Tessa Gomes: Fred + Kate Events and Unveiling Paradise Podcast

Nate Burgoyne (00:00)
Aloha, friends. Welcome to the Super Fresh Hawaii Wedding Podcast. Buckle up today because we’ve got real talk, industry secrets and straight up talk with Tessa Gomes, the powerhouse behind Fred and Kate Events. Tessa, welcome to the podcast.

Tessa Gomes (00:17)
Hi Nate, thanks so much for having me. I feel like a celebrity. I’m stoked to be here.

Nate Burgoyne (00:22)
You are a celebrity because you have your own podcast as well, which puts mega pressure on me because we’ve fairly new at this whole thing. While we’re talking about that right here at the beginning, tell us what your podcast is and how listeners can also tune into your podcast.

Tessa Gomes (00:39)
Sure, thanks. So basically, I have a podcast with my co-host Joseph Esser, who is a photographer.

We started our podcast because just like you, we felt like there was so much that couples could learn. What I love is we come from a photographer and a wedding planner’s point of view. So we are showing two different perspectives, two different points of view of a wedding. I think it’s helpful because he and I often are not on the same page. So when couples listen, they’re learning the ins and outs of a wedding in Hawaii, planning a wedding, what it entails, and basically just listening from two

Nate Burgoyne (00:45)
with our.

Tessa Gomes (01:13)
different, very different points of view kind of gives them some insight in how they can make their wedding planning decisions. So it’s been really fun. We just finished season five and we’re going to start season six soon.

Nate Burgoyne (01:24)
That’s great. I didn’t realize you were moving into season six. That’s fantastic. Congratulations on that.

Tessa Gomes (01:31)
Thanks.

Nate Burgoyne (01:31)
Now, I love that you shared that different perspective thing. that’s one of the reasons why I started this podcast as well, to just sort of give a DJ’s perspective on a bunch of different angles, too. So I’m super excited to hear your perspective on lots of things that we’re to chat about today and glad you’re here now for all of our listeners. Tessa is not just a wedding planner. She is a professional.

Superhero. Now, she has over a decade of experience planning epic weddings in Hawaii. She’s the friend you love to hate in her words because she tells like it is right. She’s going to tell you what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear. And she’s very good at that. Now, before dominating the wedding industry, she managed a Canadian airline, one of Oahu’s largest hotels, a major event company. And fun fact, she went to culinary school as well.

So she she knows a thing or two about logistics, luxury, keeping things running flawlessly, all of those great things that have sort of culminated into what she is doing now. She was also the president of the Oahu Wedding Association from twenty twenty three to twenty twenty five. Before that, she was the treasurer and she’s just the preferred planner at a ton of high end venues here in Hawaii. So basically, if there’s a wedding happening in paradise, she knows how to make it unforgettable.

And today she’s going to drop some bombs about planning a destination wedding in Hawaii. And we’re going to talk about some things they need to know before they book some reality checks about some things that need to happen to make the wedding super great. So super excited you’re here with us, Tessa. And without further ado, let’s just dive right in. Let’s jump into it. I know our listeners are kind of wondering with this mega background that you have.

airlines, hotels, events, culinary, all that. What led you into the world of wedding planning?

Tessa Gomes (03:20)
So first of all, feel like you’re making me sound way more fabulous than I am. I love the intro, but it is, you know, I think my whole background has

been service and airline, hotels, events, like everything that I’ve done has always been in the service industry. I’m a big believer in people and experience and the client experience. so I think, you know, years ago, my sister had a company and it was in the wedding industry. I was working at a hotel and she told me she needed help. My background was management. I have a degree in management, marketing and economics.

Nate Burgoyne (03:44)
So,

Tessa Gomes (03:54)
And she’s like, I want you to come on board. I want you to help me hire, train, and build a team. You know, it’s my sister, so of course I said yes. And the rest is history. I never in my life thought I would be in wedding planning. I never thought that, you know, this is where I would end up. But honestly, when I talk to couples, when I talk to my team, it literally is the perfect mix of everything that I’ve done in my life to lead me here.

Nate Burgoyne (04:16)
That’s super exciting. Sort of like divine intervention led you into this path is what it sounds like to me.

Tessa Gomes (04:24)
Pretty much, pretty much.

Nate Burgoyne (04:26)
Now what is your wedding planning superpower okay you in your website and in my experience interacting with me yes you are definitely a superhero what would you say is your superpower as a wedding planner.

Tessa Gomes (04:41)
Thanks.

Good question. You know, I think for us, it’s definitely one of those things where, you know, when you’re hiring a planner, when you’re hiring a coordinator, they need to be organized. They need to be able to create a timeline. They need to be able to manage the wedding day. And I think, you know, my team and I do that very well. I think what makes us superheroes, what makes us super is our ability to do it calmly. You know, we always understand that people are stressed, you know, and so it’s that calm nature. And honestly, it’s my relationship.

What I love most is being able to have great relationships with vendors and understand that everyone is human, everyone gets stressed, or everyone has problems or things that need to be taken care of and helped. And that’s what we do well. I think for us, it’s giving everyone that extra TLC

I always tell people, know, I am definitely more of a motivate with honey than with a stick. Like I am a, you know, like there are better ways to do things. If we’re kind, if we treat people well, they’re going to help. They’re going to make the wedding day successful. And I think, you know, just my team and I all live by that. And I think we do it really well.

Nate Burgoyne (05:45)
You do absolutely. I’ve seen it time and time again. You have an amazing team. I see you at events. They’re wonderful. You have an amazing team and that’s a credit to you putting that team together, right? We all know birds of a feather feather flock together. So yeah, congratulations on that. Yeah, of course. Now let’s just jump. Let’s start jumping into the meat of this thing. Let’s give some stuff to our couples here. Now you are.

Tessa Gomes (06:01)
Thank you.

Nate Burgoyne (06:10)
brutally honest with everyone which I know we all appreciate vendors client your clients love your brutal honesty that you deliver with a smile. What would you say is the number one thing that couples don’t want to hear but need to of course it’s going to be different for every couple but you’ve been in this for a while if you had to place one.

thing, you know, the number if you had to identify the number one thing that couples don’t want to hear but need to, what would that be?

Tessa Gomes (06:41)
This one is easy and also hard. It’s that they can’t afford it. You know, I think in the very beginning when we’re talking to couples, they are on Pinterest. And for anyone who’s listened to our podcast, they know that Pinterest is the death of me because people are looking at these fabulous weddings and a lot of them are unrealistic or they’re looking at a style shoot and it’s different. mean, you know, Nate, you do a lot of weddings outdoors. You know, if I was to tell you, let’s do a thousand

candles, I’m sure in your head you’re like, I know what that’s gonna do or you know, again, like beautiful place cards on the table. So a lot of it, it’s that they can’t afford these things that they’re seeing. My job is to help them figure out what do we need to pull or what can we take of it to create something in their budget that they can afford. The other one is just, you know, it’s the logistics of, again, like I said, the reality of a wedding versus these styled shoots or other photos that they see. You know, they may be looking at beautiful weddings

but it’s in a ballroom versus outdoors. Or they’re looking at it and it’s not in the rainy season. know, a lot of couples want to go no-tent, but…

Nate Burgoyne (07:41)
.

Tessa Gomes (07:44)
You’ve seen the weather the last couple of weeks, you know, for me, not having a tent is setting our couples up to fail. So, you know, it’s kind of those two things, right? It’s being able to afford it and telling them gently, you know, if we can’t do this, what are the things that we can do to still give you that same feel? Can we have it inspired by this picture, but it not be the duplicate of that picture? And the other thing is just logistically, what can and can’t we do at a wedding that you’re planning versus the pictures that you’re seeing online?

Nate Burgoyne (07:45)
So,

That’s a great, great insight. What jumped into my head as you were sharing this was the sort of the value or difference between having a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator. Could you enlighten us a little bit about how wedding planning versus coordinating plays into everything that you just shared?

Tessa Gomes (08:32)
Sure, so you know I want to say every wedding planning slash coordinating company has a slightly different definition, slightly different, but in general if we were to take a step back, your planner is the one that’s doing the planning with you. So they’re engaged with you from the beginning, they’re helping you pick your venue, your photographer, your DJ, they’re giving their insight. They either might be booking it on your behalf or they’re giving you advice on what to book, but they are involved very heavily

in the planning process. You know, how many chairs do you need to order? Do you need a tent? What size tent? You know, so all of the planning would be through you and a planner.

Your coordinator would be one that comes in towards the end. that point, the assumption is you’ve probably finished all of your planning, your vendors are booked, your timeline may or may not be created, and they’re there with execution. So they’re there to help you wrap up the details, be there on the day to make sure that your vision that you’ve planned comes to fruition. So they are the ones that are there on site, on the day, helping coordinate with your vendors, maybe your family members, your wedding party, to make sure that

everything that you wanted actually happens.

Nate Burgoyne (09:42)
So if I’m understanding correctly, the day of coordinator is requires that the couple’s doing a lot of planning ahead of time and they’re going to step in and kind of pull things together at the end. Whereas the planner is working for me from the beginning to let you know, hey, if you want a thousand candles,

at Kualoa Ranch, they’re not going to stay lit. Is that right?

Tessa Gomes (10:03)
Exactly,

Yep, the planner will be there telling you this is not a good idea or you might need LED candles. The coordinator is going to come in on the day and be like, man, we have a lot of candles that we have to somehow manage to light and relight and light again.

Nate Burgoyne (10:18)
Got it. Which is a reason I always keep a Zippo in my bag. So if you ever have a bunch of candles that are not being lit, I got my windproof Zippo lighter in my bag. Hit me up, I’ll take care of you guys.

Tessa Gomes (10:23)
Yeah.

Good to know.

Sometimes we go through so many lighters.

Nate Burgoyne (10:34)
Now on that note, you mentioned weather there’s a lot of different logistical things such as that given Hawaii. mean, Hawaii is a place, especially for outdoor venues and indoor. There are logistics and especially for outdoor, right? It’s a beautiful, lush place. It’s green. And that’s because there’s rain. You know, if there wasn’t rain, it would be a desert.

like no rain, no rainbows. It’s the rainbow state. What are some of the unique challenges that Hawaii has for couples coming over that they might not realize? Let’s say they’re coming from Southern California or Bay Area or New York City or what have you. What are some of the things that a lot of couples may not realize or consider before they connect with a planner?

Tessa Gomes (11:21)
Sure, you know, so Nate, I know you talked about rain. On the opposite end, it’s sun. I have a lot of couples that come from Asia, and again, they have beautiful, fair skin. I’ve also done a wedding where the couple was from Colorado.

And they, you know, and but they just aren’t used to being in the sun all day. The couple that was in Colorado, their whole family was here and they went hiking the day before and they were out in the sun all day. They’re not prepared for just the constant heat. And I think half of them had, you know, they got heats. What is it heat stroke or heat sick? They were sick and throwing up from the heat the day before the wedding. They’re not hydrating. They’re just not taking care. They just don’t understand that it’s not just rain, it’s the

sun and it’s not being prepared for all of that. It’s also, think, what I find really interesting is they’re coming to Hawaii for their wedding, but for most people it’s also vacation. So they are going surfing for the first time beforehand, they’re going hiking. They get hurt a lot because they’re on a vacation in their heads not realizing that it’s their wedding. You know sometimes I’ve had

couples with broken legs. Sunburn is very common because they’re just not prepared and they’re not wearing sunscreen. You know, people are sick on the day of their wedding because they had, you know, sunstroke or heatstroke or, you know, whatever. Again, it’s the weather and it’s the opposite of the cold. It’s that we are in Hawaii and if you’re in the Summer and you’re in the heat and then they don’t want a tent, so now they’re sitting in the sun for the whole time. It’s a lot if you’re not used to it. And again, they’re not coming and protecting themselves and staying in a little bubble until their

Nate Burgoyne (12:26)
So,

Tessa Gomes (12:53)
they’re out with their family and friends, know, snorkeling and scuba diving and hiking and surfing for the first time and it’s, you know, it’s dangerous if you’re not used to it and so I always warn couples like please be careful or you know please keep it calm until your wedding and then go nuts after, you know, but like take care of yourselves beforehand to avoid any of the, you know, the unexpected surprises on your wedding day.

Nate Burgoyne (13:13)
So,

That’s a great insight. I’d never even thought about that. That’s a great insight. my goodness. There you go. There you have it, folks. There was the, if anything, there was a mega gem for you right there for everyone who’s coming over here to get married. Super. All right, I’m gonna shift gears just a little bit right now.

Tessa Gomes (13:22)
Good luck.

There it is.

Nate Burgoyne (13:35)
Budgets aside I we’re not going to talk about wedding budgets … those vary so we’re not going to go there. When couples are considering budgets I guess in an ideal world you have enough budget to do everything you wanted and … more as you mentioned earlier that’s not always the case.

Tessa Gomes (13:50)
Great.

Nate Burgoyne (13:52)
You know everyone can’t have the dream Pinterest wedding. When couples are prioritizing budget. you share with us maybe and I guess this would apply more for couples that aren’t getting full planning they’re kind of doing stuff on their own and they’re going to bring you a coordinator in a little bit later. Are there things that they tend to overspend on that may not be worth it or are there some things that couples

tend to cheap out on that they might want to consider putting a little more budget into as they’re sort of starting out with that big picture planning of where they’re going to put the funds that they have for their celebration.

Tessa Gomes (14:27)
Sure, and you know, again, that’s kind of a tricky question with budget. It always is based on the client. And so the way that I, you know, when I work with a couple and we’re starting with their budget, I really kind of talk about what is your priority? And what I mean by that is, is it guest count, right? I’ve had some couples where they’ve wanted two, 300 people, but they were about to book a venue that only holds, you know, 150 because their parents told them that that’s the venue they should get married at. But…

If your guest is the priority, then you need to find somewhere that does that. Or on the flip side, I’ve had couples that really want to get married in a

you know, an outdoor venue and they hate being hot or they hate being in the sun, then I’m like, why are we doing this, right? Find a venue that fits your need. You know, with that said too, it’s is photo their priority? Is it the dancing at the end of the night? Is it the decor because they, you know, just have always dreamed of that Pinterest wedding, whatever it is, start there to see how much of that is going to eat your budget and then go from there and figure out what are the things that are less important. There’s always some things that you have to have, right? At some point you’re going to feel

Nate Burgoyne (15:26)
.

Tessa Gomes (15:29)
your guests, they’ll probably need chairs to sit on at some point, right? But beyond that, what are the things that we can let go?

Do we need photo and video? Do we need them for eight hours or six hours? Do we need the DJ for ceremony and reception, or are we having a live musician for one or the other? What are those things that we need? My goal is to make sure that whatever you want, you get. We don’t duplicate services, so if you have a live musician, you don’t need the DJ at the same time at ceremony. Maybe it’s one or the other. What are those things? What does it look like? What are your priorities through the day? And where can you not spend?

Nate Burgoyne (15:51)
.

Tessa Gomes (16:04)
wedding where they had zero flowers. She was a foodie. She’s been to, and I’m not sure if you’ve seen those online, but it’s called Out in the Field, and they have those mega long tables. Coursed fabulous meals with wine. And they used to go to all of them. They would go and have, they would enjoy those experiences. And that’s what they wanted their wedding to feel like.

Nate Burgoyne (16:19)
.

Tessa Gomes (16:23)
So with that said, it’s a long table. You just have this family style table of food and candles and wine and there’s no need for flowers. You know, she had no bouquet, no, no lay, no anything and she was fine with it. So what are those things that are important? And for me, that’s where you start budgeting. What are the things that are really important? We spent her entire budget, like majority was on food, you know, the flower budget, the rental, like it went to food. Like that was her priority food and good alcohol.

And it was perfect. She has no regrets. There was nothing that she wished she changed about it. But that’s not for everyone, you know? So it’s really important when you’re budgeting to figure out what are your priorities and where do you want to spend and where you’re okay cutting.

Nate Burgoyne (17:04)
I love that thus

the importance of getting with a planner early to help you sort those things out. And when from a DJ we show up at a wedding and as we kind of observe what’s going on, it’s really exciting for me personally to look and go, I can see where they put their budget and it matches their personality perfectly. And I can tell that the coordinators work

Tessa Gomes (17:12)
Right.

you

Nate Burgoyne (17:30)
closely with that couple to put that budget into places that are most important for them and the couples are thrilled. So yeah, love that. Love that. All right. Let’s shift a little bit here. I’m to kind of shift the question a little bit towards luxury weddings, because I know you do weddings of all spectrums, budget to luxury.

What is it that the luxury market appreciates about what you do and how are you catering to them and giving them the experience that they’re looking for when they’re coming to Hawaii to have their celebration?

Tessa Gomes (18:02)
Sure, and I really like that question. And the reason is, I think the biggest difference, the biggest thing that I see between luxury and budget weddings is they are… guess, sorry, let me take a step back.

no matter whether regardless of if they’re luxury or budget, they’re all looking to have the best day of their life. And regardless of what your budget is, there’s always a budget. There’s always a number of whatever it may be, whether it’s two or three times the cost of a lower budget. There’s still a budget. We are still trying to manage expectations and figure out what makes the most sense. What I’ve been finding a lot with my higher end, my luxury couples,

is they are hiring me for my experience. trust and they don’t have the time to question and go back and forth. So they’re putting a lot of trust into my vendor recommendations. They’re also leaning towards hiring professionals versus doing a lot of it on their own. I get a lot less of the DIY where they want to…

make their centerpieces or have a friend DJ or have a friend or family member shoot their wedding photos, they are trusting the vendors that I recommend to them. They’re trusting the experience and they’re trusting the process.

When I’m working with my luxury clients, they tend to be in jobs where maybe they’re a little busier or again, they’re not making every single decision and they’re okay with that. They’re trusting their team that they hire, they’re trusting people close to them. So I think when we’re working with a planner, when you’re finding a planner, trust is a huge thing. They’re the ones that are going to be helping you execute your vision, finding the right vendor. So I did a wedding this weekend and what I loved is they were like, every vendor you recommended

Nate Burgoyne (19:29)
.

Tessa Gomes (19:39)
was on point. It was absolutely our vibe. We’re so happy. You know, we love how all the vendors are interacting with each other. We had a great experience. know, every vendor was perfect for our wedding. And that’s what we do, you know? And I think when we work with luxury couples, they’re trusting of our vision. They’re trusting that you’ve hired us for a reason and we’re going to help you get that. It is a lot of trust, you know? It is a lot of trust. So it’s hard. And I get it when sometimes people question and I have no problem with their questions.

Nate Burgoyne (20:05)
.

Tessa Gomes (20:08)
questioning me, you know, are you sure this is right vendor? Can we find someone else? Is this, and that’s totally okay, but at the end of the day, when you step back on your wedding and you look at everything and it really comes together and you feel good, you know, you’re happy and all these vendors are kind of getting along.

I think that with the luxury couples, they come to that place a lot quicker and lot easier than my couples that tend to do a lot of the DIY. I think they tend to get a little more stressed. There’s a lot more hands-on and just kind of that back and forth with family members or friends. That’s a lot harder to manage when you’re also planning your wedding and working and celebrating the holidays and loved ones and whatnot. So I think probably that’s the biggest difference. And I think that’s the value of when I work with luxury couples, they are trusting

of my vision and allowing me to execute it.

Nate Burgoyne (20:56)
That’s a great insight. I love how you shared about the wedding you did recently where all of the vendors jelled together. They were all on the same page. You just knew that that was going to be the perfect dream team of vendors for that particular couple, which is an insight that, you know, would be, I would say near impossible to create or put together if you didn’t have the professional

guidance from a coordinator, a planner like yourself. Great insight. Now, kind of stepping back from that a little bit, for couples that are trying to find the right planner, what are some things that they should consider? I know for us as a DJ team, we don’t profess to be the right DJ for every couple on the planet. And I would imagine you don’t

view yourself as the right planner for every couple that’s coming to Hawaii. What should couples be looking for or considering as they’re trying to decide which planners which vendors they’re going to work with for their celebration.

Tessa Gomes (21:58)
Right, good question. And you know, I think first of all, you need to figure out if you want a planner or a coordinator, you know, because if you’re hiring a coordinator and you’re expecting them to help plan, you’re setting yourself up to fail, right? So first it’s understanding what are you looking for? What do you need?

And then from there, I’m a big believer in finding someone that you trust. It’s hard to get that in one short meeting, but do you connect with that person? Do they try to understand your vision? Again, I always tell couples, I’m not gonna know everything about you in one call.

But do you feel like I want to? Do you feel like we’re trying and we have a connection to get started? You’ll know in the beginning whether you like or don’t like someone, somewhat. So again, right, it’s can they do what you want them to do? If you’re looking for someone that is heavily design-based or if you’re looking for someone that is very technical, what is that thing that this planner or coordinator offers that might be better or different than others?

Nate Burgoyne (22:42)
.

Tessa Gomes (22:57)
I’ve mentioned this and I’ve told you before is we, my team and I specialize on client experience. So we really believe heavily in getting to know our couples, finding out again, what are the things that stress them out? A lot of times it’s family.

So if I know that the mother is stressing them out, their siblings are stressing them out, I have no problem calling them, getting on a call with them to see how can we work through it. What do I need to do to make sure on the wedding day, mom is happy? Is the mother of the groom unhappy because she’s not getting enough attention as the mother of the bride? I will assign someone to help the mother of the groom through the day and make sure she feels seen. We know that family is so important to couples.

If mom is mad or your father’s mad or someone that you love is mad or stressed or not getting attention, it’s going to affect you. And so that’s what we do well. We hand hold our couples. We also hand hold our vendors. What do they need help with? How can we help the photographer? Does the DJ need help? You know, we did a wedding and it was out in the sun at noon. It was an Indian wedding. So it was two hours long and it looked like everybody was about to have a stroke. It was so hot. So I ran, you know, we were at a hotel and I ran and I got some some towels.

Nate Burgoyne (23:39)
.

Tessa Gomes (24:05)
with ice water and I handed it out to all the vendors. Again, it’s if we take care of the vendors, if we take care of your loved ones, your whole day is going to go smoother, you know? And I know that that’s different from what other planners and coordinators specialize in. And we’re all different and there’s not one that’s better than the other. It’s what is the right fit for each couple?

Nate Burgoyne (24:23)
You touched on something that I think a lot of couples

overlook and don’t understand and that’s what you mentioned about those family relationships.

We go to weddings occasionally where there is, you know, a family member who’s the coordinator or what have you, and people are stressed out and they arrive that way. And I think a lot of couples just don’t realize that the planner, like yourself, who cares about the relationships of the people there goes so much further beyond just making sure the tent set up and the chairs are in place.

Putting people at ease, making sure that there’s, you everything you described that people are relaxed and that you’re accommodating and arranging what that may be transportation, I would imagine, just flow of who’s where when to make sure that everybody is happy and relaxed throughout the day. So a huge, huge, huge piece that nobody ever sees.

Tessa Gomes (25:09)
Mm-hmm.

We’ve done weddings.

Well, and we’ve done weddings, you know, where the bridesmaid has a baby, you know, so for us, we will help schedule in times for her to breastfeed or pump or, you know, like, it’s understanding that there is more than just setting the flowers at the table in order to make the stay flow. If the bridesmaids are missing and it’s her sister.

Number one, she’s stressed about her sister. Number two, it’s her new baby niece or nephew. So like the bride’s mind or the groom’s mind might be somewhere else. If they know that we have taken care of it and we have a place for her to pump or breastfeed or take care of her child, it’s going to put her at ease. You know, I always tell couples like, I’m a mother. I understand. Half my team also has kids and they understand and they know like, OK, if we don’t take care of the kids, they’re not going to, their minds won’t be focused on the wedding. It’s on the kids as

it always is, right? So what are the things that we do? It’s funny because talking about them putting the flowers on the table, doing those things like we don’t do those things like we don’t put the flowers like for us. We tell you hire a florist, hire someone that’s going to do that because we are focusing on the guests. We’re focusing on the needs something different for their wedding.

Nate Burgoyne (26:26)
Let’s imagine you’ve got a couple who is booking a last minute wedding. Okay. They just decided they’re getting married in Hawaii. It happens. They just decided for whatever reason, they’re getting married in Hawaii. It’s going to happen 30 days from now. What do you recommend they book first and in order? So book this, this, this, then that.

What advice do you have for them?

Tessa Gomes (26:52)
So the fun thing is I actually love the short-term planning. We’ve done a bunch of them where they’re a couple months out and they’re like, let’s just do it. And it’s not an elopement. They’re bringing 30, 40 people. They want a celebration. And for some reason, they just waited until the end. What I like about it is it forces them to make quick decisions. So there’s no lollygagging. There’s no going back and forth. You want it, yes or no. We got to go.

First thing that we always book is venue. And the reason for that is that’s gonna set your date. If you don’t have a venue, we can’t book Nate. You how can we book a DJ if we don’t even know what date? Because you’re gonna say, sure, but without a date, we can’t really confirm it. We can’t really lock you in. So the venue is always the most important. And…

Number one, it’s because of date. Number two, it also kind of sets the tone of everything else. If we’re at a hotel, then there’s catering, there’s food and drinks. You’ll have tables and chairs and a roof over your head.

If we’re at an outdoor venue, you know, like Lanikuhonua or Kualoa Ranch, you’re looking at a park. Again, every venue has different things that are included. And so we can’t book a caterer without knowing our venue because if we’re at a hotel, then we put a deposit down for nothing. Same, you know, with with every venue or every vendor, if we’re booking DJ and we’re at, you know, an outdoor venue and it’s three completely different areas versus a hotel where it’s all in one space, I would guess that your pricing

might be a little different or your ability might be different. You may comfortably be able to do an indoor hotel wedding that day, but maybe if it’s a little more complex, you may not have the staffing that day. know, so again, I think a lot of it is depending on where are you getting married.

the date and then again, then they can reach out to you and say, hey, Nate, we’re getting married. You it’s a little tricky. Our ceremony is at a church, but we do need sound and then our reception is here and we’re gonna move cocktail hour on the top of a mountain. That’s gonna really kind of, you know, help you figure out whether or not you can do it and how much you charge for it.

Nate Burgoyne (28:43)
Big love it. Start with that venue. Number one. Start with the venue. OK, cool. All right. As we’re kind of getting near the end here, I want to go for like a little fun rapid fire around here. Some quick questions. All right. First.

Tessa Gomes (28:56)
Okay.

Nate Burgoyne (28:57)
Dream wedding venue in Hawaii what’s your dream venue.

Tessa Gomes (29:00)
Man, for me personally, I always tell people if my husband and I were to do this again, I would go to the Halikulani because I love their wedding cake. I’m a cake lover and their wedding cake is my favorite by far.

Nate Burgoyne (29:12)
Awesome. Okay, next first look, yes or no?

Tessa Gomes (29:15)
Always yes, always yes.

Nate Burgoyne (29:17)
Got it. Plated dinner or food stations.

Tessa Gomes (29:20)
food stations. love to eat as much as I can of things that I love, so food stations are always a must.

Nate Burgoyne (29:27)
Got it. Okay. The the wedding trend that you’re over it like leave this one in the past we’re done with this trend.

Tessa Gomes (29:35)
I like it’s already out the door, but just to officially say it, garter toss, I think it’s tricky. know, my parents are watching it again. I think I’m Asian and I’m a little conservative, but I don’t want my parents watching my husband go up my dress, personally.

Nate Burgoyne (29:51)
Got it. What about a wedding trend that you are super stoked about?

Tessa Gomes (29:57)
I mean, I still love the cake cutting. I know, it’s crazy. I love cake. I don’t ever want that to go away. I love the cake cutting. No smashing in the face, but the cake cutting, feeding the cake, still love it.

Nate Burgoyne (30:10)
And one last question. The song you never want to hear at a wedding ever, ever again, if you could.

Tessa Gomes (30:19)
The chicken dance. I hate the chicken dance.

Nate Burgoyne (30:21)
Oh my gosh, they play that at. I’ve never even played the chicken dance ever. Do do does that still get played at weddings?

Tessa Gomes (30:28)
It does. It still gets played at weddings. I know.

Nate Burgoyne (30:32)
my goodness. Wow. Okay. I want

to see some video of that. That would be interesting. Okay. I’m going to agree with you on that a hundred percent. All right. Let’s get some final advice from you. Some final wisdom here. You know, of everything that we’ve kind of chatted about here and you know, or anything else that might be on your mind. If there’s one piece of advice that you

Tessa Gomes (30:40)
Yeah.

Nate Burgoyne (30:55)
would encourage couples or hope that couples would take away from this little chat we’ve had right here, what would that piece of advice be? What would be the main takeaway you hope that they would draw from this episode here?

Tessa Gomes (31:10)
my biggest thing is when you’re working with vendors, when you’re booking vendors, you want to find vendors that you really trust because it’s going to make your wedding day exceptional. know, in every networking event that I go to, everything I host, it’s always a, you know, vendors.

work with people that they know, like and trust. It’s the same for couples, right? If you like them, you trust them, you get to know them, your wedding day is going to be so much smoother. You’re not going to be questioning them every step of the way. And you’re going to be able to step back, trust them and really enjoy your wedding day. And that ability to let go because you know that you’re in good hands is priceless.

Nate Burgoyne (31:47)
There’s no do-overs on a wedding, right?

Tessa Gomes (31:49)
There’s

not. No, there’s none.

Nate Burgoyne (31:51)
All right, that’s a great piece of advice right there. Now, before we get all of your information here so that we know we can tell all these wonderful couples how to connect with you, is there anything else, any other advice or anything on your mind that you just think would be great to share with couples before we wrap up this episode?

Tessa Gomes (32:11)
I think you covered a lot of it. It’s just, know, I always tell couples this, it’s try to enjoy your wedding planning process too. It’s a lot, but if you lean on the vendors that you trust, if you really kind of step back and just…

Focus your priorities, focus your budget on the things that are important to you. Don’t spend time on things that aren’t important. If you hate flowers, don’t get flowers because you have to. If you want a karaoke machine and your family thinks it’s silly but that’s all you wanted for your wedding, get the karaoke machine. Focus on the things that are important to you and your fiancee, let the rest go and it will truly be a wedding that is yours and you’ll enjoy it so much more.

Nate Burgoyne (32:50)
Thank you so much, Tessa, for all these great insights you’ve shared today. Tell all of our listeners and watchers how they can get in contact.

with Fred + Kate Events how can they learn about you how can they see what’s going on and and determine if you’re the right fit for them.

Tessa Gomes (33:07)
Sure, so you can always go to our website. It’s fredandkate.com. We’re on Instagram, @fredandkateevents And you can listen to my podcast, Unveiling Paradise. It’s on Spotify, Apple, anywhere else. I think a lot of couples that book me have listened to the podcast. And again, it’s great because they get to know my personality. You know, when I talk to couples, they’ll often say, you sound just like your podcast. I’m like, that’s because it’s who I am. I’m not pretending. I’m not trying to be someone else.

So I think it really kind of gets, it allows them to see me personally, hear what I have to say. You know, it’s like we’re having a conversation with them listening. And I think that’s a great place to start if they are planning a wedding just for, again, I always tell people it’s free advice. And then just get to know my personality. We talk about my team. We talk about just weddings in general. And it, I think, gives people an insight into who I am as a planner and a person.

Nate Burgoyne (33:58)
Excellent, excellent. So fredandkate.com and the Unveiling Paradise.

podcast, which is on Spotify and iTunes. Wonderful. Well, thanks again, Tessa, for joining us today on this podcast. super excited to have had you here and talk story with you and all the great insights that you’ve shared for everybody that’s listening. Be sure to like subscribe to our podcast here, the Super Fresh Hawaii Wedding Podcast, as well as Tessa’s

podcast at Unveiling Paradise. And thanks again for listening and until next time, peace. I guess that’s all sign off on. Thanks, Tessa.

Tessa Gomes (34:39)
Peace!