The Insider: Brooklyn-Based Wedding Planner Jove Meyer Shares His Top Wedding Essentials

The expert says a mutual vision, next-level flowers, an epic dance party, and unparalleled staff are absolute must-haves.

portrait of jove meyer wearing gold suit
Photo: Jerrell Trulove Photography

If you're in the thick of wedding planning, you've likely already discovered the importance of prioritizing a select few vendors or details. This priority list, of course, varies by couple. The same is true for the vendors who actually bring weddings to life—they have priority lists of their own. The difference? Theirs come backed with years of industry experience. To help you shape up your own big-day musts, we've tapped the biggest names in the wedding sphere—from planners and photographers to florists—to share their three wedding must-haves. Follow along with The Insider to learn which wedding-related details professionals can't live without.

The first wedding that Brooklyn-based planner and event designer Jove Meyer—the owner and creative director of Jove Meyer Events—ever attended was one he planned himself. "I was a junior in college in 2010 and my best friend asked me to do her wedding," he tells Martha Stewart Weddings. "We were all poor college students, so we learned how to stretch a budget. We got creative at The Christmas Tree Store and the local dollar store and Michaels and anywhere else we could—and that was kind of the beginning of this career for me." (Although, Meyer says his high school gig working in a balloon and flower shop is really where it all started. "That gave me a little bit of a foundation that I wouldn't have had otherwise," he shares.)

Today, plenty has changed for Meyer. He's since planned countless of bespoke, personalized events for all of his couples (including comedian Aidy Bryant and her now-husband Conner O'Malley), spoken professionally about event planning all over the world, and solidified himself as a dedicated advocate for marriage equality and inclusivity. Through all of his diverse experiences, he's gained a unique perspective about what really matters on a wedding day. Ahead, Meyer shares his own big-day priorities, from an event that's reflective of both partners to a DJ-led dance party.

A joint vision.

"A marriage is two people!" says Meyer, adding that any big-day decision (including which details you choose to prioritize) should be made with your mutual vision in mind. "If it were me, it would be myself and my fiancé discussing all of these decisions. I would want to include him in every discussion."

Next-level flowers.

That being said, Meyer knows the impact of a surprising, statement-making flower moment. "An incredible floral installation would be happening," he says, if he were tying the knot tomorrow. "Without a doubt, that should be part of it."

The most incredible dance party ever.

There's nothing like a packed dance floor, says Meyer, who recommends hiring a DJ if hosting a full-blown dance party is a priority. "I love a DJ. I'd definitely have one at my own wedding," he says. "I love live music and think that should be incorporated into the ceremony, cocktail hour, and during dinner, but for the dance party, I want to hear Whitney. I want to hear the powerful female and male vocalists I love—I don't want to hear another person's renditions of those songs."

Incredible service and staff.

Enlisting the help of a professional big-day service team—the people that work at the venue, from the reception dinner waiters to the ushers who help transition guests from one part of the event to the next—makes for a seamless event, explains Meyer: "You want to make sure that every detail is already thought of and guests are taken care of so they eat well, everything looks pretty, and they party hard."

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