Meet Jane Handel

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jane Handel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jane, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

As a perfectionist, I’m not sure imposter syndrome is something I’ll ever fully overcome. In launching my business, and tackling the many firsts that come along with the entrepreneurial lifestyle, I worried initially that imposter syndrome would rear its ugly head. But my couples believe in me, and I work tirelessly to make sure that their wedding exceeds their expectations. As an entrepreneur, I am accountable to myself, to my wonderful couples, and to all the incredible vendors with whom I get to collaborate on these one-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Figuring out new and wonderful ways to surprise and delight guests, improve the event flow, and manage the day to day is a continuous process. The constant evolution helps keep things interesting and it’s part of what I love about this job. Leaning into the unknown is ultimately how I cure the syndrome – if something is new to me, I will methodically figure it out myself, or learn from the best. There is no faking it to make it – anything I don’t yet know is an opportunity to make something better for my couples, and I embrace that challenge.

I make it a personal goal to overhear “this is the best wedding I’ve ever been to” at least once during each wedding I help bring to life. Putting in 700-1000+ hours in planning each wedding helps make that possible.

Seeing how over-the-moon and relaxed my couples are, enjoying their experience and delighting in spending time with their guests, and hearing direct positive feedback from them, from their guests, and even from vendors, definitely helps quiet that imposter syndrome voice!

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Where do you get your resilience from?

I think relentlessness and resilience go hand in hand. I’ve always had an extra dose of tenacity, and it’s hard for me to take no for an answer. I always find options to make something work, and developing creative workarounds and ideas drives me.

Resilience, I think, is the other side of the coin. I like to say that Weddings are live television, often involving a cast of 300+ guests and vendors. Surprises are inevitable and I am fortunate to have confidence in my ability to handle anything on the fly in a warm and professional way.

When I was planning my own wedding, well-meaning friends and family, knowing what a perfectionist I am, tried to offer their advice: “Things will go wrong! You just have to let it go!” The thing is, I’m not a let-it-go-er. This kind of advice stressed me out. Instead, I remind my couples that things won’t go wrong – but they may go differently.

It’s harder for things to go differently when we’re well prepared. We work with well-vetted vendors who are experts at what they do, and are equally invested in making sure the wedding is a smash hit. We’ve thought through a slew of potential scenarios and develop an even longer list of solutions. My emergency kit is well stocked for just about anything, and my team and I are adept at thinking on the fly and tackling anything that comes our way as gracefully as humanly possible. Then, when something does go differently, it’s less about letting go of the frustration, and more about embracing the magic a difference can create. Like live TV or theatre, the show must go on. And how couples react to those differences (if they even realize there has been a difference!) is what impacts the overall guest experience.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Wedding planning is my calling. This is an especially passionate industry, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it!

The events I plan are infused with warmth, thoughtful touches, and memorable moments. Most importantly, they are bespoke, designed to reflect each couple. As a New York City-based planner, I know how to tackle the challenges of planning events all over the world. I manage all details and logistics, so my couples can focus on enjoying their engagement.
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Jane Handles Events offers full-service wedding planning to ensure each event is awe-inspiring, extraordinary, and unforgettable. My approach is hands-on and personalized. As a high-touch planner, I take on only a select number of weddings each year, so I can offer my couples unlimited meetings, support, and time. By the time the wedding day rolls around, so many of my couples have become dear friends!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I spent over a decade working in marketing and corporate events, and managing client expectations, internal politics, and vendor relationships. The wedding industry is much the same, except on a much more personal level, and for a singular event (or weekend of events).

Working for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group instilled in me the value of delivering outstanding guest experiences and creating those “wow” moments. I definitely approach each wedding with a “hospitality first” mindset, both in making sure my couples have everything they need (before they know they need it), and ensuring a gracious and memorable guest experience, full of surprise-and-delight moments. Empathy, generosity, and a high attention to detail have been crucial and essential parts of my success and in the success of each of the weddings I plan.

For anyone working in the wedding industry, having some experience in hospitality can help with anticipating client needs and managing the event flow!

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

I love the philosophy in Danny Meyer’s “Setting the Table.” Concepts like a “charitable assumption” (essentially, assuming the best) and “swan theory” (which is especially relevant as an event planner: you must appear graceful and smooth on the surface, where below the water, feet are paddling at full speed!) are hyper relevant to this industry – and so many others. Applying the hospitality-first mindset outside of the restaurant setting can improve the client/guest/customer experience and as someone who leads with empathy and optimism, I find myself thinking back to these chapters over and over!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.janehandlesweddings.com
• Instagram: @janehandlesweddings

Image Credits

MaMa Photo
FelicyDaze Weddings
Annmarie Swift
ManiSol Weddings