I featured Amanda Brown's wedding a few weeks ago, along with a brief interview about her events planning company, AJB Event Design & Planning Group. I felt like it got lost in all of the gorgeousness of her wedding, so I wanted to spotlight her again!
Were you an Event Planner before you started planning your wedding, or was there a revelation while you were planning your wedding, that this was something you could turn into a business?
I had always known that I wanted to be an event planner since I was in high school. I remember always planning events for my friends and family, and then always dreaming up the perfect event using different color palettes and themes. After negotiating contracts with for our own wedding, researching vendors, creating seating plans and learning about and working with Beverage and Event Orders, I thoroughly enjoyed the business side of planning and knew that this was something I was supposed to do. So I advertised my services, for free and to gain more exposure, after my own wedding and waited. And it happened. Fast.
Tell us about AJB Events Design & Planning Group.
Our company, owned by both my husband and myself, is called AJB EventsDesign & Planning Group. The group consists of the brands, Celebrations by AJB Events and Amanda J. Brown Weddings & Events. The brand, Celebrations by AJB Events, specializes in children’s events and the ever-popular Candy Buffet. Under this brand, we also design and coordinate those celebratory events in life, such as baby showers, bridal showers, anniversaries, and quinceaneras, just to name a few. My name brand, Amanda J. Brown Weddings & Events, specializes in all things wedding. We design the blueprint for our bride’s perfect event, execute their wishes, and coordinate their big day. We work with a host of vendors that I have personally screened and researched and share the same passion as we do; making this special event memorable and flawless. We intend, in the future, to become a source for clients to find the right vendor to make their wedding or event perfect. We are currently working with other professionals in the event industry to become a design and planning firm where we have a one-stop shop for brides in California and in Nevada consisting of everything from event planning services, DJ, floral, photography, and in the future, a location where brides can hold their event. We are hopeful of our future!
Where are you located, and what areas do you service?
We are a Nevada-based business that currently works out of Southern California. We service all areas in the Southern California from the northern area of Antelope Valley, down to the beach cities of Orange County and as far east as Riverside County. We serve all of Southern Nevada up Southern Utah. I recently overcame my fear of flying (sort of) and so we will coordinate and plan destination weddings, if needed!
Share your first experience, other than your own wedding, as an event planner, where you were in charge of making someone else's event/wedding memorable.
I can remember the first wedding that I coordinated with a total of 200 guests. My stomach turned in knots the days leading up to the wedding; you would think that I was the bride! I assisted in the décor choices, and then ultimately served as the coordinator for the day, and then of setting up the reception areas. The bride was very particular about what she did and did not want for her wedding day and I was happy to make sure I was always one step ahead of her. The bride had a great time at her reception and later told me how much she enjoyed herself and having someone there to make sure she was on schedule and that the night ran smoothly. She couldn’t stop thanking us!
Did anything go wrong? If so how did you handle it?
For it to be my VERY first contracted event, it was completely natural that everything would go wrong. Our original plans to swag her tent went south when the amount of fabric the bride provided us with was off from the measurements of the tent she rented. Needless to say, our company spent the day before her wedding deciding how to swag her tent with the amount of fabric we were provided. We were calm and came together to really do a fantastic job draping the tent’s ceiling and walls with white satin. At the same event, there was an instance when the guests had arrived and were seated for cocktails. There were candles on the table and as I was standing by to direct a guest to the gift table, one of the guests alerted me that the table was on fire! I quickly learned the lesson that no matter how much the bride wants candlelight on the table, if it’s a windy day and cocktail napkins are involved, the candles are a no-no! Lesson learned.
What advice do you have for someone currently planning a wedding/event?
Hire an event coordinator. And I am not just saying this, but really, your life will be easier when you know that you have a professional dedicated to carrying out your plans on your wedding day. There are brides that enjoy the planning process and want to plan their own wedding, and that is always great to see, but there has to be someone there to make sure that you are on schedule, that plans are running smoothly, and that you are relaxed and feeling as amazing as you look.
What advice would you give to someone, who may want to become a part of the event planning industry?
Don’t second guess yourself, do it! And dream big while you’re at it. You will get the chance to find what aspect of the event planning industry makes you most happy and pursue your happiness. I recommend setting realistic goals for the weeks, months, and years, so that you can keep track of your progress and see what you need to do to reach your ultimate success. And the biggest lesson I learned is to never let negative thoughts find a place in your mind; I try to keep positive and know that if business is slow right now, that does not mean that things will not pick up later.
Thank You so much Amanda for sharing your special day with us! You did a wonderful job with bringing your vision to life! I hope to see big things for Amanda J. Brown Weddings & Events and Celebrations by AJB Events. Their website is currently under construction, but until then, check them out on Facebook at AJB Events Design & Planning Group
I also took in Amanda's advice about the Event Planning industry, I hope you did too!
Until the next one, Make All Of Your Events....
