EP #246: Behind the Scenes with Ricardo Tomas a Wedding Planning OG: 21 Years of Making Dreams Come True

What makes Ricardo Tomas with Ricardo Tomas Weddings  a good neighbor?

Ever wondered what it takes to create a truly memorable wedding day? Meet Ricardo Tomas, a wedding planning veteran with 21 years of experience who's seen it all—from intimate ceremonies to grand cultural celebrations.

Ricardo pulls back the curtain on one of the biggest wedding planning myths: the idea of a "perfect day." With refreshing honesty, he explains why minor hiccups are inevitable and why having a professional by your side is invaluable. "If you're trying to skimp on budget, there's probably other places you can do that," he advises, suggesting that a wedding planner provides the safety net couples need when unexpected challenges arise.

The conversation takes us through Ricardo's fascinating journey, from taking his first wedding planning course in Dallas to becoming what he playfully calls an "OG" in the industry. His approach is notably inclusive—working with couples across all budgets, ethnicities, and lifestyles, with particular expertise in same-sex weddings and cultural celebrations. 

What truly sets this episode apart is Ricardo's reflection on how the pandemic transformed the wedding industry. Guest counts became more intimate, spending more intentional, and priorities clearer. "What it comes down to is the couple," he emphasizes, noting how COVID-19 reminded everyone about what truly matters on a wedding day. The episode culminates with a heartwarming story about two widowed seniors who found love through dating apps, reinforcing Ricardo's belief that "love has no boundaries" and there is "no age limit for love."

Ready to discover the secrets of wedding planning from a true industry expert? Listen now, and if you're planning your own special day, remember Ricardo's advice about finding vendors: "You want to connect with that person... because I'm going to be with you from now until your wedding."

To learn more about Ricardo Tomas Weddings go to:

https://rtomaswed.com/

Ricardo Tomas Weddings

214-908-3830

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a weddingplanner?
Well, one may be closer thanyou think.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
ricardo Tomas, with RicardoTomas Weddings.
Ricardo, how are you today?

Speaker 3 (00:28):
I'm fantastic.
How are you today, Sophia?

Speaker 2 (00:30):
I'm doing fantastic also, so we're excited to learn
all about you and your business.
Can you tell us a bit aboutyour company?

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yes, so I'm a full service wedding planning and
coordination service for clientsand I've been doing this for 21
years this month, so I'm whatdo you call them?
The OGs of the wedding business.
So yeah, I pretty much know itfrom front to back.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Amazing, and how did you originally get into this
business?

Speaker 3 (01:23):
Amazing, and how did wanted something a little bit
more challenging and creative,and so I decided I want to step
into the wedding world, and so Itook a wedding course a 40 hour
wedding course here in Dallas,and at the end of the week I was
like I think I can do this, Ithink I was meant to do this.

(01:44):
So that's here we are now, 21years later.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Wow, and so, having so much time in this industry,
what is the most common myth ormisconception you typically come
across?

Speaker 3 (01:59):
You know, the biggest thing is most people think they
don't need a wedding planner orcoordinator for their wedding.
They think that you know it'sgoing to be the most perfect day
.
Um, and that's one thing that Ido challenge and not challenge,
but also let my clients knowthat we can plan for a

(02:19):
semi-perfect day, but it may notbe the most perfect day, and so
for people to think it's goingto be that perfect day, it's,
it's, it's it's it's a littledelusional.
So no one has a perfect day.
There's just a few, maybe minorlittle hiccups, but it's
something that I can neverpredict, or the clients can
never predict, so you never knowwhat can happen.

(02:41):
So not having a wedding planneris not really good.
If you're trying to skimp onbudget, there's probably other
places you can do that, but it'sa better safeguard and a nice
safety net to have someone byyour side.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
I would agree.
And so, ricardo, who are yourtarget customers and, in terms
of marketing, how do you attractthem?

Speaker 3 (03:08):
Yes, so I am on a network of's called wedding wire
and on the knot on the websiteor you know, when you're looking
search engines, and becauseI've been in this business for
now 21 years, it's now a lot ofreferrals, uh word of mouth, and
so that's how I get a lot of myclients who are looking for me

(03:30):
and who my clients are prettymuch anybody who's getting
married, and I don't.
I don't tell anybody that therehas to be so much spending.
It's basically, you know, Itake every ethnic, every
lifestyle type of client.
I have a really good niche inthe same sex market and I do a

(03:52):
lot of cultural weddings.
So those are my two targetcouple clients and then, pretty
much, like I said, anybody whowho's doing a great wedding,
like you need a planner, nomatter what.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
And outside of work.
What do you like to do for fun?

Speaker 3 (04:11):
You know, I like to what I call disconnect from the
world, and so for me, as funnyas it seems, I like to go
exercise and work out, and forme that's my stress relief, and
I pretty much put my phone awayin a locker, opposed to some
people that I see on theirphones at the gym sitting, just
like doing nothing but liketexting while they're on

(04:32):
machines and I'm like you'rejust wasting time.
So for me that is my time todisconnect and not take any
phone calls, no emails, for atleast a good hour and a half.
For me that's very therapeuticand very relaxing.
For me it's like reading a book.
It takes me to a differentplace.
So I get to like, like I said,just air out things maybe that

(04:53):
are stressing me out and it'sjust my way of like getting back
and recharging for the nexthour to come.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
Amazing.
Well, let's go ahead and switchgears for us.
Yeah, can you describe ahardship or life challenge you
overcame and how it made you abetter and stronger person today
?
What comes to mind for you?

Speaker 3 (05:15):
Well, you know, I've been thinking about things like
this.
For me it's something that weall went through, which is the
pandemic, you know, because thatwas something that everyone
went through at the exact sametime and nobody had the answers.
And it was interesting thatsome of my fellow planners

(05:37):
reached out to me and said, hey,what are you doing with your
clients?
And I even had clients ask mewhat are we going to do?
I said, you know what, we justhave to pull through this
together.
We're going to learn together,see what happens.
And it has made me a little bitand made also the clients a
little bit more conscious abouttheir spending and where they
spend.
So, whereas weddings wereprobably, like you know, up to

(06:01):
500 guests count, now, you know,the guest counts are going to
be a little bit more intimate,more meaningful for the clients,
you know, based on theirbudgets.
So I would say, you know, thepandemic changed a lot of things
people's mindsets on what'struly the important thing that's
going to happen.
It's pretty much marrying eachother and that's that's the goal

(06:22):
of each wedding.
It supersedes all the.
You know we all love theflowers.
You know who loves beautifulwhen you walk into the room.
The big cake, like all thosethings are great, but what it
comes down to is the flowers.
You know who loves beautifulwhen you walk into the room.
The big cake, like all thosethings are great, but what it
comes down to is the couple, andthat, to me, has changed since
COVID, and so people are alittle more focused on those

(06:43):
important aspects.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
Wow.
So, Ricardo, please tell ourlisteners one thing they should
remember about Ricardo Tomasweddings.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
Yeah.
So one thing that I always tellmy clients is like it's
important when they're hiringall their vendors like from a
planner, through photography,through DJ is you want to
connect with that person.
So, whether you know, beforeCOVID it was in person I used to
do a lot of coffeeconsultations, so to speak, at
you know local coffee shops, butbecause of Zoom, because of

(07:19):
COVID, zoom became like the newthing.
So now when I meet with myclients and I said, okay, you
know, I know you probably haveto interview other wedding
planners or vendors, but youhave to have that connection
with somebody across the screen.
If you don't have thatconnection, then I'm probably
not the right fit for you,because you know I'm going to be

(07:41):
with you from now until yourwedding, and that could be a
full year.
I've had engagements up to twoyears, so you might have me for
two years.
So if there's things thatbother you the way you know,
whatever I say, or if there'sred flags, then maybe I'm not
the person for you.
But if you're like comfortable,you're like okay, if this is
the way you're going to be onour wedding day, we like someone

(08:03):
calm, cool, collected, which itreally pretty much truly is who
I am.
Like.
I am like this even on thewedding day.
Like you think I'm like upsetor something, but no, I'm.
I'm in a zone, um, and I'mfocused and um, yeah, that's one

(08:23):
thing I you know.
Like I said, tell my clients islike, you know you want to
connect with me, um, because I'mgoing to be with you all day of
your wedding, so we areconnected by the hips.
You know, I'm going to behandholding you and your fiance
through the whole planningprocess.
So I want us to have fun and Iwill.
You know, with my 21 yearsexperience, I will give you my
best knowledge of things.
So I'll give you my opinions,and it's up to you because you

(08:45):
are the financial providers, soit's up to you to have to make
that final decision.
But I'm going to give you, youknow, some of the best quality
points and the do's and thedon'ts of a wedding and what
could happen if you go thisdirection or this direction.
So I'm always like the voice ofreason, so to speak.

Speaker 2 (09:02):
So, Ricardo, being in the wedding industry, I have to
ask you do you believe in truelove?

Speaker 3 (09:09):
I do, I do, and it's funny you ask that because I
think tomorrow actually and it'sfunny that you're asking me
this I'm going to be celebratingtwo years that I did this
couple's wedding.
I'll tell you a quick shortstory is they were both widowed,
so that tells you age wise.
So they're both, you know, intheir very mature ages, age-wise

(09:35):
.
So they're both, you know, intheir very mature ages.
And they both found love ondating apps, even after being
married for years and widowed.
And I was like, oh my gosh, iftrue love truly happens at this
stage in your life, I want to do, I want to be this as well.
And they were very, they weremy inspiration.
So, like you asked me at thebeginning, who are my clients,
they're my inspiration.
So, like you asked me at thebeginning who are my clients, I
don't discriminate also with age.
Like I've had young, you know,brides and grooms and grooms and

(09:59):
grooms, and I've had moremature couples, and so there is
no age limit for love, love hasno boundaries.
And so that wedding will alwaysgo down in history as one of my
favorite weddings.
And so that wedding will alwaysgo down in history as one of my
favorite weddings, and alsobecause both of their children.
You know they both had childrenat that age in their life who

(10:21):
each of them, walked down theaisle, so their grandchildren
and their children were part oftheir wedding.
So it was absolutely beautifuland it was at the Dallas
Arboretum and it was a gorgeousspring day like tomorrow.
It'll be two years tomorrow andI'll never forget that wedding.

Speaker 2 (10:40):
It was always embedded in my head.
Well, that sounds like such abeautiful experience and I agree
with you 100%.
I think you can find the one atany age, just when the time is
right.
The time is right, and only Godcan tell us that.

Speaker 3 (10:51):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
So, ricardo, where can our listeners go to learn
more about Ricardo TomasWeddings?

Speaker 3 (11:00):
Yes, so my website is rtomaswed and that's
R-T-O-M-A-S-W-E-Dcom OnInstagram, it's also rtomaswed,
so it's's really easy.
So my website and my Instagramare the same handle.
And also, if you go toWeddingWire or the Knot and you

(11:22):
go to the reviews, I have over150 reviews and they're all up
to date.
So if you really want to get toknow me that's how it's just to
read what everybody's ravingabout my services.

Speaker 2 (11:35):
Well, Ricardo, I really appreciate you being on
the show.
We wish you and your businessthe best moving forward.

Speaker 3 (11:43):
Thank you so much.
It was great speaking with you.

Speaker 1 (11:46):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast To nominate yourfavorite local businesses to be
featured on the show.
Go to gnpfriscocom.
That's gnpfriscocom, or call469-221-9345.