A wedding designer is a professional who will transform your wedding from a glamorous party into a meaningful and aesthetically pleasing experience.

A wedding is far more than just a party to be organized. It is a profound celebration that marks the union of two lives, rich with symbolism and significance. With the assistance of the right professionals, a wedding can transcend mere event planning to become an immersive experience where every detail weaves together to tell the unique story of the couple.

Imagine a wedding where each element, from the choice of venue to the design of the invitations, reflects the couple’s journey and personality. Expert wedding planners, designers, and other professionals can craft an atmosphere where the decor, music, and even the menu are curated to evoke cherished memories and shared dreams. Every flower arrangement, colour scheme, and lighting setup can be meticulously chosen to reflect the couple's tastes and the significance of their bond.

An experienced wedding planner and designer, Aleksandra Pempeit from The Weddingdesign Studio shares the responsibilities and competencies of a wedding designer who can elevate a wedding to new heights of meaningful details and aesthetic pleasure.

Wedding planners and wedding designers: their unique responsibilities and roles

As Aleksandra explains, the main focus of a wedding planner is the event organization and management – selecting and coordinating vendors and the whole planning process, as well as budget tracking. Wedding planners can be involved (if the couple wishes, depends on package the booked) in helping to choose the wedding style and décor, but this is not the main task of a wedding planner.

However, if you’re looking for a truly immersive experience in your wedding, this is where the wedding designer comes in. They will overlook such details as wedding colour schemes, floral arrangements and lighting solutions. A wedding designer will ensure that all these elements go together seamlessly and create a special visual experience and atmosphere. Also, they are experts in wedding trends, being able to offer a wide range of inspirations that can make your wedding stand out.

Wedding designer is like an architect for your wedding. With an eye of a designer, more like a creative and less like a manager. Wedding designer develops a fully curated decoration concept and helps to find the right professionals to bring it to reality.

Although the roles of the wedding planner and wedding designer overlap in some areas, Aleksandra notes that it is important to emphasize that they work harmoniously together. They ensure that the logistical and creative aspects of a wedding are smoothly integrated, as wedding planning and wedding design go hand in hand. To couples planning their wedding, she advises asking your professionals about their personal experiences, offerings, strengths, and educational background to get a good first impression of where their focus lies and how their work will complement the work of other wedding vendors involved.

The Weddingdesign Studio: intertwining creative innovations with excellent execution

Aleksandra believes that being a wedding designer sets her apart from those who solely focus on wedding planning by putting an extra focus on creating a unique aesthetic and atmosphere for the wedding. As she elaborates, the designer maintains an aesthetic overview of all factors and advises the couple on possibilities and innovations, ensuring everything is meticulously executed with a keen eye for detail.

One of the most important aspects of the work of a wedding designer is their ability to find the balance between practical logistics and creative design. Aleksandra explains that every good designer loves to work in a creative and not too rigid way. A good concept is well adapted to the particular location, light and all-important circumstances around. Nevertheless, the exercise is to transfer the concept of 1:1 into reality. So it is a mix of planning and organizing the logistics to be needed and installing them with the right feeling - this is the art! To achieve that, either you have the aesthetic feeling or not.

Aleksandra loves to see the objects in reality, like rentals, the details of the venue, flowers etc., to get a realistic feeling of the shades and textures and how it all will look together. She always creates a test arrangement of the key objects to make sure everything matches the way it should. She admits that, when looking at a wedding concept like a piece of art, it can be interpreted in many ways, and that’s a beautiful thing. However, it should meet the couple’s desired and approved concept as closely as possible. So, the preparatory work is the key, and the experience gained over time helps the wedding designer to make the right decisions also in delicate situations.

Aleksandra shares an example of a wedding where The Weddingdesign Studio's dual role as a planner and designer played a crucial role in enhancing the overall aesthetic and atmosphere. The Weddingdesign Studio planned and designed the concept “Slow Wedding Dinner” some months ago in an architectural vault, which looked like a modern minimalistic church. From the beginning, they focused on the aesthetic design of an intimate wedding. On the base of the wishes of their clients, The Weddingdesign Studio always develops unseen and aesthetic atmospheres which reflect the couple in all their aspects.

In the “Slow Wedding Dinner” concept, the entrance created a welcoming atmosphere with a huge champagne tower surrounded by an oyster bar, which is a new trend of 2024 and which couples should not miss while the oyster season lasts. The seating plan was enhanced with numerous candles. Due to the guests planning to come in the evening, it was a good time to integrate them – at daylight, it would not have had that special look. This illustrates that, when you have a wedding designer, they will care about these little aspects which have a big effect on your wedding day. The long minimalistic dinner table in white nuances was the centrepiece. The guests had an amazing dinner under the moonlight – an artful projection on the wall.

Aleksandra adds that, as a designer, she also needs to know what is possible to realize, so in the best-case scenario, she can plan the concept herself instead of giving it to someone else to bring to life. Because the more people are involved, the more she needs to control and explain to others, which means higher costs for the couple, as well as possible miscommunications and misunderstandings. However, every good wedding concept should be supported by good planning, regarding all circumstances that may arise.

From choosing wedding colours to creating unique atmospheres

When asked how her role as a wedding designer adds value and depth to the wedding projects The Weddingdesign Studio undertakes, Aleksandra explains that, as a wedding designer, she has a highly nuanced and experienced aesthetic eye, which she has developed over years of experience. Due to her work in weddings, fashion & interior design, as well as her studies as a designer, she has developed a taste and feeling for colours, light, textures, architecture and art. She stays informed about the novelties in the industry and can sense upcoming trends due to her experience in many fields.

As a wedding designer, Aleksandra cares for every aspect and every moment of her client`s wedding. She understands the importance of little details that truly contribute to the atmosphere of the wedding. For example, if you have a wedding venue with high ceilings, you need a table décor that doesn’t look too small – you have to see the details in the context so that they are lifting each other. This is just one of many cases where a trained eye can elevate your visual experience of the wedding venue.

In conclusion, the importance of having a wedding designer cannot be overstated. Their ability to conceptualize and execute a cohesive aesthetic ensures that every element of the wedding, from the invitations to the centrepieces, harmonizes beautifully. Moreover, wedding designers bring a fresh, innovative perspective to the table. They stay abreast of the latest trends and can incorporate unique, personalized touches inspired by design, fashion and art. Their creative vision can transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary settings for a wedding.

Author: Renāte Berga

Wedding designer: Aleksandra Pempeit / The Weddingdesign Studio

Photographers: Antonia Marie Lüders, Johanna Drochner

Location: Kultur Gut Hasselburg

Rentals: The Weddingdesign Studio

Ghost Chairs: Partyrent Hamburg

Light: Christoph Pempeit, DJ für Alle

Papeterie: Lisa Brüning Design

Flowers: Die Florale Werkstatt

Candles: LEJA Studio