Celebrate Events - Whistler BC

Roxanne Cave

Roxanne fell in love with Whistler in 1988 during her first trip to work and ski and has made it her home ever since.

Over the years Roxanne has amassed broad experience in every aspect of the planning process, including involvement in major sporting events such as operations with the World Cup Freestyle in the mid 90’s to large association conferences, corporate meetings and full scope wedding planning.  She has undertaken special event management studies at the George Washington University in D.C. in addition to working within the Fairmont group of hotels in sales and marketing and conference services departments.

Roxanne understands the importance of strong relationships, open communication, attention to detail and unwavering commitment to each and every event.

She hopes everyone sees the beauty in Whistler as much as she does and makes it her personal goal to ensure each event is unique, memorable, stunning, and impeccably organized.

How long have you been planning weddings and how well do you know Whistler?

I first arrived in Whistler as a fresh faced traveller in 1988 – that year was spent on Blackcomb mountain skiing as much as possible and enjoying all that Whistler has to offer….  It was probably one of the most fun years I’ve ever had,  kind of like being on a ski vacation for six months straight.   Of course I fell in love with the area and spent many years working in the hospitality and tourism areas.  After getting a taste of the administrative side of events while planning corporate and association events with the RMOW I realised that I just loved the process and started a program with the George Washington University in special event management.  Which in turn led me to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.  The Fairmont gave me a great deal of catering and planning experience and after two years in Sales I had the opportunity to move in to Conference Services where my primary role was to work with couples from start to finish in the planning process of their wedding.  I started my company Celebrate in 2007 and have been specialising in weddings and social events ever since.  I’m super excited to say that the second element of my ‘grand plan’ has been executed and I now co-own a wonderful gift and home decor store in Whistler as well named Celebrate.  My partner in the store, Susannah Calvert Jones is amazing to work with and we’re having so much fun finding fantastic new products to fill the space.  The best part of the store is that it’s expanded our creative options for the events component of the business.

What makes you different from the other event planners?

I have to say this is probably one of the most difficult questions I’ve been asked, but certainly it is important for a client to know why we are placed where we are.  Celebrate is a full time event planning company, it is my day (and night) job, and while studying special event management gave me great foundation I would say that without a doubt my four years with the Fairmont helped shape how we manage our events, it helped with the organisational process,  service standards and the expectations at Fairmont really fit with my personal service level expectations.  When I started the business I invested in a comprehensive planning software program, which mirrored the program we worked with at the hotel, it has been invaluable in keeping our work on track and allowing us to take on all levels of client programs from small intimate events to massive social for over 2000 people.  From a creative standpoint it is important for me to stay current, to continue to expand my design knowledge so I am always researching from fashion to interior design and special events.

Your packages look great, how much do they cost?

It varies by couple. Sorry…. I know, that’s not the answer you were looking for.

It really does depend on the complexity of the event. How much work needs to be done?  The average bride spends 250 hours planning her wedding, while most couples are very involved many don’t have that kind of dedication and time?

As event planners our role is to make our clients life easier not more difficult and as a result of that we have the basic outline for planning but also feel that for such an important day it’s vital that we connect personally with our couples to ensure our quotations are detailed and comprehensive.

Will we lose control of our wedding if you plan if for us?

Absolutely not! I was a bride once as well and have experienced the good the bad and the ugly of planning – lessons learnt!!    We work in a very collaborative way – it’s your wedding not mine and I want to make sure that whatever level of input you want to be involved in is always top of mind when I’m working through the details for you.

Which Vendors do you work with?

After a number of years both at the hotel and as a business owner I’ve found a number of key vendors I prefer working with, their attributes are quality of product and service, value for money, professionalism during the planning process as well as on site and their ability to stay on schedule and be on time for all of our events.  While I will be happy to work with the vendors you bring I have a detailed list I share with all of my clients should you be at the very beginning of the process.  I want you to be delighted with the results and confident during the process that everything will be as you wish it to be.

Do you have a business licence to operate in Whistler and do you carry insurance?

Yes, we have a business licence to operate in Whistler and are fully insured with coverage for all of our events.

Who do you enjoy working with the most and are there any brides you prefer not to work with?

I absolutely love working with brides and love the relationship I build with my couples and their families throughout the process. I especially enjoy working with brides who think outside the box and who don’t want their wedding to feel “cookie-cutter” or like a version of someone else’s wedding.

It is critical, however, that we be a good match for each other if we are going to effectively collaborate on your wedding day.  It is important that you genuinely want our help in order for us to assist you in the way that you deserve.

What advice can you offer to couples who are ready to start planning their wedding?

Before you do anything…before any dress shopping, any magazine tear-outs…sit down with your fiance and figure out your budget and guest list. My first piece of advice would be to not move forward with any of the big planning elements until you have accomplished these first two tasks. You will know where you start right off the bat and won’t set yourself up to be knocked down with debt or disappointment in the end.

Remember, your wedding is about your marriage…not the other way around.