Have you met Amy? Get to know The cakewalk events wedding planner Extraordinaire!
If you're looking for a friend who can help walk you through choosing the details of your big day - Amy is your girl. Do you want someone who can answer all your questions both big and small - Amy is your girl. Maybe you're just in need of someone who can tell you "how this all works". In all those cases and more, Amy Rizzo is your girl!
This week we're shining the spotlight on Cakewalk Events wedding planner so you can get to know her and love her like we do!
Q: First, can you tell us a little about your background?
A: Sure! I moved to Kansas City to attend college at the Kansas City Art Institute and have been here ever since. Right after I graduated I toyed with running off to Brooklyn or Chicago, but my love for this amazing city and the people who live here was too strong to let me leave. I spent the early part of my career in catering and art education before moving into the event planning world.
Q: What would you say is your favorite part of your job?
A: My favorite part, hands down, is meeting the couples. But the most satisfying part of my job is how I get to combine and utilize my skills in business, organization, and creativity on an every day basis. I get to use my artistic background and problem solving skills to help develop a wedding planning system that is used over and over by all different kinds of people. As an artist you can create amazing works but they just kind of hang on the wall, whereas this kind of art impacts people in a very real and meaningful way.
"Helping them be able to relax and just enjoy each other on their wedding day was an absolute pleasure!"
Q: Is there a couple who left a life long impression with you?
A: In my position, I get to speak personally with almost every one of our couples. Choosing just one is impossible. I will say Megan and Jeff immediately come to mind. I don't know specifically what it is about them, but their excitement was completely contagious! They both took such an active role in the process and you could tell Jeff was just as excited as Megan to plan all the details. Helping them be able to relax and just enjoy each other on their wedding day was an absolute pleasure!
Another couple who has a special place in my heart are Sandy and Merle. I had an amazing opportunity to reassure them that they could do whatever they wanted because it's their wedding day! We figured out how to coordinate a wedding processional and ceremony that didn't just accommodate them, but was as special as they deserve.
"Seeing it take on a life of it's own as more and more couples choose to spend their big day there has been a joy!"
Q: Who is your favorite fictional couple?
A: Oh, I definitely love the relationship of Dana Scully & Fox Mulder from the X Files! They intellectually challenge each other. They are both so smart and capable yet so different; They need each other's strengths to solve impossible problems.
Ooh, ooh wait! There is also April Ludgate & Andy Dwyer from Parks & Rec! They seem to be the only ones that can really satisfy each other's very particular needs. And when they knew, they knew. They got married on the fly, at a surprise wedding after dating a few short weeks but they are undoubtedly the strongest and most well-matched couple of the whole group.
Q: What about your favorite real life couple?
A: You know, I can't pick just one. I believe the best relationships truly bring the best out of each partner. When they combine forces, each are stronger than they are alone, without sacrificing their own integrity. My best friends have some of the most inspiring relationships I have seen. Meg and Andy, Kathryn and Mel, Mandie and Joe, Kristen and Josh, Janice and Paul. You don't know these people, but they are all salt of the Earth and have chosen their mates very wisely. They seem to have a genuinely great time with each other and their love is based on a deep respect and admiration of the other.
"Everything is going according to plan."
Q: What hobby consumes a bunch of your free time?
A: I love music, spanning almost all genres and eras. I almost constantly listen to music while I'm working or cleaning, walking or cooking. I am always compiling, investigating, and creating new playlists. It's been a lifelong fixation. I had a blast creating all of the playlists for Cakewalk, specifically the cocktail hour and dance playlists for the receptions! Despite my effort to keep up with the newest "cool" music, I must admit, there are regular karaoke and dance parties at our place in which Carly Rae Jepsen, the Biebs, and Taylor Swift are house favorites.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote about life or love?
A: My favorite quote is one that I have tattooed on my back. "Everything is going according to plan." It's not a religious thing, but more of a reminder to be open to things you were not expecting or planning on. There is sort of a silent caveat with that quote: Everything is going according to plan; You just don't know the plan.
Want to see more of Amy's "most memorable" couple, Megan & Jeff? See the magical moments from their wedding day by clicking below!
