Meet Taren Schwarz

We were lucky to catch up with Taren Schwarz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Taren with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My Dad. He was a Police Officer in the Seventies and early Eighty’s on Long Island. I was born into a family of three children, one girl (me) and two brothers. Back in those days, people worked hard and families primarily had Dad working and Mom was a stay-at-home. My father thought being a police officer was the best way to provide for his family.

While I was growing up, my father would always tell me that people would always respect you and treat you better if you “over-delivered” for what you were asked for. Whether it was work, school or friendship.

Once I became an adult, I started to understand what my father had always instilled in me. You work hard, respect people, take care of their needs and always stay true to your word. If they paid you for something, you make sure to always “over deliver” their expectations, and they for sure would highly recommend you, respect you and refer you.

So, after many years of working for other companies, I thought, “if I can work this hard for others, than I surely can work this hard for myself”. So, in 2007 I decided to open Diamond Receptions, Event Planning & Design. I have always stayed true to my word by always, treating people with respect, taking care of what they need/want, and ALWAYS over-delivering on their expectations.

Every time I have the opportunity to help make someone’s dream or vision come to life, the exhilaration I get keeps me going for the next couple. It’s kind of my “drug” if you will. Once an event is over, you need to get your next “fix”.

But, overall, I must say, that doing events for over 30+ years has never been boring. (I started doing event at a local Chamber of Commerce in the early 90″s.) Each in its own right has had it’s challenges in some way. I love the “puzzle” solving effect, which allows me to offer a calm approach to helping my couples get through some challenges while planning their wedding.

I always try to be their voice of reason, but from a distance. I’m always a friend, and someone they can talk to and confide in when they have some fears. I guess in other words, I treat people the way I want people to treat me.

Producing events for a living, and helping brides locate the dress of their dreams (my 2nd company: The Gown Whisperer) truly gives me a rush of pleasure, knowing I was able to help bring the vision my couples have in their mind’s eye to real life–right in front of their own eyes.

So, I guess my “work ethic” comes from my childhood years of my Dad always telling me to “be who you want, but be great at it!”

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Well, I started in the event industry in 1992 when I worked for a local Chamber of Commerce. Putting events together was something I had always had a love for. I was the girl on the block who organized someone’s birthday party. (lol). But seriously, when I was asked by the Director of the Chamber, to put together the annual banquet I was thrilled!

Once that event was over, I was looking for the next event (fix). So, I started to doing Expos. They led me to private events, birthday’s, and Anniversaries. I then worked for several Non-Profits doing fund-raising events.

So, in 2007, when the economy took a bad turn, it was finally time to start my own company. I started Diamond Receptions, Event Planning & Design. While the world was wondering how to deal with the economy, I was working on the back office details, and when we came out of the economic craziness, I was ready to network and promote my new company.

As a “perk” to my couples, if they purchased my “big” package, I would assist in finding the Bride’s wedding dress. This came about from the days that my daughter & I participated in beauty pageants. I learned everything I could about the dresses, shoes, makeup, hairstyles, etc. Of course it was to give my daughter the “edge” she needed to win. (Thankfully, She won, a lot) I would spend about $5-6,000 every 3 or 4 months on new dresses, so I needed to learn as much as I could.

Since opening Diamond Receptions, not only would I put together the wedding of their dreams (all within their budget, of course) but, I would find my Bride’s wedding dress, in 2 hours or less. I’ve found close to 200 dresses, with a 100% success rate.

I thought after 30 years of understanding dress details & alterations, and the success of helping so many brides find their wedding dresses, that I would start a 2nd company and call it “The Gown Whisperer” .

In addition to creating beautiful weddings, I am also a Private Wedding Gown Consultant. And, in an expansion of services, I also offer ‘Day-Of” steaming options for my couples.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would say my three best qualities would be:

Attentiveness
Responsiveness
Compassion

With so many years of taking care of people, my best advice would have to be to “listen” to what your couples are telling you.

When I say “listen”, I mean not just with your ears, but with your heart. They’re trying to tell you (sometimes in crazy ways) what their dreams were when they were 5 years old. The problem is they’re no longer 5, and trying to bring forward a “childhood” dream in today’s world, it can be very difficult. Couples don’t understand costs, styles, colors patterns and expressions. Your job is to take away their fears, and help them locate the right roads to achieve the vision they have in back of their mind.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
When the couple asks a vendor for a price quote, it should be a two-way street. The vendor can ask the couple, “What ideas do you have and what do you need help with?”

The challenge I think everyone in the wedding industry is facing is that couples don’t know what to ask us for except “What’s the price?”

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Chris Gillyard Photography Jose Brooks Photography Polk Brothers Ent. Castaldo Photography Live Happy Studio

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