CT Tuesdays: Kia Martinson-Wenzel

Today we're catching up with Kia Martinson-Wenzel - the woman behind ESTOccasions, and the organizer of the CT Bridal Event. 




Although I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Kia in person ... yet ... it became very clear to me during our phone, email, and Facebook interactions that she loves what she does.




So with that in mind, I think there's no better person to talk about Kia than Kia herself.



ESTO comes from the fact that my parents are both Estonian and that Estonian is my first language.  Besides that, ESTO is a large celebration held by Estonians every 4 years in different parts of the world.  So it's always been a way to inject a little bit of me into everything I do.  


I made ESTO an acronym - and it stands for Events, Special Themes  and Occasions. 

We are a full-service planning & design company for weddings. I’ve been in business for over 6 years and I love what I do.  I simply just love to create and pull together any type of event and work with the size and budget.  Creating a stylish wedding, while mixing in tradition and the couple's wishes, is always a wonderful challenge.  I make a point to listen to my clients, make sure they know they are being listened to, and that their wedding represents them and their story.  

 Vineyard

I’ve also made a point to show that wedding planners are affordable. 

The amount I can save couples might seem to be a little here and there; but when you pull it all together, it is extra money to spend on something they may want.  I enjoy finding a cost-effective way to give my clients what they are looking for.  Finding creative ways to design a wedding is one of my passions.  I am always looking at products and trying to create something personal for each client.

Wickham Park

While there are parts of my job that are a lot of fun, it also takes organization, thinking quickly and handling the pressure.  No matter what is going on, I work to be on top of everything and make it all work out. A lot of elements need to work together to make a wedding successful and that is my passion.

Boca Beach

From large scale wedding to small, intimate ones, I make it all work.

I’ve been a wife for the last fourteen years, and spent eight of them as an Army Wife. 

I feel this has made me a good planner. 

I handle change well, I’m quick on my feet, and the one thing the Army loves is paperwork!  I have two young boys, aged 11 and 4, and they are another reason I love what I do. I have the chance to spend time with them while running a business. 

I work throughout the state, RI, MA and NYC.

Four years ago I thought why can’t we have bridal shows that are affordable for vendors and give brides a relaxed setting to really connect with them?

As a result the CT Bridal Event was born.

Some of the larger scale expos are great, but I’ve gone through them with my own brides and they hate it by the end. After seeing 12 photographers and 7 cake decorators they are lost and overwhelmed.  This is why we only have 4 wedding professionals from each category, and allow CT vendors in first. 

CT Bridal Event 2009

To pull together a large scale show is a bit different than a wedding for sure - since you never know who is really coming.

I have about 35 or so vendors to keep happy, I need to make the space work to display everyone in the best possible light, and still represent and work on my own business.

Three years ago I added in a bridal gown trunk show - as a way for brides to shop for dresses at a friendly cost.  It's been a great success. 

Trunk Show

Due to the success of our last three shows, we've added our first Spring bridal show for 2011.

I'm very excited over this because the goal has always been to showcase the very best talent for our engaged couples.  Plus I love showing off the hottest trends, color combos and give couples a chance to explore their wedding needs in one setting.

The CT Bridal Event is open to all engaged couples!

See you on November 7th!