More than a decade ago, Tiffany Silva of Blanca Bella Events was working as a personal assistant. Much of her job involved party planning for her employer, and she soon fell in love with the job. “I love putting things together and coordinating. It was something that really fit with my personality.”

She earned her certification in event planning at the Sheffield School of Wedding and Event Planning in New York and has worked as an event planner for the past 12 years. She moved to Brentwood in 2002 and currently coordinates events locally and all around Northern California. In addition to weddings, she also coordinates personal events such as birthdays and anniversaries, as well as corporate events.

Blanca Bella Events offers a variety of services for engaged couples to help fit all styles, personalities and budgets. Some couples are closely involved and want to have a hand in every single aspect of their weddings. “Others just want to show up,” said Silva. For those couples, Blanca Bella offers full-service wedding planning.

No event is too big or too small. “The smallest wedding that I have helped with was just about 20 people,” said Silva, adding that more than half those guests were part of the wedding party. She has also coordinated events involving more than 500 guests.

Her first tip for couples is that the wedding is about them, and that they should resist pressure from family and friends to lose sight of that simple fact. Silva is happy to add special touches to the weddings but emphasizes that they are always reflections of the couple’s desires.

Her second tip is to remember that whatever is done can be undone and that things will never go 100-percent according to plan. “And that’s OK,” she said. “I come prepared to be unprepared.” Experience has taught her to anticipate the unexpected and the professionalism to roll with it.

One thing she never does is let the client see her stress. “If I stress out, my couples will stress out. And I don’t want that.” Silva is committed to do whatever possible to help her couple’s big day go smoothly.

Her last tip is to simply breathe. Weddings are the happiest day of a couple’s life but can also be the most stressful. “Enjoy the process.”

Silva finds herself extremely busy at this summer-wedding time of year. But that makes her happy. “I really enjoy what I do. It’s my passion.”

Blanca Bella Events is based in Brentwood and offers event planning and coordination in the Bay Area and beyond. To find out more about Blanca Bella Events, call 925-470-7624 or www.blancabellaevents.com.