An Interview with Eyal Tessler of Tessler Events

When you live in the world of weddings for as long as Eyal Tessler has, finding beauty in a space, in a moodboard, in a vision, becomes almost second nature. As a planner, though, Eyal’s approach transcends all of those physical, tangible details — for him, it really is all about finding and harnessing the heart behind the event. To get the best sense of his journey in the industry (and the impeccable reputation he had developed along the way), I sat down with Eyal.

Tessler Events presents itself as a team of event architects rather than simply event planners. Why make that distinction, and what does it mean for you to be an “event architect”?

Usually, when my architect friends hear that [term], they are like, “But you didn’t learn, or study [to be an architect]!” I look at it a little bit differently. It’s more of being the mastermind behind all of it. You know, being an architect, you don’t necessarily do all of the woodwork and the electricity, but you’re still overseeing, you’re making sure that everybody’s working together, and that’s where the “architect” comes from.

You are known for deeply valuing and prioritizing the guest experience as a planner. In your mind, why does the guest experience matter, particularly when it comes to weddings?

Well, I think that the guest experience can really “make it or break it.” [For example], you know, a bride decides that, no matter what, she doesn’t care, she wants her wedding outside. But [all of a sudden], it’s drizzling, and now it’s not going to be cute, it’s not going to be nice, everybody will be upset, and that’s how your wedding starts. Same goes for [a couple who want] an outdoor wedding in the 100 degree heat. They might be happy to be getting married outside, but [their guests] cannot wait to leave. The guest experience could even be, you know, not serving something that most people will not eat. So, those are the kind of things that I would look into and work with my couples on.

You have often been characterized as both a “bridal whisperer” and a “wedding therapist”. Why do you feel those titles have been attributed to you and your work?

Well, I think that a lot of the time I do come to this not just from the wedding production [perspective], but more from the personal [side of things]. I’ve done this for many years, so I am able to bring that element and to help people navigate some of the uncomfortable situations that arise — whether it’s a family situation, a situation with the couples’ backgrounds, anything like that. And I think that’s why I’ve gotten this title, because I’m pretty good with people, and pretty good with helping them find the human [in addition to] making the wedding beautiful. [More than anything], I plan from my heart.

You, as well as many other wedding planners and vendors, worked through 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic, which had a profound impact on the industry. How do you think the pandemic changed the event planning landscape, and do you still see any of its effects in the wedding world today?

It has definitely had its effects. It was the first time that we had to cancel and postpone on such a large scale. I think that it taught us a lot of things. It made us all plan more and understand that we live in a world where things can change in a minute. It helped us to tighten vendor contracts and become more aware of our cancellation policies. The one way that I think [the pandemic] worked in our favor was forcing us to do a lot of our meetings [over Zoom]. Because all of a sudden, [we realized that] some things don’t necessarily require face-to-face [communication]. So, I think, in that way, it’s helping us [massively] with time management.

You have also been a dedicated mentor to many young, developing planners over the years. What does it mean for you to be a mentor, and how did you get started on that journey?

So, I, in general, love teaching and helping people. I want to give my OG-ness! I’ve been [mentoring] over the years for people who came to work under me and for some of the younger planners who, you know, need help, need resources, need someone who has been there before. I think, in this industry, especially in New York, we are now way more friends and partners than [we were] before, and I think it’s a great thing. I definitely love the idea of taking my experience and helping people who are just starting to get to where they need to [be].

You started Tessler Events in 2013 — 13 years ago. Since then, you’ve seen wedding planning transform from a Pinterest trend-scape to an arena of hyper-personalization, especially over the past five years. So, in your eyes, what specifically about the industry has changed, and what hasn’t?

Well, I think the biggest thing is what’s out there. In the past it would be more magazines and websites, and the content was more sporadic. Today, you see everything on Instagram, and there’s so many things to see. I think one of our biggest issues is where we go with the whole AI [sitiation], and [communicating to couples] what’s real and what’s not real. And, in general, people are seeing so many options, and many don’t necessarily understand that they cannot have five different weddings in one wedding. [Also], we see a lot of the very high-end being presented, but not everybody has the multi-million dollar wedding budget. So, that’s something that we need to adjust and let people know about, because not everything you see online you can afford.

To conclude, what does the rest of 2026 (and perhaps the start of 2027!) look like for you?

I’m excited for the projects we’re working on right now! It’s a nice balance between the really big ones and some smaller ones. I’m actually working on — and I’ve done this before — a wedding for a bride whose bat mitzvah [I had planned]. She is a legacy client — I did her and her two sisters’ bat mitzvahs, then I did her sister’s wedding, and now I’m doing hers. [Those kinds of things really feel special.] But, you know, for me, what I’m trying to do with people is build their dream wedding. I don’t want [my clients to feel like they] have to search for someone else’s dream wedding. [It’s just like] the idea of not doing the AI, and instead choosing to work with someone who you know has the experience, who will take your ideas and bring them to life in a way that works for you.