HER CELEBRITY weddings make headlines in national magazines, yet Sharon Sacks, founder of Reseda, Calif.-based Sacks Productions, is a master at creating private moments for very public people. Along with producing events for major corporations, she counts among her wedding clients such stars as Jennifer Lopez and Chris Judd, John Stamos and Rebecca Romjin, and Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas.
SPECIAL EVENTS MAGAZINE: What do you see as the recent trends in high-end weddings?
SHARON SACKS: I think weddings have moved from typical “cookie-cutter” to be more personalized. Brides are spending more on their wedding gowns; I find them wanting trains and long veils, as well as veils worn over the face. I'm also seeing them stand less on ceremony with their bridal party; the colors and material of the gowns will be the same, but not the style. Floral bouquets will be made of the same flower, but all differently. The groomsmen are no longer wearing the white boutonnière; I'm putting them in cornflowers, which read beautifully for the camera. Cakes are often octagons or squares, and I always recommend that we put a monogram on the top. Destination weddings have been very popular for the last several years, but they are not so common today. People are feeling more comfortable doing their wedding at home, in their environment where they live.
Q: What big trends are coming in the year ahead?
A: Our brides and grooms are very budget-conscious because of today's economy. But they are not going to sacrifice their individual sense of style. In order to do that, they sometimes come up with smaller weddings, surrounded by close friends and family, in very warm, intimate, romantic settings. It's not about what's over the top. It's about what feels right.
Also, I believe in creating heirlooms. Aisle runners are very in again. You can start a tradition and make an heirloom by monogramming and dating your aisle runner. The next person in the family who is married uses that aisle runner. We sit and talk with the bride and groom and then we create something very small, but important. That's what I believe makes weddings very special. It's wonderful for brides and grooms to realize that what they want is what's right. There are no rules.
Q: What are you doing differently in wedding coordination from what you did a few years ago?
A: In the very beginning, I thought a wedding needed to have this and needed to have that. That's probably one of the mistakes we all make as coordinators when we start off. We are following what we think needs to happen. But what we finally realize is that what makes it really beautiful is the simplicity of the environment. What I've learned in my 18 years is that I go with what the environment brings.
Q: Media coverage of celebrity weddings just keeps growing. Does this trend influence your non-celebrity clients?
A: As coverage of celebrity weddings grows, it allows my [non-celebrity] brides to have a true visual. For example, when we did Rob Thomas' wedding, InStyle magazine covered it, not only because it was photographically magnificent, but a lot of the elements that were brought together were unique. Brides could see the bouquet that [bride] Marisol was carrying and decide, “That's how I want my bouquet — all one flower.” It's extremely helpful in allowing people to understand what they don't want, as well as elements they may consider for themselves.
Q: Are there both pros and cons to having your work featured in the press?
A: It's certainly fulfilling to be able to share my work and ideas with a wide range of brides and grooms, and it's creating branding for myself and my company. But I'm not always able to divulge the details of a wedding that I know would make a beautiful story.
Q: What is your favorite part of coordinating a wedding?
A: It's when I stand at the head of the aisle just before my bride walks down. And I look at her and her father, and I throw them a kiss and say congratulations. It's a feeling of unbelievable beauty to know that the process is now turning into the dream.
Q: Is there a signature element to a Sharon Sacks wedding?
A: A friendship with the bride and groom. My brides are celebrities on the day of their wedding; my celebrities are brides on the day of their wedding.
Sacks Productions can be reached at 818/996-9655; the Web address is www.sacksprods.com.
