Creating a magical wedding is a dance of balancing contradictions. You have to saturate the senses without over-producing, steep the event with individual details that become seamless, pace a fast-moving day, and counter the emotional crescendos with much needed lulls. 

The planners responsible for this do multiple events a year, but they still have to make that particular event authentic to who’s being celebrated. 

The ultimate litmus test and sign you’ve succeeded? When someone can’t pinpoint what exactly made the day so magical because the components are so harmonious. 

How do you set yourself up for this from your first moments with the client? What steps can you take to understand the client and the guest’s journey throughout the day? In this episode, we’re joined by leading wedding planner, Jennifer Zabinski. She shares how she makes her events so magical, and the thinking behind her approach. 

Guest Bio

Though she’s now known as one of the country’s leading wedding planners—named best of the best by both Harper’s Bazaar and Martha Stewart Weddings—Jennifer Zabinski didn’t always know she wanted to be an event planner. After graduating from Cornell University’s prestigious School of Hotel Administration, she headed west to California, working for some of the biggest names in the hospitality business. She quickly worked her way up the ranks at The Ritz-Carlton and the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, becoming one of the youngest senior members on both staffs to spearhead events. It was there that Jennifer realized her knack for bringing people together and making sure their every need was met could translate to a new line of work in the wedding industry.

Marrying her business acumen to her talent as a creative and strategic thinker, Jennifer moved back to New York and became the partner at The Wedding Library, a bridal design and retail shop, where she led the planning and events division for a decade. She struck out on her own in 2011 with the launch of JZ Events. Combining a methodical, collaborative approach with an innovative spirit, Jennifer has planned, designed, and executed hundreds of events in some of the most exciting stunning locales around the world (Necker Island, St. Barts, Ravello, Cap Ferrat, Amalfi Coast, Aspen, Paris, Florence, and San Francisco, to name just a few). Throughout that time, she has fostered close relationships with top vendors, including award- winning caterers, floral designers, and photographers, all of which means she knows just the right pro to carry out your vision.

“Most people don’t come to me wanting to replicate someone else’s event,” says Jennifer. “They want to do something that’s never been done before, whether that’s a new spin on a classic venue, finding a far-flung location to host a weekend-long celebration, or dreaming up a novel theme.” At the end of the day, she says, everyone wants to create something that’s utterly unique. Achieving that goal for clients is the difference between a good planner and a great one.

Jennifer’s work has been recognized in the pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Martha Stewart Weddings, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Brides, Glamour, The Knot, among many other magazines, blogs, and websites. She lives in New York City with her husband, two children, and dog, Gunner.

For more information, head to https://jzevents.com/ and follow @jzevents on Instagram.