Hidden Gems: Meet Jacqueline Sutantio of Grand Hope Events

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Sutantio

Hi Jacqueline, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve love love and weddings for as long as I can remember. As a little girl I was always daydreaming about fancy events, weddings and happily ever after (you can blame that on all the Disney Princess movies). Growing up I was part of a few weddings myself and was exposed to the industry quite young. I knew I loved it then but I also loved fashion – I grew up in the South Bay but also felt a tug to be a city girl which led me to attend Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising where I majored in product development and business management. One of the major college project was to envision a business idea I would want to create, so that was where Grand Hope Events came to life. It was named after the little park that was attached to the college.

A little after graduation I started this business with one of my friend, with the mission of making every couple’s wedding dreams come true with ease. It’s been over 8 years since my very first wedding and I’ve been so privileged to work with the most beautiful couples, helping their dreams become a reality while connecting with the most amazing vendors in the industry!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, there’s been years where life takes its toll on you and you can only handle so much. There were seasons where I paused the business and decided not take on or pursue new clients because I did not have the capacity to give it my all. I had to learn that doing so does not mean you’re failing but growing. Putting yourself first is the most important thing in running a successful business, because you cannot pour into others if you yourself are empty, especially not in the business of love and events. As a planner you are to be the peace and glue that holds everything together and you can’t do that if you’re not well. I see this alot in the industry, as we all get burnt out, you just need to rest and realign.

Being entrusted with someone’s most important day has definitely met its challenges. There’s a lot of dynamic that comes into play when planning an event, so those are daily challenges and obstacles that I need to face. Whether its budget, client expectations, working with an over reaching parent of client or a day-of emergency that arises, I’m always on my toes trying to figure out how to quickly problem solve and make everyone happy.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Grand Hope Events?
Grand Hope Events, started as a pipe dream & side business. It not only nods to where the dream came to fruition but also a play on the actual definition – hope defined is an “optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes” – and we want our clients or couples to have this grand expectation for their event. It’s their one and only time to celebrate that occasion, whether it’s a wedding, birthday or a special event, it deserves a memorable celebration.

Grand Hope Events specialize in event planning and coordination, decor (and sometimes florals)- I love making things look beautiful and dreaming up of ways to make it unique to their personality while making sure everything runs smoothly. Groom forgot their pants on the wedding day? We stay calm, put our heads together and figure it out.

What sets us apart is really the service they get with us, no matter what event package you choose I’ll be with you every step of the way. I love creating friendships with our clients, I’ve had past clients message me saying I’ve missed you and all our convos, because at the end of the day that is the most important to me, building a connection and sharing in the memories of their special day.

Our branding pillars has always been elegant, timeless and romantic, I’m proud to say that I feel like we’ve been true to those branding pillars throughout even with the recent brand refresh. I come from a marketing background and branding is something that is so important to me. Most of the events that I have planned and designed have those pillars (elegant, timeless, romantic) infused with the client’s unique personalities and slight touches of trends. At the end of the day I want them to look back at their wedding photos and not have their wedding feel dated.

I also am a firm believer that your event should reflect the couple or the individual and in my design I try to stay true to their personalities and taste.

I’ve been very grateful to say that so many of my clients, along with bridesmaids, Mothers of Brides/Grooms, Family members, vendors have come to me to say how calm and collected I work and how much they loved working with me and honestly that is the best thing to hear.

I’d love for readers to book us! Haha! In all seriousness know that you will have a wedding/event bestie at your side guiding you every step of the way and always looking out for your best interest. The events world is a lot and there are so many options, so many things that can go wrong, and I want to help navigate all of it with you so you get the best value. We’ve done DIY weddings to full blown high-budget weddings and we love them all.

We offer full planning, partial planning and month of coordination, we also offer event design, flower arrangements and I can even customize services based on their needs. We also do things like birthday parties, baby showers, event activation, you name it!

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
We now offer wedding content creation!

Seeing the huge impact that social media has on our daily lives and now events, we’re seeing content creation booming. This is not to replace traditional photographers or videographers but to add to it.

We’re seeing more and more brides and couples wanting to have instant access to their day to relive those memories. Instead of entrusting a bridesmaid to do it or relying on Uncle Bob’s IG stories, why not hire a wedding content creator that can capture all of that and deliver it to you before you wake up for breakfast the next day!

Oh & a little about me – I’m a proud mama of two, I love to read, paint fun abstract, a big foodie and love to travel and find pretty places to document .

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.grandhopeevents.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grandhopeevents

Image Credits
Photos by Bryte Moments, Sanford Creative, John Policarpio Photography, Mustard Seed Photography, The Official Wedding, Portrait by Take Two Photography