Event Planners and Designers

“It isn’t about creating a less than wedding; it’s just about a different format.” Listen as Andy and his guest Morgan Childs discuss her growing up in Kauai, how she got into the event industry, and how to make it through the pandemic and beyond, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Morgan first began by founding Moana Events and Bella Destination Events and then created another element by adding Modern Elopement, for which she is the CEO and Creative Director. Morgan has been called the elopement expert by Destination I Do Magazine and is a planner who started in the elopement brand back in 2015 when she saw a trend for smaller weddings happening, and with COVID, the concept has exploded.

Morgan shares when she started seeing the trend for smaller weddings even before the pandemic, why her clients find them more attractive, and the difference between all the different terms of smaller weddings like micro and tiny weddings. She also speaks about where the focus is on the elopement weddings her company does and what they entail.

Listen as Morgan addresses some planners’ concerns with taking time off their calendars for smaller weddings when they can fill those dates with higher-end, more expensive weddings. Post-COVID Morgan believes these smaller, more personal weddings will continue because mindsets around money have changed, and saving money or buying a house is sometimes more appealing than spending huge amounts of money on an extravagant wedding.

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.