Andy and Melissa take a second listen to Preston Bailey’s interview about his design process. There’s so much that can be learned from Preston’s interview!
Event Planners and Designers
66 REVISIT: Preston Bailey: Designer for the Ages, Part 1
REVISIT: The year is 1980. The place is New York City. And the person is Preston Bailey, who at the time was just looking for a way to pay the bills and not get evicted from his apartment. What started as a small time floral business blossomed into what we know as Preston Bailey’s immaculate and stunning work.
60 THE NEXT LEVEL: Kevin Lee: Dedication and Finding the Flair
Join Andy and Melissa for today’s Next Level episode, where they break down the amazing interview with Kevin Lee. Kevin sat down with Andy and shared his story of coming to the US and in the process, completely changing careers. What started as a love for flowers, quickly blossomed into the event planning business he has today. Kevin became known for some of the most glamorous events and his over the top flair for artistry made him a beloved movie character.
59 Kevin Lee, Celebrity Event Designer: Dedication and Finding the Flair
Kevin Lee loves living a glamorous lifestyle, and he’s proved time and time again, he’s willing to work for it. He learned the value of true discipline early in life through ballet and becoming a talented clarinet player. Coming from South Korea to America, changing lanes and opening a flower shop-he created his business from continual learning, humility and a true thirst for creating the best and most beautiful experiences possible for his high end clientele.
58 REVISIT: Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce, Engaging Concepts
REVISIT: Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce are powerhouse team is the force behind the wedding and honeymoon industry consulting firm Engaging Concepts. In this episode, we talk about their road from their Disney Weddings days to their own Engage! Summits events.
54 THE NEXT LEVEL: David Tutera: Finding True Success in Self Reinvention
In this companion episode of David Tutera’s interview, Andy and Melissa Fancy take a deeper dive into the strategies that David shared.
David insists that you don’t have to love your clients, as long as you love what you do for your clients. This concept and many more are discussed in this episode of THE NEXT LEVEL!
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53 David Tutera: Finding True Success in Self Reinvention
If you’ve heard of David Tutera, you know he’s done it all. He’s a leading expert in the wedding and entertaining business with a list of accomplishments almost too long to mention.
From sharing how he found himself in the events industry, to his foresight for where the industry is going, David dishes on everything you want to know-with the incredible motivation you need.
About David Tutera:
Originally from New York, David Tutera is a celebrity wedding planner and designer, author of seven books, television personality, and bridal fashion and wedding accessories designer.
His work has graced television for 14 years, from regular spots on The View to his own collection of television series like My Fair Wedding. David has created weddings and events for Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, Barbara Walters, the White House, the Grammy Awards, and countless others.
David currently lives in Malibu, California with his husband Joey, daughter Ceilo, and their rescue dog Lucy.
45 Troy Williams: Fearlessly Paving His Own Path to Celebrity Event Planner Success
Troy Williams is a successful event designer, planner and lifestyle influencer, but his success didn’t happen overnight. It took years of hard work and persistence in following his dream, including cold-calling producers in Hollywood, finding an opportunity to be an intern at Warner Brothers Studios and helping to style celebrities who happened to shop during his shifts at Banana Republic. Above all, Troy credits his career to his passion, talent, and being truly kind to everyone he met.
In this episode, Troy recounts his experience steadily blossoming into an event designer at Warner Brothers, and how he made the leap from a successful career in Hollywood premiere parties to taking on his own business: Simply Troy – where his A-List Celebrity network now recognizes him as a go-to for their own personal celebrations.
43 Eddie Zaratsian: Experiential Events to Delight the Senses
If you’ve never had the joy of working with a designer who absolutely lives to utterly delight their client, then you will find this interview with today’s guest, Eddie Zaratsian a breath a fresh air. Eddie’s abundant energy and passion for creating a feast for the senses, allows him to reflect the very essence of his clients in an unimaginable way.
Eddie Zaratsian is the Owner of Eddie Zaratsian Lifestyle and Design. Eddie was born in Armenia and came to the US when he was 5 years old. He watched his parents arrive in the US, unable to speak English, without the promise of a career, and yet they were determined to pursue their dreams. The family arrived in Hollywood and built the life they had dreamed of. Eventually, Eddie started his own business that evolved over time and became a luxury lifestyle and design company serving A-list clients and creating events that cultivate a sense of wonder and delight the senses-both for the clients and their guests.
40 Nikki Khan: Creating Exquisite South Asian Weddings
So far on the Wedding Biz, we have had multiple perspectives on planning and executing traditional Western weddings. Therefore, I am incredibly thrilled to bring you Nikki Khan, founder of L.A-based Exquisite Events. Nikki has found her place as the luxury wedding planner for traditional, yet magical South Asian weddings. The scale of Nikki’s events can be difficult to wrap your mind around. For some perspective, her own wedding had over 1,000 guests! Luxury South Asian weddings are multi-day events filled with spectacular design, entertainment, ceremony, and family. Nikki has the right mixture of business savvy, taste, and attention to detail to be able to pull off events of this scale.
The daughter of a Pakistani diplomat, Nikki grew up with an international perspective and multiple cultural influences. She attended finishing school in Switzerland, and while her family was living in Europe, she was able to travel all over. These travels filled Nikki with a sense of awe that she uses as fuel for her splendid events. However, Nikki was not always determined to be in the wedding business. She was almost a nutritionist! Knowing her passions were found in entertaining and producing masterful events, Nikki started in the business a bit later than most of us—after her own children were older! Now her daughter is right by her side as an executive for Exquisite Events.
Pulling off a multi-day event like a South Asian wedding boils down to the details. Nikki keeps herself grounded amidst the multiple events, ceremonies, and receptions that comprise a South Asian wedding by meditating on what really matters. Nikki has always placed her family foremost in her life, and at the heart of every wedding are two families joining together forever. She cherishes the valuable connection of family and builds a sense of worth into every detail from the moment the doors open. The word Nikki uses most often to describe these events is “magical,” and I know you will agree once you hear all of what Nikki has to share.