Hidden Gems: Meet Ingrid Yeh of Grand Entrance Affairs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ingrid Yeh.

Hi Ingrid, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Unlike many other wedding planners who grew up obsessed with weddings and always knowing they wanted to be a wedding planner, I never envisioned myself in this line of work. I actually never even saw myself getting married. In college, I began dabbling with event planning—planning various events for my sorority and other student orgs that I was a part of. With strong organizational and interpersonal skills, and a keen eye for detail and design, I quickly realized that not only am I good at it, I actually Love it!

From there, I sought out more opportunities to sharpen my skills and experience. I held several event planning internships in college, planning everything from nonprofit fundraisers, professional networking mixers, educational programs, and private events. I naturally gravitated towards private events, as I love being able to work with people on a more personal level to help celebrate some of their most cherished life occasions—weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, reunions, and even memorial services. As a natural “people person”, these types of events feel the most gratifying to me. Many of my clients end up becoming great friends throughout the planning process, and I still keep in touch with many to this day. I’m also a huge lover of traveling and learning new cultures, and one of the most exciting things to me about planning events is getting to learn different cultural traditions and customs that are important when celebrating such special occasions.

Thirteen years ago, I decided to fully bet on myself and take the leap of faith into freelancing—and that’s how Grand Entrance Affairs was started. And thirteen years later, I continue to be humbled by each and every client who trusts in me to help plan special life celebrations that are close to their heart.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like any meaningful journey, the progression is never smooth or perfectly linear. There are both blessings and lessons along the way, and part of ensuring I continue to grow along with my business is by staying open to all that I have still yet to learn. Most recently, a personal challenge of mine has been accepting that I cannot (and should not) make everybody happy or meet every single need and request. As a wedding planner, I’m often driven by a “make things happen” mentality, and I need an occasional reminder that managing expectations and learning to say “No” to unrealistic or unreasonable requests very much comes with the territory of this work.

Something else that I sometimes struggle with is accepting that not everybody is going to reciprocate my same energy or express the level of appreciation towards me that I’d hope they would. Wedding planning is very much a labor of love, and I pour my heart, soul, and passion into every event I plan. My work is very personal for me and I treat all my clients as friends, often going above and beyond for them. Sometimes I’m reminded that it’s not as personal for others, who prefer to keep our relationship very business-like and transactional. While that’s perfectly normal and to be expected, learning not to take it personally is an ongoing challenge that I’m working on. But on the flip side, it makes me appreciate those cherished clients who Do openly acknowledge and appreciate all my hard work and who reciprocate the same energy that I give them—the ones that often remain good friends who continue to support me and my work long after their wedding day.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a full-service event planning business, GEA specializes in weddings and other important life celebrations—including birthdays, baby showers, engagement parties, anniversaries and reunions, vow renewals, and more. From the initial design to the day-of delivery, my team and I are fully committed to bringing our clients’ vision to life and creating a smooth, streamlined planning process for them from start to finish. Our goal is to allow them to relax and actually enjoy the planning of their special day, while minimizing—if not eliminating—all the stress that comes with it.

On the big day, our main goal (among many) is to do what we do best—handling all the details and moving parts behind the scenes, while being fully available and attentive towards our clients’ every need, big or small—in order to provide them a seamless, stress-free experience that they can be fully present to immerse themselves in, surrounded by all their loved ones.

Something that makes me unique from other wedding planners is that I’m also an ordained wedding officiant. This allows me to play double duty, coordinating the big day and also officiating the ceremony for many of my couples. It’s amazing getting to know my couples on an even more personal level, learning about their love story and important traditions, and utilizing my writing background to craft a beautiful ceremony that’s uniquely tailored to them. It’s so special being trusted by couples as both their wedding planner, orchestrating their wedding from behind the scenes, as well as their wedding officiant, front and center with them, leading them to their “I Do’s”.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’m definitely not a risk-averse person at all. My growth as both a business owner and as a person is largely due to my willingness to take risks and try new things. I’ve always enjoyed pushing myself out of my comfort and testing my limits. For example, something I love doing is going on solo trips all over the world—which in itself, obviously comes with its share of risks. On these trips, you’ll find me cliff jumping, traversing waterfalls, zip lining, free diving to ship wrecks, and swimming with manta rays. Am I scared while doing these things? Yes, most times I am. But the satisfaction and intrinsic reward I get to feel afterwards has Always been worth overcoming that fear.

One of my favorite quotes to live by is, “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” Of course taking risks and doing unfamiliar things is scary, and you can always find ways to “what if” yourself out of most things. But all growth and meaningful change takes place outside of your comfort zone, and I’ve never been one who likes to play it safe or small.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.grandentranceaffairs.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grand.entrance.affairs/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GEAspecialevents/
• Other: The Knot: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/grand-entrance-affairs-pasadena-ca-2075784; WeddingWire: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/grand-entrance-affairs/f0704cf821376d28.html

Image Credits
(In order of photos uploaded) 1. Hanh Nguyen Photography 2. Studio Castillero 3. Justin Critz Photography 4. Sheff Productions 5. LA Digital Photos 6. Little Miss Pollen 7. Gillian LeBrun Photography 8. Spotlight Studios 9. Curtis Kuo Photography 10. Sheff Productions Feature Photo: 1. Michael Dunn Photography