about natalie
At the Lovesick Wedding Expo (thx Love Me Do Photography!)
A friend once said “Every wedding needs a good stage manager.” It’s true that it takes a certain set of skills to get the lights up, calm the actors’ nerves, fix the last minute problems, and keep 100 paying audience members laughing, crying, and applauding on cue.
As a wedding and event planner with a background in stage management, my experiences really run the gamut. As the Marketing and Events Director for the alternative newspaper Philadelphia City Paper, I enjoyed planning everything from a citywide scavenger hunt for Cirque du Soleil to a craft fair of local artists to a cocktail party at 30th Street Station. As an independent wedding and event planner, I’ve planned full-service affairs and coordinated weddings at private homes and popular, beautiful venues such as The Fairmount Horticulture Center, Power Plant Productions, Colonial Dames, The National Constitution Center, The Franklin Institute, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Moulin, The Chemical Heritage Foundation, Le Meridien, Greystone Hall, The College of Physicians, Reading Terminal Market, the Powell House, Phoenixville Foundry, Academy of Natural Sciences, Aldie Mansion, Radnor Hunt, Water Works, the Maas Building, Springfield Country Club, Merion Tribute House, as well as day camps in New Jersey and Maryland, barns in Lancaster, and country clubs in the Poconos.
If you are outside of the Philadelphia area, that won’t stop me! I am willing to travel to any destination – whether you live there or you just want to get away. I’ll go wherever my clients want and look forward to helping each couple or company find their unique entertaining style.
I am a proud alumnae of Dickinson College and VP of Azuka Theatre Company’s Board of Directors.
In addition to event planning and Board-of-Director-ing, I love 1) world travel, 2) food and wine, 3) sci-fi/fantasy, and 4) live music (not necessarily in that order). My unsolicited recommendations for those activities include 1) Fes, Morocco, 2) Goat Cheese and Fresh Mint Omelet, 3) Jim Henson’s Storyteller Series, and 4) Johnny Brendas.
About Associate Planner, Dina Steiner
Like Natalie, Dina started out as a theatrical stage manager. A 2007 graduate of Rutgers University – Mason Gross School of the Arts, Dina worked as a theatre professional for many years, eventually transitioning into retail event management and weddings. In addition to running her own events “down the shore” and assisting Natalie on weddings, she is completing her certificate in Wedding & Event Planning through the New York Institute of Art and Design and currently runs “Do-It-Herself” workshops for The Home Depot, teaching women how to get their hands dirty and use power tools. (She also coordinated Natalie’s own wedding, granting her the highest Natalie Diener Weddings + Events stamp of approval!)
VALUES STATEMENT
I am dedicated to the following policies when it comes to your wedding or event.
Individuality
No two couples are alike – and no two weddings should be the same. I will help you choose which traditions you want to keep, identify the trends that fit your personality, and set NEW trends for the next couple. On the Big Day, you should hear “That was a wedding that ONLY you two could have thrown!”
Invisibility
The best compliment I could receive from a guest on your wedding day is NONE – my goal is to make the HOST/ESS look great. You will always know where I am if you need me, I will check in to make sure you are happy, but the compliments are all yours to keep!
Preparedness
As a planner, I truly believe that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I strive to create plans that anticipate problems and find solutions before the solutions are needed. The more prepared I am, the less last minute trouble will find me. On the wedding day, I am both the “prevention” and the “cure.”
Sustainability
I am dedicated to helping my clients celebrate their commitment in the most responsible manner possible. Whether it’s helping you find chic invitations on recycled paper or seeing that your centerpieces get donated or composted after the wedding, I am happy to seek out sustainable options for every aspect of your wedding.
Curious to see what past clients have had to say? Start here.