It's no secret the Lowcountry is blessed with some seriously talented Myrtle Beach wedding vendors who, time and time again, deliver one-of-a-kind, customized Southern weddings that perfectly represent every Bride and Groom. One of our favorites, Leslie Menich, is the owner of the Grand Strand's Memorable Moments Event Planning and is a pro at delivering the Myrtle Beach wedding of your dreams! She takes pride in relieving her ladies of the stress the planning period can bring and makes sure to create a wedding that fits their needs, style and budget. We caught up with Leslie where she filled us in on how she got started, what she offers, and why she loves her job!

How did you get started?

I have over seven years of event planning experience. I graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelors of Science in Public Relations. I am originally from South Charleston, WV and moved to the Myrtle Beach area in May 2004. When my family or friends had parties, weddings, events, showers, etc., I always found myself becoming a part of the planning process. There is true thrill and excitement in helping plan someone's special occasion and watching it turn into a lasting memory from start to finish. The passion I have for event planning started with this feeling and grew from helping friends and family while also planning and coordinating all events as the Event Planner/Marketing Manager at Celebrations Nitelife for over five years at Broadway at the Beach. During my time there, they became one of the Top 100 nightclubs and bars in the country (awarded by Nightclub & Bar Magazine). From my past experiences and working with contacts and vendors through this full time job, I took the opportunity and decided to start my own business, and this is how Memorable Moments Event Planning was born!

What kinds of services do you provide for area brides?

I offer everything from Full Planning to Day of Coordination. Full Planning tends to be my most popular package. I become close with the couple, usually more with the bride because we do everything together. I am with her every step of the way from right after the engagement until the last event of her reception. Assisting in vendor selections and appointments, layouts of ceremony & reception, helping to determine an accurate total wedding budget, providing decor ideas and advice along the way are among some of the many things we will do together to create the bride’s vision, met with the couple’s personality and style. Memorable Moments will act as the main point of contact for their venue & vendors and will continually make all the necessary accommodations, with their input, allowing the couple, especially the bride, to sit back and enjoy the experience. My signature wedding timeline and budget tracking sheet are also included along with everything included in the Day of Coordination Package.

For Day of Coordination, I come on board during the last months or weeks of the planning process to help the couple wrap up all loose ends with the vendors, assist with any last minute bookings, and coordinate the important events of wedding weekend. All the steps and timelines will be set into place and passed along to all major contacts so vendors, bridal party, family, the bride and groom, and more know where they need to be and when. The entire weekend’s events are put into order from vendors contracts and times confirmed to when the bouquet is thrown. This package also includes on site Rehearsal & Day of Coordination!

*Customized and a la Carte packaging are also available options. Every bride is entitled to a complimentary consultation to make sure we are a right fit before getting started.

What is the best part about your job?

Meeting wonderful couples and sharing in one of the biggest days of their lives. Nothing is better to help plan this day with them and then be there to see the whole process carried out to witness their happiness and appreciation! Many of my clients have become close friends due to the experiences we share together.

I feel the same about many of the wonderful wedding industry professionals I have met along the way while running my business. We all work hard and it is great to have a genuine group of colleagues who I can count on and have the pleasure of sharing stories of true success.

What is one of your most memorable moments on the job?

This past October, I had a wedding on my birthday. It was a 12 hour work day and the wedding turned out beautiful and the couple was more than pleased. Towards the end of the night, the bride and groom went up on stage and took the microphone from the DJ and had the music stop. They had all their guests tell me Happy Birthday and then proceeded to thank me for my friendship and work I had done over the past year. It was a small surprise that meant a lot to me and is something I will remember forever!

What do you say to a bride or groom who is having “cold feet?”

I am lucky that I have not had this happen yet. However, if I did ever have this happen, I would tell whoever is having the “cold feet” to remember how they got where they are in the first place and all the reasons to why they love and appreciate their partner.

What is the most important thing that you do for future brides?

Many brides are experiencing getting married for the first time, so I would say that the most important thing I offer to my clients is KNOWLEDGE! I know the places where she can save, the vendors she can trust, the unique ideas she can use, and more to help her customize her day, her way! When a bride books Memorable Moments Event Planning, she is relieved of much of the burden and work, since it is my job to help her create a wedding to not only meet her needs, wants, personality, style, & vision, but also her budget.