Diary of A Wedding Planner! Q&A
Hello Friends!
This week’s special edition of the round up is a special treat! Brandi Ford, writer, actress, mother, future super-star and friend of mine from High School is now creating her own web series “Diary of a Wedding Planner.” I’m a sucker for smart pretty girls getting out there and creating hilarious work! You can check out the pilot episode of the series below and a short interview with the woman herself after!
Enjoy!
Q. You’re a wedding planner in real life, right? Did you go in with the intention of creating a show off of the experience eventually?
A. I used to be a wedding planner before moving out to LA to pursue an acting career but now I’m pretty focused on the entertainment industry. However, because I still adore weddings in general I assist a local planner out here whenever she has a wedding so I’m still able to be involved in an industry that I love. That said, I knew I wanted to write something that would be fun and light and for the most part, family friendly. People always say to write what you know and I know weddings, so there you go.
Q. Your character, Khristy has a very traditional view of how a wedding ceremony should be run. Do you find that in the industry there is still that notion to hold on to tradition even at a time where a big-budget wedding isn’t an option for a lot of young people?
A. It’s very interesting to see how tradition is valued much more in the South {which is where I first began planning weddings} versus in Vegas {where I planned weddings for Hard Rock Hotel} or here in California. I think in general some wedding traditions such as the unity candle, the father giving away the bride, the first dance, and things of that nature won’t ever go out of style. They are wedding classics that the majority of brides will have in some way shape or form. But there are other traditions that have sort of fallen by the wayside recently such as not letting your groom see you on the day of until you walk down the aisle being replaced with First Look shots instead, which is when the bride & groom decide to see each other for the first time before the ceremony and it’s a very sweet, intimate and generally touching moment. And especially in this economy more and more brides are opting to have a more intimate celebration with their closest family and friends not only to save cash but to really ensure that they spend their special day with people who TRULY love them.
Q. Where do you see this series going? Are there any other web shows that went down a similar path to the one you want that you want your show to go?
A. This first season has been completely self-funded with the help and support of family and friends who believed in this idea so I would absolutely love for this show to be picked up by a major website or even a network that’s looking for online content. There are sooooo many wedding reality shows out {many of which I’m addicted to} that I think a scripted wedding show that explores true to life situations and not just million dollar weddings will be a refreshing change of pace for many viewers. My hope is that the stories we tell in this series will resonate both with real industry pros and with brides alike. Though we’ve only released the first episode for now there is definitely more to come. And as far as other web shows going down a similar path, two that I absolutely love that I believe are also self-produced are Pretty and The Best Friend. Though I don’t think either has been picked up by any sponsors, they both put out hilarious episodes and have a pretty nice following.
Q. I’m all of a sudden REALLY interested in the role of women in film and TV. Have you heard of The Bechdel Test for women in movies? It really is amazing! Women are so much more complex than they’re portrayed in film! As a woman who is writing her own show how do you create depth to your female characters?
A. I’d never heard of this test before so thank you for sharing! As a woman myself I don’t set out to create depth in my female characters I simply make them as real as I can and in doing so, the layers come. Afterall, women are more complex than men will ever be! And that’s not an insult, men will tell you the same thing. So hopefully my writing reflects that.
Q. Speaking of Women’s Issues you have a BEAUTIFUL family! What do you think are the particular challenges for a working mom trying to get in the door in Hollywood?
A. Thank you for the compliment! I actually wrote a blog post about being a mommy/actress but the gist of it is that it’s a balance. It takes a lot of focus and pounding the pavement to get doors to open for you here in Hollywood but at the same time I have a family who need my love, support and attention so I have to juggle the two. My time is certainly at a premium because I can’t attend every single networking event that I’d like if it doesn’t leave room for me to spend quality time with my boys. The great thing though, is that my family keeps me grounded and remind me that there’s much more to life than just my career and the perspective that that brings is invaluable.
Q. Finally, you’ve been working up to this for so long, what’s the best thing about seeing your show find success?
A. Honestly the best part about releasing the show and being well received is feeling like I’ve connected with an audience who gets it. I know my show is not for everybody but the people who like it seem to really love it and that validation is absolutely wonderful. When someone sends me an email saying they can’t wait to see more episodes it feels like all of our hard work has been worth it!
Thank you so much Brandi for the interview! Looking forward to more episodes!
