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From Pivot Magazine

Count on this planner: CPA Rhea Rasquinha has an eye for details

This ambitious CPA works as a senior internal auditor for the City of Toronto but in her off hours, she coordinates weddings with an accountant’s precision

Rhea Rasquinha, CPACPA Rhea Rasquinha says the secret to running a wedding smoothly is having a timeline that’s been reviewed by all the vendors and allows for sufficient buffer time (Photo Ebti Nabag)
When did you know you wanted to be a CPA?
In high school I enjoyed working with numbers, but in university I quickly realized that being a CPA is a lot more than that. It's about working with people, learning about organizations at a high level, and how multiple teams contribute to the overall goal of a company.

What do you like most about your job as an auditor for the city?
What I like most about my day job is the variety of work on city operations that every single resident can relate to, like a parking ticket dispute process or red-light cameras on traffic lights. I enjoy digging deep into these processes and recommending ways to improve them.

How do you balance your job with your wedding planning business?
I try to focus on only two weddings a month during the summer and make sure that the couples have already made high-level decisions like booking venues, photographers and vendors. I’m the person that goes into all the nitty gritty details that take place on the wedding day, like music choices, the order of speeches and activities like cake cutting, and which pictures to display.

What’s the secret to a successful wedding?
The secret to running a wedding smoothly is having a timeline that’s been reviewed by all the vendors and allows for sufficient buffer time. Things don't always go according to plan, so it's important to allow some leeway.

Which CPA skills have helped you with the wedding planning?
Working as a CPA requires being very detail-oriented and not losing sight of the big picture. In my day job, there are little details I need to track which inform a larger picture. It’s the same with weddings—a lot of little details behind the scenes.

What inspired you to go into the wedding planning business?
I didn't have a coordinator at my own wedding and thought I could somehow stay on top of everything as I went through the busy day. Unfortunately, I got lost in the moments and forgot certain traditions that I intended to do, like the father-daughter dance. I didn't have anyone to nudge me and tell me, “This is the time to do it.” When it comes to other people's weddings, I’m that person.

What do you enjoy most about working on weddings?
One of the things that I enjoy about coordinating weddings is working with the couples and with the vendors (photographer, venue, DJ), and each time it's a different team. And although there are different vendors, we come together with one goal in mind, which is that the couple has a wonderful wedding day.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CPA SKILLS

Find out how three CPAs used their skills to work on the forefront of innovation. And check out the CPA competency map to find about about the diverse skills that CPAs need to bring to the table.