About Us
“If you can’t plan a wedding without a glass of wine in hand, it’s simply not worth planning!”
Our Story
PlanningSavvy is a full service wedding and event planning company, located in the beautiful Seattle area. We offer an array of wedding packages, from simple Day-Of coordination to full service, "all the bells and whistles, arrive and not worry about a thing". With the added bonus of having a planning company of two, you are guaranteed the expertise of a team. We will work with your ideas and style to create an amazing celebration.
For special event planning, we work with you to create a package that fits your specific needs. Whether it's getting you on track with the perfect vendors or helping specifically on the day of the event to pull it off without a hitch, we will put together a plan that fits your style!
Who We Are
The concept of PlanningSavvy was brought to fruition by two sisters who stood behind one statement, “If you can’t plan a wedding without a glass of wine in hand, it’s simply not worth planning!” Rasa Vander Veer and Erika Peterson were raised in a family that knew how to entertain. There were parties, dinners with friends and family until the wee hours of the morning and celebrations of all sorts throughout the year. It was only natural that they continued with this style of life in their profession as well. In 2010, they both realized this was the perfect time to develop their concept and begin a business of their own. PlanningSavvy was born with a vision of throwing amazing events for all occasions. With that in mind, these two sisters set out to build a business, combined with our experience and knowledge of the industry, to bring incredible weddings and special events together for our clients. Rasa and Erika pride themselves on being hard-working, detail oriented and motivated women, while not losing touch of their fun-loving, passionate and of course…savvy side.
A little about us personally....
RASA VANDER VEER
Rasa, although the slightly older of the two, always seems to get away with saying Erika is the "much, much older sister!!" And, let's face it, the personality behind that statement fits. Rasa is definitely the one playing pranks, having fun and a total kid at heart. Married to a great guy, Jim, who attempts to keep her grounded, they are raising one sassy young teen, Sophia, who definitely takes after her mom and Auntie. Let's just say Jim has his work cut out for him! In what spare time she has, Rasa loves to hang out with her huge group of friends, travel the world, spend time with the new family dog, Maeve, a Rottweiler puppy, who is the complete opposite of their beloved Dutch that passed away, leaving a big hole in everyone's heart. Unlike her big brother, Maeve is never in the same place twice, gets on every counter she can, eats everything, chews even more and chases Bandit every chance she gets!!! Bandit, the resident kitty, on the other hand, has decided this girl is nuts and does not deserve his presence. Therefore, if you plan on seeing both of them, chances are one will be locked up! When Rasa isn't dealing with a "Garfield worthy" catastrophe at home, and are in search of a venue, you just might be lucky enough to find her at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture, where she spends part of her time helping book the wedding and event spaces. But, don't ask Rasa anything about horticulture - she can't tell one plant from a weed!! Don't worry, they have a special department just for that. (Phew!) Rasa has been in this industry for over 20 years, has incredible knowledge of venue management, how to run the day ever so smoothly down to the last minute and loves to make sure every couple gets exactly what they set out for from day one! With Rasa on your side, you will be guaranteed to laugh, have fun and enjoy the entire process of planning your special day.
ERIKA PETERSON
Erika is the middle of three kids and is always trying to make peace in the family. She let's her style and sophistication come through with her work, lending her to be the more serious of the three when discussing family matters, but the two sisters don't even blink when they can gang up on their younger brother for a whatever prank or fun time they can! As much as possible, Erika is laughing, smiling and gets her big sister and little brother with practical jokes whenever the opportunity presents itself. When she isn't marrying off clients, sending out contracts and meeting with new brides and grooms, Erika loves to create in the kitchen! This is where she is the most artistic! Her husband, Michael, and teenage kids, Sabrina and Blake, are thrilled to be the taste testers. And, their crazy pets, Kiwi and Rocky, their Australian sugar gliders, even get to share in the scraps - of fruits and veggies, that is. But, guard your steak or the family cats, Tassel (another Foster Fail), and their newest kitten, Minka, a Maine Coon who came from Moscow, Russia, her new Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, Xenoscho (aka Xeno, who came all the way from Prague!) or their "Foster Fail" Panda, will come and steal it right off your plate when you're not looking. Erika has filled the home with foster animals from Seattle Humane, which is where the family was blessed to find Velvet, their new Flemish Giant Rabbit!! She acts like one of the family, loves the other animals and roams the house like she owns the place. Aside from her animals, Erika loves to treat her friends and family to lavish meals over great wine, long nights filled with laughter and great stories. When she can't cook them herself, she will travel the world with her big group of friends and family in search of those great hole-in-the-wall places worth finding. Just like creating the perfect meal, Erika sets out to create the perfect celebration for each of her clients. She pays close attention to each and every detail, making sure all "i's" are dotted and "t's" are crossed so nothing is missed on your special day.
When the time comes we would be honored to help plan your next celebration.
Remember, PlanningSavvy is planning smart!