Tasha Bracken is a very well-known event planner in the Boston area. I had the pleasure of completing an internship with her last semester, and she truly has become one of my biggest role models in the event industry. Her passion for events, attention to detail, and how much she cares for her clients truly makes her inspirational, and I aspire to be a planner like her after graduation.
Tasha attended Curry College and majored in Communications. While she was there, she worked at the campus radio station all four years. She said that her PR classes started her interest for events, and when she was able to help plan events for clients at the PR firm she worked at after college, she realized this was what she wanted to do. She followed in the footsteps of her parents, who were also entrepreneurs, and opened her own event planning company!
From a young age, Tasha had been involved with events. Her father would have people over often when she was younger, and she loved to help with the decorations and music and menu selection! Tasha said a great quote during our interview which really summed up her love for events, “ It was a production and I always loved to see the outcome with everyone laughing and telling stories. I knew then that these were special moments.”
Tasha plans all different types of events- weddings, non-profit events, galas, styled photoshoots, etc. Her work is incredible and she works very hard to make sure they come out amazing. She enjoys all of her events and does not have a specific type of event that she does. She likes to focus on all different types of events because every event is meaningful and leaves a lasting mark on the client or organization they serve. She loves working at new venues to take a fresh spin on the event. Each event space is different and has a huge impact on the overall feel of the event. Tasha also enjoys using monochromatic color palettes or a palette with pops of color in them. She described this well, “Something that stands the test of time and will still be relevant 20 years from now.” Tasha also loves to have a strong team of vendors working with her at events, as those who collaborate well as a team will support each other and make sure the event is well done.
Event planning can be broken up into two stages. The first is pre-planning, which is when planners meet with the client to formulate a vision, meet with vendors, and plan the whole event. For Tasha, her favorite part of this aspect is designing. She loves to help choose color palettes and linens, and work with florists to come up with beautiful floral arrangements. The other aspect is day-of coordination. This is the day of the event, and the job of the planner is to oversee the event during that day. For Tasha, she has two favorite parts. “The first is watching the bride walk down the aisle to meet her groom. There is so much stress right before the wedding and in that moment it disappears and she is focused on that moment. The second is when the couple first walks into their reception and sees their vision come to life. There is nothing like it.”
Tasha’s favorite thing about the industry would be the connections she has made, through vendors and guests, as well as spreading joy throughout the events she plans and celebrations her clients have. Something that she is not a huge fan of in the industry is the social media aspect, and how sometimes creating a large status can overpower the industry and the clients you serve.
She also stands for female empowerment and shared some of her opinions with us about this. “I believe women can do just about anything. There is nothing more powerful than being in a room with strong women who have goals and are ready to get things done. There has been a lot of progress in how women are treated. If women continue to speak out and have their voice heard, we can work to get this world better for everyone.”
Tasha shared some tips for those who want to get involved in the industry as well. “Do an internship and shadow someone. Being a wedding planner is not like the movies. It’s a lot of long hours, weekends and your work isn’t always appreciated. Many times its thankless work, but it is also extremely rewarding.”
I enjoyed being able to speak with Tasha and learn more from her. She truly is a very inspirational woman, and her work truly shows this to the world.