Q & A: Elise Brannan of Brannan Events & Design
Elise Brannan, Brannan Events & Design
Today on the blog we have Elise Brannan of Brannan Events & Design, who offers planning services throughout the Bay Area.
I've been so inspired by Elise, not just for her bold and unique wedding designs, but for her steady commitment as an event professional to making conscious, inclusive, and sustainable decisions when producing events. She’s an ethical vegan activist and intersectional environmentalist helping her couples and clients make informed decisions when it comes to their big days.
Since I’ve already learned so much from Elise, I wanted to bring her on here to share with you some of her ideas around conscious spending, inclusive vendor teams, and ways your wedding planning can be impactful to both your community and the environment.
Q: Hey Elise, welcome! Tell us a little about yourself, where you’re located, and the services you offer.
I'm Elise, a vegan event planner based in the East Bay Area where I live with my partner, Michael, and our fur babies! I was born in LA and lived there until I was about 10 (and we go back all the time) so I like to think of myself as a native to both northern and southern California lol!
I offer event services including management, design, and planning. As an ethical vegan and intersectional environmentalist I also try to guide my clients to make more conscious, inclusive, and cruelty-free choices throughout the planning process.
Q: What inspired you to launch your business centered around conscious, inclusive, and sustainable practices?
I started in event management when I was 18. I was involved with various non-profit groups growing up and when I was 18 I was a part of an executive board for Northern California, where we planned large scale events and fundraisers. That's where my passion for event planning began! I loved being able to bring people together with a common purpose in mind and I'm a social butterfly so I loved all the networking opportunities and thought - this would be an amazing job one day!
When I first came into the wedding world in 2014 I was definitely less conscious and sustainable. I became vegan in 2017 and in doing that really began to reevaluate my business, what it stood for and how it can be a force for good. It's still an ever evolving process but in my personal life I try to do as little harm as possible (and our everyday choices do lead to harm if we're not careful - something as simple as food selection can have a real impact) so I wanted to translate that to my business.
Inclusivity is incredibly important to me as well. Whether it's recommending specific vendors or even recommending another planner (as I know I'm not the perfect fit for all couples, and that's totally ok), I want to encourage clients to work with people of color. There is SO MUCH whiteness in the wedding and event space and it's up to planners (as we typically manage any given event) to go out of our way to make sure BIPOC vendors and businesses are included. I don't always get it right but I'm ok being called out on my mistakes and committed to doing better everyday. We have so much work ahead of us as an industry but I'm feeling hopeful.
Q: What’s a common misconception couples have when it comes to ‘eco-friendly’ wedding planning?
I think many couples think it's just about "waste", and they have a narrow vision of what waste actually is. When I look at being eco-conscious, it's not just about not using plastic straws. It's all about thinking how any given item involved with their wedding was cultivated, made, and transported. And it's important to take a look at the workers and their working conditions along the way. Only then can you make a truly informed decision. It definitely requires a couple being willing to think critically and consciously about every aspect of their wedding.
Q. What is the top area couples can look to reduce waste from their wedding day?
FOOD. I know food feels like it's a very personal choice and it is, but if those personal choices aren't thought about critically, you're not seeing all the harm it creates along the way. Removing animal products from the dining experience will make an enormous impact! It will reduce water waste and CO2 emissions drastically. It takes approximately 2,400 gallons of water to create 1lb of steak — now imagine 100 guests ordering said steak. And this is before we even consider appetizers and late night bites.
There's the human side of it too. Think about the marginalized slaughterhouse worker — the emotional, mental, and physical toll of having to slaughter 100s or 1000s of animals a day for the 15-20 minutes of momentary pleasure an individual gets from eating it. Most of the time working conditions for those individuals are horrible, they get paid very little and those slaughter houses pollute the area they're located in (often marginalized communities of color).
Lastly, there's an animal side. Many of my clients are self-proclaimed animal lovers and there is an animal cost to this. Innocent creatures, as friendly and as loving as your pets, end up on the plate. We see this as fine dining but it's really layered cruelty.
Also — vegan food is just delicious, healthier for your body, with a much lower impact!!
Q: You’re known for your beautiful, bold, unique, and conscious designs. Can you give us a sneak peek into your design process?
Thank you so much! My design process always starts with getting to know my couples on a personal level. I really want to infuse parts of who they are and what brought them together as a couple, as a part of their wedding design. We talk about everything from favorite TV shows, to how they would describe their home decor style, to what are their favorite activities to do together, to their personal fashion style. After getting a sense of who they are as a couple and what they want their wedding to represent I dig into creating the design around that!
Q: Let’s talk trends. What are some you’re loving right now?
I LOVE micro weddings! This isn't a new trend but they are some of my favorite weddings to design and execute. As COVID-19 continues to limit group gatherings, I think it's the direction the wedding industry is going to naturally take for the foreseeable future. Micro-weddings also allow for a smaller overall budget, but they give couples room to invest in the things that really matter to them.
Another trend I love is monochromatic color palettes! Where we focus on one bold hue and play around with complimentary shades throughout the design. It's fresh and memorable!
Lastly, I'm loving the eco-wedding trend, which is probably obvious but worth saying again :)
Q: What are some tips for couples when it comes to evaluating vendors?
For particular vendors, I think it's important to look for specific things but overall — I'd suggest getting to know your vendors before booking them — whether that's a FaceTime or a call or a coffee date. Make sure it feels like a great vibe, especially for those vendors that you'll be spending the most face to face time with on the day of the wedding.
I'd also ask them about their sustainability and inclusion practices. If they don't have anything concrete laid out, you may want to pivot. Vote with your dollars and invest in someone who believes in the importance of those principals, like you.
Q: When discussing budget, I love to guide my couples to impactful design decisions, a.k.a. ‘bang for your buck’ pieces. Where do you encourage your couples to invest and prioritize their budget when it comes to design?
Your ceremony decor! Your ceremony is such a short piece of the wedding day celebration, but it's also likely going to be some of your most important and cherished photos. I'd make sure to invest in the ceremony decor and then make sure that those pieces are getting reused throughout the reception space! Get as much mileage out of those pieces as possible.
Q: Name 3 small business owners that inspire you.
Food Empowerment Project (Lauren Ornelas)
Souley Vegan (Tamearra Dyson)
Package Free Shop (Lauren Singer)
Q: I’ve been working hard to lead a low-waste lifestyle both in my business and at home, so I’m curious: what is your favorite low-waste life hack?
Homemade is almost always less wasteful; whether that's homemade meals from whole food/simple ingredients, or homemade cleaners and beauty products
I love Imperfect Foods - our farmer's market is shut down at the moment so Imperfect Foods allows me to save products that wasn't "good enough" for the grocery store, from ending up in the trash
Shopping second-hand! I love shopping second-hand because it means clothing or goods get a longer life and there's typically little to no packaging involved.
Q: What is the difference between Vegan v. Plant Based?
There is a big difference between these two principals and I'll reference an awesome activist (@fulanivegan) and his descriptions:
Plant Based: In a 1980 study by T Colin Campbell Phd, the positive benefits of eating a plant based diet were established. The term plant based originated from this study completely separate from any view on ethics. A plant based diet can consist of 100% or mostly plant based diet.
Veganism: The term was created by Donald Watson in 1955 to describe someone who doesn't eat any animal products and rejects the commodity status of animals. The practice has existed for thousands of years as 'moral vegetarianism'. Vegans also do not wear leather, wool, silks etc. Ethical Veganism is a philosophical belief.
Q: What is Intersectional Environmentalism?
I get this question because it's in my bio and on my website! I'll quote someone who helped coin the term, Leah Thomas: "This is an inclusive version of environmentalism that advocates for both the protection of people and the planet. It identifies the ways in which injustices happening to marginalized communities and the earth are interconnected. It brings injustices done to the most vulnerable communities, and the earth, to the forefront and does not minimize or silence social inequality. Intersection environmentalism advocates for justice for people and the planet."
Thanks so much for joining, Elise!
GET IN TOUCH
email: elise@brannanevents.com
instagram: @brannan_events + @elise_thevegan
website: www.brannanevents.com