Posted on: January 24, 2008
Wowee Cowie
Forget the rules. Colin Cowie, the man who designed weddings for Don Henley, Lisa Kudrow and Paula Abdul, says the key to a fabulous wedding starts with your own heart's desire
By Robert Sharoff
CTW Features
With the publication last year of "Weddings" (Little, Brown), a lavishly illustrated wedding primer, Colin Cowie cemented his reputation as one of the top tastemakers in America. Based in Los Angeles, Cowie has been staging weddings since 1985. He has done it all, from white-glove social events in New York ballrooms to rock-star blowouts on California ranches. Cowie recently spoke with Bride's Guide about his philosophy and what he's learned about keeping his head on "the most important day of a person's life."
How do you define your job?
COWIE: Party planner, friend, arbitrator, psychologist.
How far ahead do you work?
COWIE: People book me six to eight months or even 18 months in advance. But because trends and ideas change so quickly, I do most of the actual designing in the last six months. I'm always trying to reinvent weddings and make them fresh.
How do you do that?
COWIE: You start by throwing out the rulebook. Forget what history or society dictates you should do. This is the most important day of your life. I always encourage people to write their own vows and to incorporate as much of their personalities as possible into the ceremony. The last thing you want is a textbook wedding.
How do you work with brides?
COWIE: I start off by asking a number of questions on everything from their favorite restaurants to where they go on vacations so I can begin to get an idea of their likes and dislikes. I also ask if they or the groom have any hobbies or pursuits they would like
incorporated into the celebration. If a couple likes to sail, a
wedding at a marina or yacht club might be appropriate. If they love opera, we could include some arias by a local opera singer.
How involved are the grooms?
COWIE: Very involved. Frankly, I think it's a bad sign for the marriage if a groom doesn't want to be involved. Weddings are supposed to be a joint statement of style.
What if you find the bride and groom have terrible taste?
COWIE: If somebody tells me they want life-sized ice sculptures and purple tablecloths at the cocktail reception, I run in the opposite direction as fast as I can. And it's not just snobbery. Planning a wedding is a very emotional experience and a bride needs a planner she feels comfortable with. If our sensibilities are totally different, we shouldn't work together.
How big a part of your job is handholding?
COWIE: Every bride is worried to a certain degree. You just have to roll with it. Of course, sometimes it gets out of hand. One bride called me at 11 o'clock on Sunday night in the middle of winter to grill me about the air-conditioning in her tents, and the wedding wasn't for another six months. I told her let's get through spring, and then we'll address the air-conditioning.
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