Since 1990, John Gandy of John Gandy Events in Tallahassee, Florida has been setting trends in event planning, with his specialty being weddings. His tagline reads, “We don’t follow trends, we set them.” Based on his reputation and results, he could not have chosen a more accurate statement!
I. John Gandy and His Philosophy + Inspiration
John Gandy is a brilliant designer, planner, and coordinator regardless of the event, but especially weddings. He has a gift of being able to relate to people quite easily. He knows how to make his clients feel comfortable and earn their trust.
John has a unique vision that is all his own. He is able to meet with clients and immediately set them as ease, ensuring their dream will be achieved through a collaboration of their ideas and his design knowledge.
Philosophy
John’s philosophy to his clients is quite simple: Be Authentic – Be Realistic – Be In the Moment. Each of these pieces of advice will keep the bride grounded and allow for a more pleasant wedding planning experience.
Here is John’s three-point plan:
Be Authentic: Be yourself by staying true to yourself. Don’t get lost in other people’s dreams for you.
Be Realistic: Make sure you know your budget and what it can withstand. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment.
Be In the Moment: It all goes by so fast. Enjoy every moment of it!
Inspiration
Much of John’s inspiration comes from his extensive travel which has taken him to places as far away as China. He visited the Forbidden City in Beijing where the Ming Dynasty once ruled from their opulent imperial palace. It is experiences like these that build on John’s repertoire of inspiration which translates into ideas for his clients. It is not only the pieces of art that he collects during his travel that are significant, but the experiences that he can draw upon to design a truly unique event.
II. The Team at John Gandy Events
John has assembled a team of experts to ensure that each wedding goes perfectly and attention is given to every single detail. Because John Gandy Events is a full-service planning and design firm, every bride can choose to have a planner, coordinator, and designer every step of the way including on their wedding day. The brides may also choose to only have one or two of the professionals on their journey. Whatever is most helpful and comfortable to the bride is available to them at John Gandy Events!
Here’s an introduction to the team:
Troy Rentz serves as an Event Coordinator and Event Team Leader, as well as Coordinator of Rentals. Troy is a hard-working, natural leader with an impressive eye for design. He is well informed in a variety of unique trends and styles and he has an excellent work ethic making sure the design plan is executed flawlessly.
Juli Downs serves as the Bridal Coordinator, has been coordinating weddings for years, beginning in Atlanta when she was an Atlanta Falcon Cheerleader. She has been a member of the John Gandy Events team for many years. Juli’s kind and calm demeanor coupled with her impeccable taste and extensive knowledge of fashion and design, makes her perfect for our team. She has an uncanny ability to make every bride feel special on their wedding day.
Janice Powell: Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes to make an exquisite wedding reception design all come together? Just ask Janice Powell, our Production Designer and Rental Coordinator. Janice brings the design vision to life whether it’s transforming an indoor reception to rustic elegance or adding the glamour and sparkle to a seemingly casual venue, she knows what it takes and has the drive to get it done.
Emily Pozzouli, a recent graduate of FSU, is one of our newest Event Managers. Her passions for design and planning are what make her a perfect fit to the team. Her favorite part of the job is working with clients to help bring their creative visions to life.
Steven Phodes is the “GandyLand” Warehouse Manager and an invaluable asset to our team. Steven keeps all 13,000 square feet of GandyLand organized and all the rental inventory in tip top shape and ready to go. His carpentry skill and building knowledge allows him to customize items for clients to make each detail even more unique
Scott Kelley works behind the scenes in the warehouse alongside Steven. His ability to read a situation and decide what is needed to provide for the best possible outcome allows our team to be more flexible with our inventory and provide the best options to our clients.
Amanda Karmanos Barksdale is John Gandy Events’ go-to stationery designer. Amanda is the go-to custom stationery designer. She joined the team 6 years ago so she could see her designs come alive at each event. Her creative side, coupled with her fun personality and willingness to take on a challenge makes her a special asset as an Event Manager for our events.
Karen Bell is the Executive Assistant to John Gandy. Karen’s vast experience in the hotel industry allows her to use that knowledge and her excellent organizational skills to assist our clients with hotel bookings nationwide.
III. The GandyLand Warehouse
The 13,000 square foot GandyLand warehouse contains the most exquisite pieces of wedding inventory. Filled with priceless pieces collected from around the world, a bride can have her choice of almost anything she desires. My photographer took some photos on our visit to GandyLand, but there was no way to show the beauty or size of this majestic fantastical place.
From vases to chandeliers to sofas and chaise lounges, there is nothing that John Gandy cannot provide. Due to his extensive travel, most of the pieces are rich in history. I was fortunate enough to see several of the pieces up close and all of them were stunning. It would be a fun adventure to plan a wedding with all the pieces available in GandyLand! Brides can be certain that they will be surrounded with exquisite pieces that come from beautiful places from around the world on their wedding day.
Check out these photos below for more of the beautiful pieces contained in GandyLand!
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