that I’m able to express my creativity. I love the feeling of being able to deliver my clients’ aspirations, taking their wants and vision to a whole new level and just making them happy that I’ve delivered a memorable event,” she said.

Her love for events planning eventually led to the establishment of KasalNY.com. Here, she works with her husband, photographer Kirby Calvario. Of the name, Calvario says: “KasalNY.com is a name I coined over teriyaki dinner with some closest friends. I thought it has a good recall, being that I’m Pinoy and New York being that we are in New York. Some of my American clients actually read it as ‘KasalNeeh’.”

Calvario said that her family already saw how good she was as an events planner even before putting up her business. “I have done several events for the family prior to me deciding to take the next big step. They have always pointed out to me they have never been to an event so organized and elegant — be it shower, wedding or birthday,” she said.

She eventually fulfilled her dream to become a certified wedding planner in 2005 when she took a course for Wedding Consultancy at Penn Foster. Upon graduation, she became a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC). She also sought help from people in the industry like Sarah Lusardi, a wedding planner from Style Network.

 “I saw her on TV and I really admired her work ethic so I called her. Then I met with her. She took me under her wing, needless to say, and then I pretty much took off from there. I did one wedding alongside her, then it sprout into other weddings, then referral after another came and slowly we became known in the wedding circuit,” Calvario said.

Business so far has been good for Calvario. “I’m lucky enough that I am at a state where brides would spend an average of $50,000 a year. They are considered the brides who splurge the most. It’s good because given the economy, many would need a planner. They are slowly learning it’s smarter to have a planner because not only it makes your whole planning stress-free but you’ll also have sound advice on how to allocate your budget.”

Today, KasalNY is one of the most promising sources for elegant, sophisticated, luxurious weddings and social events in New York. Calvario has appeared in the US TV show Say Yes to the Dress Season 3 and two of her weddings will be featured in the show’s Season 4. She was even featured in Filipino-American prints such as Filipino Reporter, Global Pinoy Magazine and House Magazine. She has also been rated by the Martha Stewart’s Wedding Wire for two years and was even given an honor of Editor’s pick for her bouquet design for a 2008 wedding in Fairmont, Washington DC by the Knot editors.

But like any business, Calvario had her own challenges to conquer. “For me, it was having to juggle parenting and starting up the business. The nature of what I do demands a lot of field work — going to different venues and scouting vendors. It means having to leave then a barely year-old kid (son Matthew Gregory). Good thing my mom was nice enough to help us out in babysitting,” she said.

Just like brides, wedding planners have to look good in front of the clients. For Calvario, having Ever Bilena is definitely a must. “Ever Bilena’s Khristine Gabriel is a friend of mine from college. When I came home last March to do a wedding, she helped me get the word out on KasalNY by giving me exposure on Umagang Kay Ganda featuring my Summer Bride. She gave me a goody bag of Ever Bilena products and what stood out and what I actually liked was the Pro long lipstick, because it really stays on, even when I talk too much,” she laughed.

Calvario says that she has even recommended Ever Bilena products to her Pinay clients in the US. “They trust the name and they think highly of it.”

And for those who want to enter the world of wedding planning, Calvario has this to say: “The best advice that I would give is this BBB that I learned from a new author friend — Believe, Begin, Become. Believe in dreaming, Begin to work at it and next thing you know you will BECOME what you’ve always believed in.”

“I want to inspire moms specifically to go after their dream. Some people dream, some people wake up and actually chase their dream. I’d like to think I’m the latter,” she said.

Lyna Larcia-Calvario has definitely shown that with determination — in her case, her passion for planning weddings — one can succeed while one simply does what one loves.