Event Planners and Designers

Join David Monn and Andy as they travel down memory lane to discover the events and steps that led David to develop a unique sense of design in the event industry. Join Andy and David as they travel down memory lane to discover the events and steps that led him to develop a unique sense of design in the event industry. David’s unique ability to align the senses to create the most effective event tapestry is what sets him apart from his fellow planners and designers.

David’s fascinating career trajectory involved finally realizing his calling was in event planning and design. His use of authenticity, scale, and attention to detail along with igniting the senses of smell, sound, and sight have made him an industry leader and one of the most highly sought-after event planners/designers in the world. His goal is to craft an event that shares your true story and personality, not the fantasy that you’ve created for yourself. 

His years in the corporate environment prepared him by giving insights into the mechanics of running a business and putting him in contact with some of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. Their mentorship and his creativity are the backbones of his business.

Listen in to learn how lighting design defines an event, why packing light and carrying on your luggage is so freeing, and how to leverage your relationships to create a thriving business. David shares valuable and personal insights into the creation of his business, so this conversation is not one you want to miss.

“An event designer is the equivalent of an interior designer.” Andy’s guest on the show is Joy Proctor of Joy Proctor Design, a full-service design house. Listen as they discuss what led Joy to make that analogy, how her childhood influenced her career path, why she transitioned from a planner to a designer, plus so much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Joy considers herself a wedding designer and stylist and has been named amongst the top wedding planners in the world and a leader in the industry by Harpers Bazaar and Brides. Joy has designed well over 400 weddings worldwide and does photo styling, creative direction, and production for clients, including Bella Belle Shoes, ALTR Created Diamonds, Bel Aire Bridal, Flutter Magazine more. 

Listen, as Joy shares her process of extrapolating the essence of design, her client’s desire in the location they want, and how walking through the venue with the client allows her to visualize her design. Joy also discusses what is included in her thirty to fifty-page design proposal she gives her clients. 

Joy speaks about the work she does with editorial campaigns, her product collaborations, and the Hearts of Flutter Tours she organizes. Joy also gives us some insight into her recent social media posts on social justice movements and why she decided this was the time to get involved. And finally, she talks about she’s handling the effects of the pandemic. 

“I think my background in graphic design helps me because I focus a lot on the details of a wedding.” Andy’s guest on the show today is Yara Estephan, a wonderful planner and designer out of Beirut. Listen as they discuss Yara’s early interest in weddings, how she uses her graphic design background in her current work, some great stories about some major over-the-top and high-exposure weddings, and how she is handling the pandemic plus so much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Yara shares her background and a story about planning a fake wedding for her five year old sister, when she was twelve, that guests actually showed up for. Yara believes that her graphic design background helps her when designing weddings because she can show a couple her vision in 3D.

Yara shares her process for planning and designing weddings, and describes some major weddings that she has created. She talks about how she comes up with the amazing designs she is known for and how the pandemic is affecting her business. Yara also speaks about how the small intimate weddings, that are trending, have affected her design concepts.

Yara discusses what she thinks will change in the event industry, once the pandemic is over, and some advice for young planners just starting. She is an eloquent speaker and can bring her designs to life with just her words. You don’t want to miss this episode.

Andy has Laurie Arons on the show today to talk about how she is handling the pandemic personally and professionally, some events she has been lucky enough to have, and how she has stayed connected with her clients that rescheduled their events for next year, and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Since founding Laurie Arons Special Events in 1994, Laurie has been featured in numerous magazine publications and was listed in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Martha Stewart Weddings as one of the top planners worldwide. Her clients include noteworthy trendsetters like Vanessa Getty and Christy Turlington, and prominent business moguls like Gary Friedman, Frank Schofield, and Eddie DeBartolo.

Laurie shares some safety measures she has in place for her events, how she has been able to keep all of her team, and how she believes this pandemic will affect the event industry going forward. Listen as Laurie speaks about postponing her Masterclass, rescheduling it for December, and some exciting things that the attendees will experience.

Laurie says that she always tries to find the silver lining during a crisis, and because of COVID, she has done some things that she wouldn’t have had time for otherwise. This is a conversation that you won’t want to miss.

“I try always to make sure I design a wedding with the couple in mind and personalize it as much as possible.” Listen as Andy and his guest, Zainab Alsalih, discuss how she designs a wedding, why she transitioned from corporate events into weddings, her process when doing events, and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Zainab is the Founder and Creative Director of Carousel Events out of Dubai, one of the region’s best-known companies for event design. Zainab is also considered one of the 

most respected authorities on weddings in the middle east. She has been covered and quoted in countless regional and international programs and publications in various languages on radio, televisions, print, and online, including Harpers Bazaar, Martha Stewart, and Vogue.

Listen as Zainab shares how she got started in event planning and the transition to weddings. She speaks about how young couples today are leaning toward less traditional weddings and more towards western influences. Zainab also discusses her process from the first time she meets the client until the actual wedding.

“It’s not about how a wedding looks; it’s about how a wedding feels.” Zainab shares why this is the way she views weddings, why less is more is her main mantra, and what the definition of luxury means to her. She shares many details of major weddings she has designed and tells it with color and passion so you can visualize it as if you were there. You don’t want to miss this conversation.

We are all experiencing quite a bit of stress and other issues during this pandemic. Andy has put together a list of the top ten tips for dealing with stress, which he has compiled from interviews with icons of the wedding and event industry. If you would like a copy, go to www.theweddingbiz.com/toptips.