Ep. 9 - Design for Planners: Enhancing Your Services Without Becoming a Florist with LesLo Events

Episode 9 Special Guests: Les and Lo, co-founders of Leslo Events

Short Bio:

LesLo Events is a luxury event studio that offers full service event management, consulting and design for corporate and private clients. We are proud to be featured in numerous wedding publications for our work with celebrity clientele.  Our mission is to elevate the event experience by offering luxury event services that exceed our client’s vision and ensure an unforgettable experience.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Inside the Wedding Planner's Mind podcast with
Irene Tyndale, chief Event Officer of Irene Tyndale Weddings and Events.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
All Right, insiders, here's Irene.

Speaker 3 (00:11):
Welcome back to another episode of Inside the Wedding Planner's Mind.
I'm your host, Irene Tyndale, and today we have a
special treat for you. Joining us are the incredible talented
ladies from less Low Events based here in Atlanta, who
present it at our Becoming the Business Retreat for Planners
earlier this year. Their session on design for Planners was
not only insightful, but also transformative for so many other

(00:35):
planners in the room. So today we are diving into
the world of design. What does it look like? What
does it really mean for wedding planners? How can you
incorporate design into your business and without feeling like you
need to become a florist or a full time designer.
There's often a misconception that adding design means florals, centerpieces

(00:56):
and decor and draping, etc. Etc. But it's so much
more than that. So Let'slow Events will help us clear
up those myths and show us how planners can bring
their unique vision to life in a way that enhances
their services without completely overhauling their role. So welcome, ladies
and happy. I was gonna say, happ Sunday because that's

(01:18):
what we're doing with recordings on a Sunday. So happy Sunday.
How are you ladies doing? Wow Sunday, Happy Sunday. So
before we die, yeah, I know it's happy Sunday. So
anybody's going to be listening to this on a Monday,
but it's Sunday afternoon, Happy Monday. But before we dive
into today's chat, I'd love to ask my guests this question.

(01:41):
Please tell the people out there, what is your origin
story and how did you both get started in the industry?
And it's a great story. Everybody.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
Hello, take you Mike.

Speaker 4 (01:54):
We always whenever we get this question, I usually jump
in and well, first, we're sisters, which is something people
ask us all the time how we're connected, But we
have known each other since birth.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
I love it. I have blessing and privilege.

Speaker 4 (02:14):
That is, but I think that's also kind of the
roots of our origin. I would say I always kind
of talk about how we grew up in a family
that really did love to host and entertain countless Sunday dinners,
coming together for the holidays, my dad shout out to
Dad has a daily happy hour, even if it's by himself,

(02:35):
but usually gather around the table with him.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
And so we just really kind of grew up.

Speaker 4 (02:39):
In a family that loved and valued time together and
coming together. And so I think we, you know, since
we were young, really had an admiration and love and
affinity for that bringing people together, that idea of kind of.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
Community and fellowship.

Speaker 4 (02:55):
And so as we both kind of grew up and
went on in our own perspective kind of pursuits, we
both independently were still working on events in different ways.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
So I came from.

Speaker 4 (03:08):
Marketing and advertising background where I had to do events
for clients. Leslie similarly, was in the corporate environment at
a top firm and was responsible for their training, development,
learning big conferences. And so we were both doing events
professionally and independently, and then decided to kind of bring

(03:28):
those passions and the skills that we had developed together
to start less slow. And so we do differ on
what our first official event was. I always say it
with our little sister, Lindsey graduated from high school and
we did a little high school graduation party that I
still hold most of my heart. But Less has a

(03:49):
different version of the story, which are still kind of
related to family, So Less, I don't know if you
want to share your side.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
Yeah, I would say that our first official event was
my best friend's wedding, so we planned it, it got published,
and one wedding kind of led to another, so I
feel like that's more of the first real as our
dy baby shower for Lindsay.

Speaker 5 (04:20):
Above.

Speaker 4 (04:21):
I feel like I still consider kind of family events,
which makes sense again kind of given our background and upbringing.
So that's that's it.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
That's that's how we got started.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
My goodness, And how long have you been in business? Officially?

Speaker 1 (04:34):
That's a question that we defer on to think officially
by the paperwork, So that's what we'll say.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
I think we all have that. We all have that like, Okay,
but I was doing it because there's like you wanted
you thinking about doing. You're like, people a gonna actually
pay me to do this other than you know your
corporate jobs do, right, But I feel like if your
title wasn't event planned for the corporation, but I was
part of your other duties as a sign it was
part of like your job description, like loosely based, right,

(05:03):
because I've had jobs like that where that wasn't part
of the job description, became a task that I did,
you know, a thing that I had to do. But
it's like, oh wait, somebody come back, someone's gonna actually
pay me to do this on this skime or something.
I did it for my sister, I did it for
my best friend, I did it for a cousin. And
now you're like, oh, unofficially this many years, but officially
with you know, the state you said twenty eighteen.

Speaker 2 (05:26):
Yeah, twenty sixteen? Was was it sixteen eighteen? By paperwork?

Speaker 3 (05:32):
There we go, just in case Uncle Sam is listening
to us, twenty eighteen.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
Officially.

Speaker 3 (05:41):
I love that you're officially official and I know and
now so with that, so just kind of in that
realm of you all started when you officially started in
twenty eighteen, did you come into the business saying that
you were going to offer both the planning and design?
Was that something that was like simultaneously from the beginning
you knew that you were going to offer.

Speaker 1 (06:01):
I think that's a good segue into the conversation answer
the question I don't really think we really.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
Knew what we were doing.

Speaker 1 (06:08):
I think we just kind of started, and I think
as we were doing more and more weddings and more
and more ements, we learned, oh there is you know,
there's a design element, and then there's a you know,
logistics element. But I don't think going in we knew
or really kind of sat down and thought strategically about, oh.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
These are different That's kind of my opinion.

Speaker 4 (06:35):
Yeah, I would I would agree in that I don't
think we knew that there was a difference between planning
and designing.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
I think we just assume.

Speaker 4 (06:44):
By nature of planning that we kind of had to
do design. And maybe that was also kind of a
point of curiosity for both of us, like we just
kind of naturally.

Speaker 2 (06:53):
Were like, ooh, what's it going to look like?

Speaker 4 (06:55):
Right? We knew there was other people who would help,
like oh, get florist, but we didn't think that we
wouldn't have a hand in helping that.

Speaker 2 (07:03):
So I don't know, it was kind of I would.

Speaker 4 (07:05):
Agree with Las said we didn't really know the difference
on first, and I think we learned as we went
kind of the point the line of differentiation.

Speaker 3 (07:14):
Yeah, I think when you all started doing, like when
you officially started like in twenty eighteen, I feel like
that was the beginning of the industry, really setting a difference,
like set setting bars on, Like, Okay, there's a florist right,
and the flora is typically you know, I grew up
in New York and there was a floor shop on
every street corner right, and it was like they had

(07:35):
been there for thirty fifty some of them one hundred years,
family owned, and you can go in at any time
of the day, grab a bouquet of flowers. Most people
would go there for all their floor needs, you know.
And I remember certain generations of like grandmothers, Like when
I've worked with the rides of their grandmothers air life,
they're like, oh one, when I got married, and you know,
nineteen fifty something, nineteen sixty something, it literally when you

(07:57):
went to the town floors, she would say what color
your bridesmaid's wearing? Like yellow, okay, white and yellow next,
and it was just like copy and paste. Every weekend
was copy and paste.

Speaker 6 (08:07):
You know.

Speaker 3 (08:07):
It was white with some a little bit of blue
or pink or yellow. It was very the same colors,
the same look, the same style, there was a time
there brides didn't really have a say so and what
was put on the table was mom took care of
it the country club or whatever. And then I feel like,
over the years, it's like, okay, at flower shops, that's
what the flower shops did. They did, you know, from

(08:28):
the cradle to the grave. Like it's just like from
the beginning to the end and all the life's things
and over the years, but I feel like I would
say that twenty eighteen from my memory is like, okay,
there was a clear distinct difference between a florist and
then an event designer or a floral designer, you know
that kind of thing. So let's kind of talk about
that and you you know what you all say because

(08:49):
you both do it well. And I love the fact
that there's two of you, and we've talked about this before.
We talked about it at the retreat, whereas like one
of you is more right brain, the other one is
more left brain, right, like you're both creative in your
own way, but you had to say, you know what,
we're going to divide and conquer, like you know that
kind of thing. And I think that's what gets people
some people in trouble. It's like, Okay, I'm one person.
I'm more logistical minded person, but I'm gonna go ahead

(09:11):
and add design. We are having any clue what design is.
But in your opinion, and you know, you've been in
business for a few years, you've been doing this for
a few years and doing it well, my dad, that like,
let's talk about what's the like what you've seen. The
difference is in your opinion and in just your in
your yeah, in your opinion and your experience. What's the
difference between like a florest a flora designer, or maybe

(09:33):
an event designer? You know? I mean that's because right
now we have florists, we have floral designers, and then
we have event designers. Is what we what people kind
of give themselves as titles.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah, I can happen.

Speaker 1 (09:49):
I think the I think the biggest difference that I
could call out is that I think when you're a
wedding planner and you also offer design, it offers them
more common apprehensive.

Speaker 2 (10:02):
View and alignment over the planning.

Speaker 3 (10:06):
Right.

Speaker 1 (10:06):
So as the planner who's also doing design, right, we're
able to kind of paint the picture from start to finish,
incorporating every single part, right, and having creative input on
every single part of the wedding or the event. I
think from a floral perspective, right, if you're just the florist,
you have that creative over what the flowers look like

(10:29):
for you know, the ceremony and the reception, as opposed
to all of the other opportunities for design. Right, there's
design and stationary, there's designing the experience, which is something
we talked about becoming a little bit. So I think
that's probably the biggest difference, just the comprehensive overview of
it all you right when you're the wedding planner, because

(10:51):
you do have hands in every single piece.

Speaker 2 (10:54):
Yeah, I would agree.

Speaker 4 (10:55):
I think it's kind of about depth versus breadth. Right,
So when you think about someone who like floral, for
is floral or their medium? Right, So we couldn't even
begin to tap the surface. I like, I read how
you were talking about twenty eighteen, and I think the
pivot that happened and kind of industry, and I think

(11:16):
a lot of that can be attributed to Like it
sounds cliche, but like social media, Like, yes, people get
exposure to what they see from a possibility standpoint, not
only did it give businesses in every industry the opportunity
to expose their work and be expired and kind of
iron sharpens ironed, right, but it also gave the consumers,

(11:38):
the people who are going to be investing in these things,
exposure to that, right. And so from the consumer perspective,
I think before, like you were talking about number one,
just the realities of the economy and the level of
investment that someone was probably willing to put an into
an event at that time was different. We also like
grandparents got married in the church and had the reception

(11:58):
at the house right after up your real fancy, right,
But I still think you were limited, and like there
was probably a dressmaker or two right or two right now,
Like with the click of a button, I can type
in floral inspiration on inter any platform right, dot com right,
and the options are endless. Right. People kind of get

(12:22):
to pull from different points of information. I think the
differences planners, I think have the breadth right. You get
to understand soup to nose the whole picture comprehensive, like
what the event is, and I think that other people
are just kind of leslie.

Speaker 2 (12:36):
Why are you laughing?

Speaker 1 (12:37):
I'm laughing against you said soup to nice, I would
say that, and that's where I got that from.

Speaker 5 (12:47):
Other people are like, you know, they really get to.

Speaker 4 (12:50):
Go deep in their special concentration or degree. In college,
you learn generally, right, some of those common courses and things,
but then you get to major or minor and something
that's more concentrated. And so I think that's the distinction
between planners and the other design specialists and whatever medium
they choose.

Speaker 3 (13:11):
Yeah, it's funny that you say that, because I, you know,
I always say that the planners that know it all,
like it's our job to know a little bit about
what everyone's doing. I'm not saying that you have to
do it all. You just have to know. And if
you are, this is my opinion, if you are offering
full service planning, you have to walk these couples through

(13:31):
this design process, even if you're not the one making
the flowers. Like listen, I design all the time, but
I'm not making these flowers. There are some people out
there that are phenomenal designing flowers and putting booth, you know,
executing these these crazy ideas that we have. And sometimes
I come up with the idea in the shower and
the floors be like girl. First of all, that is
not in the budget. Second of all, we don't have

(13:53):
that much time to construct the whole tree in the
middle of the room, like it comes scratched. But I
have some voult trees that we can bring, you know,
that kind of thing. But yeah, it's kind of like
knowing a little bit of all I love. And I've
gotten to a point now that I've been saying this
for a few years, but everyone's holding me to it
on the team and I'm saying it on the airwaves.
I'm only going to do partial and full planning coming up.

(14:17):
And the only reason I'm keeping a couple of partials
is because those booked this year Confection and they were
referrals and that kind of thing. But to me, it's like,
my favorite is when I have a full service wedding
and from start to finish, you're right like they came
to me and all I say they have is their
ring and they you know, they're in love and they
don't have a location, or they may have a location,
and that's all they have, and it's like, Okay, let's

(14:39):
work this out. Let's go from start to finish. What's
the environment, you go through your whole planning thing, and
you know, part of being a planner and a little
bit of a control freak, it literally is the entire
journey is in our hands. And I'm not the one
making flowers, but I'm making sense out of all the
ideas and all the visions and the experience, and then
I'm sharing that with our you know, all of our

(15:01):
creative partners out there that we all, we all, all
three of us have worked with, whether it's floral, whether
it's rental, whether it's draping, I mean, lighting, the music.
The list goes on. But I feel like I think
every time you hear a planner adding design to their services,
it's like floral. And so walk us through your process.

(15:23):
Let me say, let's say your process, but a process
of if a planner is walking through or starting to
offer design to their clients, what does that look like?
You know, and I know that it's a long process,
but what does that look like? And let's kind of
dive into that a little bit so that planners that
are either thinking about it or are doing it, but
are frustrated because they're not they don't know what they're doing.

(15:45):
Because most of us don't until we figure it out,
and then, like you said, we become mini masters at
what we're doing, and then we become masters at what
we're doing.

Speaker 4 (15:54):
Yeah, I can dive in here, and I think that
there are also kind of levels to it.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
I think.

Speaker 4 (16:00):
Like bare minimum, like it's just fundamental kind of it's
it's the one hundred foot view, it's a tip the iceberg.
It's kind of vision casting, I would say, is I
think the beginning of the process. I think, like anyone,
you know, again going back to that kind of consumer analogy,
sometimes it's either we have couples who come to the
table and they're very clear because they've been doing Internet

(16:23):
snooping on the things that I like, kind of the
vibe that I'm going for, and you can take that
and use that as a springboard for some planners that
might look like, Okay, I know that this is the
vision that they want to make happen. I know the venue,
let's make them have a baby essentially, right, and kind
of for the vendors that I need to call forward

(16:43):
because also like there are different styles of design, so
you know that there might be a floorist who you know,
could execute on the inspo picture better because that's the
Boho is their vibe than maybe another floor. So I
still think in a way, even if you don't offer
design and I'm using air quotations, you are still curating
the partners that are going to help reson to life,

(17:05):
which is again designed in its own way. Right, you're
designing a team, right, But I think if you're actually
providing design, and again I think it starts with just
kind of vision casting and whether someone comes to the
table and says, here are some inspo picks right to
work off of. You never want to just rip or
copy exactly right. You want to kind of take in

(17:27):
additional information, consider the venue, consider the season, and maybe
make adjustments. Or you have to be the person who
pulls together a collection of things that helps people decide
on a design.

Speaker 2 (17:40):
Direction that would work for them. So that's where we start.
We start with kind of.

Speaker 4 (17:43):
Mood boarding vision boarding, trying to kind of help them
see how things could come to life. From a design perspective,
what are the colors that you like, What are the
floral styles that you like, What are the decorative like
rental elements that you like. Are you more in contemporary,
are you more traditional? Which trying to kind of find

(18:03):
the sweet spot of their like, esthetic preferences and interests,
and then you know, building it out from there. Less,
I don't know if there's the anything you would add
to that.

Speaker 1 (18:14):
No, I think that was a good introduction and I
think Low said it really well. We start with listening, right,
So usually in our kickoff meeting, we're listening and we're
getting an understanding of who are our clients, what are
they like, what do they dislike, what are the colors
if any, or style notes that they have in mind? Right,
And then from there we kind of go to the
drawing board creatively and start to pull together what we

(18:38):
call vision boards, which is what Low kind of just started.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
To talk through.

Speaker 1 (18:42):
Once we have that high level vision, we can then
take that and that is what we used to inform
conversations with all of our vendor partners, right, So we
can take it, we can then build it out. We
can do all of our mockups, mocking up the ceremony,
mocking up playouts, right, mocking up you know the centerpieces
for the rest. And that's what we used to have

(19:02):
the strategic design conversations with Florest. That's what we used
to start shopping around for different rental items, and so
that's the decor part of design, right. But I think
kind of going back to the start of the discussion,
I also think it's important when we think about misconceptions,
is that design isn't just decre right so at because

(19:27):
we have our hands in all of the all of
the components of the wedding. Right, once you do kind
of set that clear vision or build out that theme, yes,
you are building it out from like a decor perspective,
but you're also you can also build it out through
all the other parts, right, your entertainment, your food, right huge,

(19:51):
And so I think when it comes to misconceptions and
comes to the process, right, I think it's important to
just remember it's decor but also right, so you're you're
building out and you're adding to the experience too, So
you don't have to just be a creative genius.

Speaker 3 (20:09):
But a lot of it is it's really it does
because I know you and then you know I'm actually
currently going through that through their process kind of a
mini version of their process now designing for the retreat,
and it's a lot of it's a lot of questions,
it's like a Q and a. It's a lot of questions,
it's getting to know people, it's digging it, and it's
a lot of logistics right that you're collecting and data

(20:30):
you're collecting. Because I just had a discovery call like
maybe a week or two ago with a young with
a young bride and she's young. She's like, I know,
I'm she's like maybe twenty four to twenty five, and
so we asked her, It's like, you know, tell me
a little bit about yourself and about your groom and
tell me your story. And she's like, paused. We were
on video. It was like which was She's like, wow,
no one asks no one has asked me. Then you're

(20:51):
like the third or fourth planner I've spoken to and
I was like what, But even like family dynamics, where
are you from? And then it's like, oh, I hear
a little bit of accent? Are you Crippean? Are you
from New York? You're from New Orleans? Like and it's
kind of getting to know them and then yeah, everybody
you know, fifty to fifty some have Pinterest boards. Some
don't come to a discovery call, and they're text messaging

(21:13):
me pictures of my couples, like oh, I love this
that you differ such and such, and I love this
such and such. Can you do that? I'm like, well, no,
we don't copy and paste, you know. And I mean,
I just had this conversation with one of our couples
who they getting married at the same location as one
of our couples did a couple of years ago. Actually
their anniversary is coming up, and they're like, well, you
did that wedding in all white at this hotel. Can

(21:35):
we do the same thing in all black? And I
was like, well, it's not going to be the same.
And I said, even if you And that's the other
creativeness of it, if you've been at the same hotel
four or five times and each wedding looks different. But
a lot of it is like that. I feel like
we're collecting a lot of logistics. And you're right, it's like,
are they foodies? Does that matter to them? You know?
Are they entertainment people? Are they do they want top shelf?

Speaker 4 (21:57):
Like?

Speaker 3 (21:58):
What you know? Do they want a mixologist? Like it's
all these different things like do you know do they
want a Caribbean steel still drum band? Do they want
a vibe?

Speaker 2 (22:06):
Like?

Speaker 3 (22:06):
It's all these things and I used to tell I
used to say that I wasn't a designer, and Duayne
stopped me, and it was like, no, you are. You're
logistically designing this entire process. You're curating all these people
to work together, so the synergy is good and the
vibes are good and everybody works well. And you're right,
like every floor is is not created equal. Every you know,
rental company is not created equal. Everybody has their place,

(22:29):
Like we all know that there's certain people you go
for this, and certain people you go for this, and
you know, everybody has their niche. That's a popular word, right,
the niche of what they do. But it's bringing all
that together and doing that, which to some people it
feels overwhelming. They're like, I just want to stick to logistics,
that's all. I just want to say to the logistics.
And I don't do nothing else but the logistics. But

(22:50):
I love that you both touched on. No, you're still designing,
even if you're not making the flowers or putting together
mood board, you're still designing the whole thing.

Speaker 4 (22:58):
And it's so fundamental, really important, right, because like even
if you don't That's why I said, there's levels even
if you don't yourself want to offer designed or even
if you're like I don't have the skill set to
like do a mood board, right, I just have the pictures.
I think just even considering the other players or bringing
people together matters so much. Leslie and I always talk

(23:18):
about this when we're doing kind of vision board readings.

Speaker 2 (23:21):
That why we do them.

Speaker 4 (23:22):
It is because how people interpret things vary so drastically. Right,
So we could all on the phone right now say
I want to do a black, white and red wedding.
I'm going to make it up, and all three of
us are going to picture something entirely different right style,
the amount of red versus black versus right, It could

(23:43):
all the same thing is true for Floris and stationary.
And so while you can give people the colors and
just say everyone go out on your own and interpret that,
and then we're just going to bring everyone into the
room this on the wedding, hope it all works right.
That's kind of the recipe for disaster in some cases.

Speaker 2 (24:05):
Right, there are times like.

Speaker 5 (24:06):
Okay, similar colors, it can.

Speaker 4 (24:08):
Work out, but we've all put on an outfit before
that we're like, oh, color wise, the coordinates but it
don't quite look right, right. And I do think that
that's the value of planners. Right, if we're curating, even
if they come to the table and they've selected all
the vendors, the thought to say, well, we should get
this person and this person on the phone together. We
should share what they're doing so that this person can

(24:29):
take inspiration from it, right, so that there's a little
bit more cohesion. It's almost like the conductor of an orchestra, right,
you can kind of play up and down things, but
it helps when other people know when everyone's looking at
the same sheet of music, and so you know, I
would just I guess echo. That's that's the value that
I think we bring as planners. And I still think
it's important in design period, right that we feel like

(24:53):
an orchestra, one band, one sound, that there's no way
everyone's not kind of singing and playing to their own
tune and we're just hoping.

Speaker 2 (25:04):
Yeah, yeah, I've actually jumped.

Speaker 3 (25:06):
I mean we've actually have had like even month of clients,
you know that we step in sixty seventy days prior
with you know how you're doing that kind of thing,
and then we noticed that there's like no vision that,
like everyone is just out here floundering at like a
little guppies out of water, and I'm just like like like,
and people liked that, like don't do that. Like I'm like, wait,

(25:27):
what's you know? And I look at everything. I'm like,
nothing here all this. And then the couple's like, well,
we didn't know, you know, because we were out here
planning it on our own. And the NA says this,
and the such and such that this, and the and
the Bride magazine said this, and the indust and I
was like, but you literally took everything in your pincher's
board and try to put it all in five hour
day like and I've literally had to like go in

(25:49):
and be like okay, no that, let let's erase that,
or then a walk through with somebody and be like
you still haven't figured out whether you're going tropical or
you're going this way? Like what we doing? What we're doing,
you know, and and and it's trus like and also
what I've seen though too for as a planner, when
you collect a lot of information on like like the
ladies were saying, like you're collecting all this data, all

(26:09):
this information, even if you're not putting together the design,
the mood board. But you're collecting like, okay, they're fair
of flowers, this that or the other, or like the
bride loves chasmin but whatever it is, right, and you're
collecting all this data. Then when you're calling your florist,
or you're calling your cater or you're calling your draping
person or you know, you're having a conversation and the
bride's like, I haven't bought my dress, but I need

(26:31):
you know, I need a gown and I don't want
to really expensive. You're a resource center like you are
literally the Yellow Pages and Google for those of you
who don't want to Yellow Pages. Before we had Google,
we used to have this Yellow books that came to
the door and they used to be advertising in there
and people's phone numbers. And I just had this conversation
with somebody, like my grandmother who's in the Bronx. She
still gets one. It's like itty bitty. Now it's like

(26:52):
half the size and it's not even as thick, and
I'm like, who's even in here anymore? Like we got
rid of her house phone like ten five years ago
because it made no sense. They started charging her extra
for it because not many people in New York City
had line lines. So all that to say, like, we
are their resource center, So it's good for you to
collect information. If it's a brand new venue and you

(27:13):
know the caterer hasn't been there, the floors hasn't been there,
collect that information, take pictures of the loading dock and
all that stuff. And I tell you, collecting those that
information is going to help them give your couples a
better experience and a better proposal. And the list goes
on and on. But then it also be like, Wow,
this planner cares about us, then care about the experience,
even from the back of the house standpoint, Like that's

(27:36):
important because before I really started designing per Se, that's
what I did. I'm like, I just collected as much
information about the couple, and there's much information about the
setup in the space to be able to share with
everybody so that when we got on the phone, we're
not wasting time and I'm not having the same conversations
or hearing the same conversations with every vendor over and
over and over. Because they had kind of like a
poll sheet of Hey, here's Susie and Johnny, here's all

(27:58):
their information. Here's who they are, are a little bit
about them, you know, family dynamics, those kind of things,
and vendors love that even like you know when you say, hey,
here's our mood board, let's talk about it, let's hash
it out. Is it possible, is not possible? The couple
likes this, and you kind of go from there.

Speaker 4 (28:13):
One hundred percent, and your vendors want to be successful. Right,
Like about again, going back to designing the experience, we
think a lot about our relationship with the clients a.

Speaker 2 (28:24):
Lot, right first and foremost often.

Speaker 4 (28:26):
But your relationships with your vendor partners, frienders, whenever you want,
all the loving, doting kind of nicknames is just as important.
Right at the end of the day, they want to
be set up for success too. They don't want to fail,
they don't want to ruin a day. They want the
couple to be happy, they want the event to move flawless,
sleep right. And so I think using your tools like

(28:48):
you said that are in your tool can I read
to kind.

Speaker 2 (28:50):
Of set them up for success.

Speaker 4 (28:52):
So appreciated, and that's what kind of builds and strengthens
those relationships that coverage in the future. Right, Like, think
about how many times you know, logistically, it's a planner.
There's emergencies, things go wrong. To have those relationships where
you could call in favors, it is those experiences that
your vendors, whether it's the venue or the florist or

(29:13):
the cater have with you and your team that can
come back in the end to benefit you multifold.

Speaker 2 (29:18):
And then I think when they like you, I think.

Speaker 4 (29:20):
Ultimately like as a planner, their outputs are even better.

Speaker 2 (29:24):
Right, It's like these gosh, I'm a little more than
what they pick.

Speaker 3 (29:31):
Yeah, oh my god. And that is the best thing.
It's like girls, don't worry about that, Like I'm already
bringing I'm already bringing a truck full of stuff from
the warehouse. It's fine. Or I had a bride one time.
It was like love Martini's and like her dirty martiniz
was her signature drink, and she swore up and down.
She told me and the bartending you know, the venue,
oh we want I wanted Martini glasses, and I was

(29:53):
like you, none of us have notes for Martini glasses
and what specialty like really like old school Martine glasses
or any kind. So I literally called the caterer that
was down the street a catering company, not the one
that we were using. They were like yeah, They're like,
oh girl, come get a case, come get the rack,
and somebody's here to at least three in the morning,
just drop it off in the back loading dock. And

(30:14):
I went down there got the stemulss ones really quickly.
Another time, we had a table somebody else because somebody
forgot the table right, somebody linen, whatever the case may be.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
See yesterday we had a baby shower and we needed
an extra table, and I called the florist and I
was like, hey, do you have a table and one?

Speaker 3 (30:34):
Yeah, And those are those things like that, or you know,
getting a little extra time to get in without getting charged,
or like girl, like let me in for the rehearsal,
like let yourself out, you know the code lock yourself
up out here by on a Friday afternoon. And it's
kind of those things. And it's because as planners and
you all do this well. That's why I love you
so much. It's like we have multiple customers, like love, listen,

(30:57):
love all of us out there, but not all planners
are creating equal Not all of us play well in sandbox.
And the biggest thing that I get, Like the biggest
compliment that we get, at least once doing a wedding
is oh, you guys are so nice and kind, and
I'm just like, I don't understand. I don't understand when
the hospitality industry, I don't understand. And even if someone
is getting on my last nerves, I'm still gonna be

(31:18):
nice to them because again, Am and gold coming, we're
on the same team. Let's play the let's play the
notes right, and so that way we all can continue
to get business because this is a beautiful day and
everyone's experiencing a beautiful day. Then we're gonna get referrals,
we're gonna get great reviews, we're gonna, you know, get
to get a prefer Vender list. And I don't know,

(31:39):
butt you, but that's how we've gotten on most of
other prefer Vender lists. It wasn't because we were begging.
We just did really well. And the person that the
team was like the hotel the venue was like, wow,
you guys are easy to have around here, like, well,
we've been doing this for a while and we're not.
We're not here to make your job any harder than
it is already. And Vice versa. But yeah, I think
it's one of those things that it's like remembering that
we have multi customers, right, you know, when we're out

(32:02):
in these streets planning weddings, it's not just it's not
just a couple, which a lot of people are like
one track mine. It's just a couple, just a couple,
like yeah, no, because they're one and done for the
most part, unless you do showers and other parties for them.
You know, we don't do showers and birthday parties. Enlist
is a past client and then we'll do it for them.
But then our past clients will send us corporate events
or they'll send us their friends, that kind of thing.

(32:24):
But I always say, you gotta be nice because you
never know who's in the room.

Speaker 2 (32:28):
You never know who's in the room.

Speaker 5 (32:29):
Ever know who's in the room.

Speaker 1 (32:31):
We always kind of similar to what you said, usually
at weddings we get more wedding clients.

Speaker 3 (32:37):
Yeah, oh that's the best. Yeah, So yes, I have
the wedding that I have this coming Saturday end of September.
That bride and groom I met them bout a year
and a half ago at the cousin's wedding and I'm
like running around at the wedding and I'm just getting
everywady settled in and they're like, excuse me, is your
name Mareen Tindale. I was like yes, I'm thinking, okay,
they have my name on the wedding website. I'm like

(32:58):
I don't know, and I'm like, yes, how can I
help you. They're like, is this you? And then it
showed me my website. I was like yes. They're like,
we knew that was you. We we we we saw
you on Instagram, we saw your website, we saw you
in a magazine. We're gonna be calling you. I'm getting
married in twenty twenty four. And I was like, great,
and now I get to see that, you know, my
couple from two years ago. I think this couple and

(33:18):
I said, you know, it might not happen right away,
but the experience and you never know who's watching. We
just got a wedding for next year from a wedding
we did in March, you know, and it's and it's
great that you know. It's like, oh, we bumped into
this beautiful young woman in the bathroom and she was like,
are you the planners? And we're like, oh, it's beautiful.
I was like, well, we worked with a great designer
and he's great and his fan and his team is great.

(33:40):
It's like, yeah, but I'm watching you and da da da,
I just got engaged. We followed each other and I
will wooed her and chatted with her through text message
into DMS for a few months and they just booked
us and we were playing in their wedding for next year.
So it's like, you know, where you're out here, like
you're gonna do the experience, but then their wedding day
that's a whole other experience, like the setup and the
down and how you're managing everything. People are watching. So

(34:02):
I always know that, like, it.

Speaker 4 (34:04):
Doesn't do you any good to burn relationships with especial
venues and vendors too, right, because you can get as
many clients as you want.

Speaker 2 (34:12):
If no one wants to work with you, you know
what I mean. If your people are ignoring your phone.

Speaker 4 (34:16):
Calls because you were unpleasant right as as you were
working events or doing events to other facilities, that ultimately
burns your clients too, right. I think just like you know,
you get referrals from you know, guests who attend weddings venues,
they get couples who come in all the time independently,
who are looking for it can just easily be like, oh,

(34:40):
you know, I know a really great planner.

Speaker 2 (34:41):
If you guys haven't found render actually we just didn't.

Speaker 4 (34:44):
I mean, I can't tell you how many times you
see your photos reposted to like venue ig pages and
it's like, oh, we know someone who does really great
floral They just did the floor for this wedding. So
on any stretch, I think, yeah, for sure, the guest
experience every time. But I think again and value of
those relationships making sure they get to eat right, just

(35:05):
like lazily, it's you know, making sure that they're set
up for success is so important when you're thinking about
kind of designing that experience.

Speaker 7 (35:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (35:13):
Absolutely, So, how can plan to strike a balance between
offering design services and still managing all the logistics and
the operational side of the planning process.

Speaker 2 (35:28):
I would.

Speaker 1 (35:31):
I would say, uh, And I think it's a good
segue since we were talking about our stickholders and vendor partners.
While we are right providing design services, like you said,
we're not in there building the bouquets and building the altar, right,
We're not florists. We can design and kind of mock
up what we would like the florists to then enhance

(35:53):
and build themselves. But we're not in there by any means, right,
stick cutting florals and sticking them in floral stuff. So
I think there's a there's it's important to trust your
vendors to do their job. I think that's one, really,
I think that's one of the really important pieces of balance. Right,

(36:17):
I'm not a stationary vendor. I'm not a stationary designer
graphic designer. But what I can do is get on
the phone with you know, one of my frienders and say, hey,
here's kind of background about the couple. Here's our theming, right,
here's maybe some patterns that we like. Here's some fonts
that we've liked. Here's the overarching kind of vision board.

(36:37):
Here's our ideas. Now I'm gonna trust you to kind
of give me round one of what you what you
think is best that would make this look good. And
so I think that's where the balance comes in, because
by no means again, I'm not a graphic designer. I'm
not gonna build out your logo.

Speaker 2 (36:53):
I'm not gonna build out your.

Speaker 1 (36:54):
Dance for I can say this is what I would like, right,
and that we're really trusting our vendors to help to
bring the vision to life, but also trusting them to
enhance the vision.

Speaker 2 (37:05):
Right.

Speaker 1 (37:06):
So it looks like, hey, you know, I know you
said this, but I think this would be a lot better, right,
based on everything we talk about. Or I know you,
I know the bride really loves you know this stem,
but I don't think it'll work well in the floral recipes.

Speaker 2 (37:19):
So maybe let's recommend this state.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
I think that's probably the best advice when I think
about balance, because you don't have to do it all
leaning on your vendor partners to help do the job.

Speaker 3 (37:34):
Yeah, I love that because I've done that. I mean
even the stationer, like I've literally said, here is the
whole entire mood, here's the vision board, here's you know everything,
like here's everything, we're renting everything whatever. Here the colors,
here's and again and pass that on to them and
they're like, oh, I love it. Or even you know,
for anything that's being vinyl, you know, drape or like

(37:54):
any draping or even vinyl for like a dance floor,
vinyls anywhere, it's like here's the entire pure of it.

Speaker 4 (38:01):
You know.

Speaker 3 (38:01):
Right now, My backdrop right now is from the retreat
from this year, and I like, I had a vision
and it was like, here is what I want to see.
And then I was like, go at it, Tony, Like
it was just kind of like go and this came
out better, Like our backdrop came out better than I
could even imagine in my head. Like I'm like, I
just wanted to be beautiful and draping and flat, like
I just I painted the picture and then trusted her

(38:24):
to do her job. Didn't micro manage her, because I
know that we gave her all the information that she needed,
like here's all the information, here's our mood, boar, here's
the vibe, here's whatever whatever, here's the colors. We had
already picked out our linens. We did everything, and then
it was like, here's what, here's what we're thinking, and
let her do what. That's what her gifting is, right,
My gifting is not putting together flowers. Now, I can
put together buquan a boutineer an emergency if I had

(38:47):
to doing that for an.

Speaker 7 (38:50):
Entire wedding, not doing it, yeah, yeah, I would agree,
I think Leslie said it well, I think you know,
it's almost if you were like on a relay team,
knowing when to lay the baton, right, Like.

Speaker 2 (39:03):
We're just here to.

Speaker 4 (39:06):
The one hundred foot view, right, We're just here to
make sure we all have a shared understanding of what
the goal is. Right, So what do you want to
call it a creative brief vision board whatever?

Speaker 8 (39:17):
Right?

Speaker 4 (39:17):
Making sure everyone is kind of operating or jumping off
of the same starting point. I feel like, is the
balance right? It's like we only have to take it now.
You could within you know your offerings, decide you want
to do something like I want to be responsible for
the four or whatever pieces or components or parts, right,
But it's almost it's nearly impossible, I feel like to

(39:39):
do events without vendor partners. And so if you're bringing
anyone else to the table, I think exactly what you said,
just casting the vision, making sure everyone has a has
a shared understanding is the goal and the balance. And
then in trusting the people who you're collaborating collaborating with
to kind of be experts in their experts in I think,

(40:01):
I think is the balance, and we can be the
experts in what we're the experts at logistically operationally, you know,
people part oftentimes so well, I mean yeah.

Speaker 3 (40:12):
I mean I feel like that's another huge role for
a planner is that we're managing people. Like we're managing
so many people, and you know, I've heard people say, well,
I'm the caterer. I'm like, yeah, but as a planner,
I'm managing all of you, making sure that you all,
you know, have what you need, arrive on time, set
up on time. But it's also our job to review

(40:34):
those banquet event orders, to review those rental orders, to
make sure that Okay, we know we're having little mini
desserts and little shot glasses or whatever, do we have
the little spoons because the big spoons don't go in there.
That's part of the experience, you know. Ask me how
I know because the covadicator said, oh yes, yes, I'm
going to provide spoons. Now I'm like, okay, well the
spoons that you have do they fit inside these little cups?

(40:56):
Because when you say all, I have the spoons, I'm
thinking you know better because you know that you the
dessert or oh yeah, I have the cake knife. But
the cake knife is the kitchen knife that you no, no, no,
I'm talking about do you have a regular wedding cake knife,
like you know, and it's those things and kind of
reviewing CEO's you know, banquet event orders and reviewing rental

(41:17):
orders and you know, even if the caterers are ordering
the linens, and it's a part of that. I'm a
part of that linen you know, choice and choosing the
linens and like, okay, well what kind of linens come
with your package? Is there an upgrade? Is this this?
And it's like okay, well they place the order, Well
can I get that order?

Speaker 2 (41:32):
Mm hmm, yes, yes, I know, all right, they don't.

Speaker 3 (41:36):
Yeah, It's like we're all human. It's like sometimes they
look at me like listen, I know I'm not gonna
tell your secrets. I know that you've done up charge
the linens from down the street. But I need to
make sure that every table in this diagram that I
created there's a linen account for exactly because on a
Saturday afternoon or yeah, Saturday afternoon when we're setting up
and most of the places are closed, most of the

(41:56):
places are closed, and reviewing all that and making sure
that everybody has what they everybody has what they need
that we're good to the staff that we say hello,
that we recognize and remember people that we've worked through
the multiple times, whether the venues or the hotels. Because
let me tell you something I get so you know,
every hotel contract will tell you that if you reconfigure

(42:17):
the diagram the day of, you get an extra charge.
I have never been charged. Lord with me, and God
bless me, because it's like I'm good to the banquet captains.
I'm good to the setup guys, like you know what
I'm saying, like hey, hi, missus sand Neil get to
see you, and it's like hi, how are you, and
treating them like good like people, and like hey, do
you need anything? And then you know I speak Spanish
if I know these they Spanish speakers. When we're at

(42:39):
the Epicurean for the retreat, my two custodians for the day,
the morning and the evening, they were both Spanish, and
so in the morning when I had a full conversation
with him and I use the usta, which you know
for us it means it's respect, and he was like, oh,
where you're from and you know they you speak English
so well, and I'm like, yes, I was born in
the States, but you know, and they love that. It's like, oh,
if you know all day you need anything. And he

(43:00):
was moving things, going above and beyond what his job
is to mg out trash cans, does things, clean things mop.
He was moving stuff for us. He was helping the
girls with the bags. Well, he left, he came to
find me, he said, goodbye, brought me the next person.
And it's those little things that make the entire experience.
When you're designing the experience or your clients, it's like,

(43:22):
oh my god, they get treated so well. Like I
also know that I've seen it. Our couples get treated well,
like they'll go for a tasting and they get an
extra app or they get an extra whatever, or they
get a couple of free floors or even some more
floors because you know, we work with some of the
same ones. They like, well, this is more flower counts
than I thought. I was, like, well, I wanted it
to look good for you. You're like, yeah, it's like
thank you, thank you, I love that. Or I'm not

(43:45):
even charging you for that, girl, don't worry about it.

Speaker 2 (43:47):
Exactly here you go exactly.

Speaker 3 (43:50):
So for planners who are they feel overwhelm because I
know when I'm coaching planners and just just in talks
with some planners, they're like, oh, gosh, I love what
you're doing. I love what you know Lesloe is doing.
But is that even possible? Like they feel overwhelmed of
the thought of adding design to their offerings? Right, So,
what you know, your advice? What are some simple steps

(44:13):
they can use to start incorporating design into, you know,
into their business for their upcoming clients. Is it something
that they and add on that they they did they
add on you know it? Is it add on that
they offer or is it something that's automatic with their clients,
you know, with their packages. What what is some simple
advice that you have for them for that?

Speaker 2 (44:33):
That's a good question.

Speaker 4 (44:34):
I think you know first, you know, and maybe this
is just kind of maybe pre dates if formally adding
it to your packages. But I think it's important to
just get a foundational understanding of design, right And I
don't think that that certainly there are courses available and
things you can read and do, but I think just

(44:54):
learning some of that kind of common language I think
is helpful. I think coming to retreats like yours or
people are talking about design and sitting in on a class,
you know, whether it's signing up for a class at
a local university that maybe talks about designer even just
perusing the internet, right and kind of trying to understand
what are general design styles. You're kind of following some

(45:16):
of your favorite people who offer design and I think,
you know, getting some exposure to some of that design
language is helpful for you to kind of start talking
with your clients and with vendors that way. I think
it could be more fun if you want to go,
like go to some of these like go to a
florist's workshop, go to the Linen Company and see Leslie

(45:40):
just did this the other day. Like when they have
these events and they're showing you their products and they're
showing you, like, go there, talk to them, get an
inspiration and exposure, because I think that's going to help
you kind of start to pull pieces together in a
way that is kind of stepping into design more formally. Right,
When clients come with pictures and they have a bunch
of stuff and they maybe don't quite understand yet you know,

(46:03):
what they want, or if you're looking at it, you're like,
I don't know if these things quite work together, have
a little bit of exposure to help you navigate those conversations.

Speaker 2 (46:13):
And then I think step one just looks.

Speaker 4 (46:14):
Like, you know, it doesn't have to be some extensive
vision board. I think step one just looks like even
just trying to create a slide or a page just says,
here's the colors, here's a floral inspiration, here's an alter inspiration,
and whatever else, right, And I think that could be
the step into kind of design more formally while you

(46:38):
work to kind of build. You know, if you want
to go super deep into one area of design, like floral,
because you want to offer floral at some point be
a thing. If you want to invest in building out
a rental inventory, that could be a thing. I think
there's so many different ways you could take design. You
don't have to do it all at once. I think
just leveraging the relationships that you already have to learn

(47:00):
a little bit more, I would say, is an initial step.
And unless I guess any thoughts from you.

Speaker 1 (47:06):
Yeah, I think one of my favorite things to do
with no pressure, right, no couple, no big budget, that
you're you know, scared to mess up, is have a
style shoe. And I think that allows you to exercise
that muscle of design. I think it also allows exercise

(47:28):
and collaboration with different partners, different design partners. Right, You're
able to connect with a florist in a practice building
out a floral design. Right, You're able to partner with
the stationary vendor in practice.

Speaker 2 (47:42):
Right, Okay, you know this is what I'm thinking.

Speaker 1 (47:45):
And you're you're able to kind of practice in that
style shoe environment. And it doesn't have to be a
grand style shoe, right, that where you're getting all of
these sponsors, right, pull a pull a floral team, pull
a photographer, pull a venue. And I think that's a
really great way to practice without the pressure. But I

(48:05):
do agree with low. I think attending vendor events. I
recently went. Did you hear about that BBJ summer sware?

Speaker 2 (48:13):
I think it was?

Speaker 4 (48:14):
I was.

Speaker 3 (48:14):
I think it was out of town. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (48:16):
That and just you're able to network, You're able to
talk to all of the BOBJA staff, You're able to
see all of the different textures and learn, right, and
so also not being afraid to get into environments like
that where you can learn. And I think the last
thing I'll say is raise your hand if you don't
know something it it's totally okay. And I always think

(48:40):
about this and I actually need to call her CC
out of Birmingham.

Speaker 3 (48:44):
Oh yes, CCD love her.

Speaker 1 (48:46):
So CC was the floor is for our very first
wedding and I had no clue what the heck I
was doing, but I raised my hand and I told her,
I was like, you know, I need LINENX do you
have a recommend And she really helped with like designing
the whole wedding, and I feel like love CC so

(49:08):
much for just being patient with my greediness at that time.
She offered assistance in like, hey, like maybe we should
use this linen. I know this linen vendor has like,
you know this texture linen that I think would work
really well. And she really kind of helped us to
build relationships, helped us to even build a layout. And

(49:29):
so it's okay if you don't know, to ask, right,
that's the only way that you can learn. And so
I do think sometimes it can be overwhelming to add
something in, but I think we're humans and it's okay
if you don't know, just raise your hand and people
offer assistance.

Speaker 7 (49:44):
I love that.

Speaker 3 (49:45):
Yeah, I love that because you listen It is scary
to say, hey, I don't know something, but we don't
all walk in into something like we know it, we
know a part of it. You might like, you might say,
you know what, I know what's pretty, I know what
goes with don't go I know what's trending and that
kind of thing. But I know enough, like I know
what florals are good, and you know what season like,
I know peenies cannot get peenies in the winter because

(50:06):
they are not a winter They're literally a May June
type of flower. And I'm like, oh, but you can
get a garden rose and looks kind of the same.
And unless you're a floral snob or a master gardener,
you don't know the difference. Right. They smell differently, of course,
but they look the same. And it's the look that
you want, you know. Or what a bride says, I
don't want not one rose or one hydrange gyp be
like okay, sois well, you're about to spend lots of

(50:26):
money because anything else is going to be expansive, you
know what I'm saying, or just knowing, you know. I
tell every planner too, to work with a florists for
one wedding from start to finish, from picking up stuff
at the wholesaler to prepping all the florals and hauling everything,
and just one wedding, and you're like, oh, it gives

(50:46):
you a whole found respect because we can kind of
grasp like, okay, the chef, like the catering, we kind
of grass cooking because most of us either we cook
or come from family that cook or been around that, right,
But like how many of us have florists in our family?
Not many of us, right, So it's like when you see,
like you know, that is why she or he what
they are charging, what they're charging for labor or whatever else,

(51:07):
or oh I see that, or this has to go
in the truck and you have to keep this alive.
You have to keep you know, it's like babies, like
you got to keep these flowers alive. You know, you
get them on Tuesday or Wednesday, and you got like
it's all these things and it's knowing that kind of
thing and also just knowing your community, like not everyone's
going to be open to that, like you know, like
you they said, everyone's got to be open to you
doing that. But those are the vendors that want to

(51:30):
see you succeed, and you know, see see find those people,
find those people, and you don't know, raise your hand,
I don't know. Just don't walk around acting like you
know it all. That's when nobody likes you. No, we
want to help you because it's like, oh, okay, well
I've never installed draping on a ceiling thirty feet tall,
but let's let's get it. You know what I'm saying,
Let's get it. And I know exactly who to call

(51:51):
to do that. You know, I'm getting ready to make
those calls now. It's like, or you see something, you're like,
you know what. There was a corporate planner. I know
that she had a sign a certain size that my
client wanted and I was like, I think it's this
size from what I see. I said, but let me
just send her a message. Hey girl, my client is
interested in that size. What size is it? She told

(52:13):
me the number. She's like, good luck, I got it
from such and such. I'm like, oh, that's why I
use We're good. She's like, yeah, so this is the
size and it doesn't You might get a response. You
might not need to be okay with that, but it
is overwhelming. It can be overwhelming, but I think taking
it like you were, like I think you said this earlier,
like just baby steps, like little but little. There's tears
to it. We don't have to do a lot at once.

(52:34):
You know, years ago I thought that I wanted to
do the whole thing, like the planning, the full design
and the production side of it all. And now I'm
just and we did that twice in one season. I
was like, oh, no, we're good.

Speaker 1 (52:47):
Yeah, it's a lot.

Speaker 6 (52:50):
It's so importing to have partners and to walk in
as and just be able to trust that, Okay, people
are here, they have access their rooms going to look beauty.

Speaker 4 (53:00):
I can certainly can come in and like refine things
you're like, oh, don't like this as much or less
fluffy or like it's It's such a relief as a
planner to know, like I can trust these people, they
understand what the vision is. I don't have to get
in here micromanaging, and I can focus on my people
right and making that that side of things is going

(53:21):
so totally totally right. And I loved Leslie's idea of
a style shoot. I also think that's a great way
to start to kind of dip a toe into design.
There's multiple benefits, right, showing people what you can do,
building relationships. Just like you might be a planner who's
newly in design, they're a new florists, a new stationary.
A lot of people who had an opportunity to like
promote their business and like show what they could do.

Speaker 3 (53:43):
So that was a good I guess practice, right practice,
and and it's and and putting together something that's reasonable
because I've seen some style shoes. I'm like, nobody could
afford that, Like, I mean, we want to put out
the most beautiful thing, the most beautiful product, but you
also want to get booked that style shoot. And I
think I feel always a Pinterest now has it where

(54:06):
it gives you the pricing and sometimes certain things or
gives you links to where you could get it at,
which is fine because I mean think about how many
style shoots popped up on Pinterest over the years, and
you're everyone's like, I know this is a mi Like
you can your whole wedding budget. Isn't this the core
right here? You just can't do that? You're like, oh no,
but I feel like just making things that are like

(54:27):
regional or to your area or you know, you know,
it's in your scope of yourself and the scope of
the partners that you have in your area, right, because
like you could be in like the Midwest somewhere and
put together an entire style shoot that's like an LA
New York thing, But is anybody purchasing that in your area?
You know what I'm saying. And an idea is to

(54:49):
practice something that you'll be able to turn around and
sell like that kind of thing. So I love that.
I love that to do that and just try, just
try it, just try with one client, you know, just hey,
can I do this for you? And or a client
that just seems confused, And my my favorite is when
they don't have a pinteress board. They just know what
they want and what they like it don't like, and

(55:09):
I'm like, yes, we can play it just like like this. Yeah,
I'd be like, oh that's beautiful. Oh I don't like that,
Like that's all I want to hear now, Like I
have this preconceived notion of fifty thousand looks. I mean
I had one bride and her pintress was like, you
you have three designs in here? Where are we? And
that's when I stepped in and I was like, said, well,

(55:31):
I don't know, and then I said, okay, so I
had never worked in that venue. I'm like, I need
this to look amazing and I want some good pictures.
So I'm going to help her.

Speaker 4 (55:38):
Yeah, said when they have like a very specific thing,
because then it's like even if you're showing, even if
it's not doable, right, it's almost like, well, there's no
way to make them happy right now because unless we
could get this seven foot ice sculpture card by this
renowned artist, that.

Speaker 2 (55:58):
Nothing else will sign up. So I agree with you.

Speaker 4 (56:00):
I definitely think it's more fun when you have the
flexibility of someone who's like, no, I trust you and
your expertise.

Speaker 3 (56:08):
The best words, I trust you, Like, okay, great, I
trust you, and they have the money to spend. That's
just that's the ideal client, I guess for all of us.

Speaker 5 (56:16):
Right.

Speaker 3 (56:20):
Well, thank you so much ladies for joining me today.
So what is next for Leslo? Anything new on the horizon,
anything you want to share with the people's And then
also tell us where we can find you and follow
you online.

Speaker 4 (56:32):
Yeah, I'll start now, let less close us out. Well,
thank you also for the opportunity to be here and chat.

Speaker 2 (56:41):
We adore you.

Speaker 4 (56:42):
We're less Low Events. All of our socials are less
Low Events. If I'm not mistaken, I'm looking at my sister,
but I'm pretty sure it's at Lesslow.

Speaker 2 (56:51):
Events ELI, Hello Events. You can find us there.

Speaker 4 (56:55):
We also have a podcast and we're always trying to
stay active on social Shout out out to less for
keeping our social media.

Speaker 5 (57:03):
Our social media queen.

Speaker 2 (57:06):
The things going less on the horizon. I don't know
anything you want to share.

Speaker 5 (57:12):
On the horizon.

Speaker 1 (57:15):
Nothing like exciting to report that I can think about.
I think just regular business.

Speaker 3 (57:21):
Really, Yeah, do you have a full fall?

Speaker 1 (57:26):
No, we have two weddings left in the year.

Speaker 2 (57:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (57:31):
When they say that their weddings are big, so I'm
pretty sure they're happy that they they don't have like
for for leslot type of back to back because I
have a couple uh large conferences and I'm just like,
why did I do that to myself?

Speaker 4 (57:46):
I definitely think it's been an interesting season for years
and with all the things happening kind of sociopolitically and
how people are investing. But I do think a benefit
to kind of downtime is agoshia a lot of time
to be creative. So I think, you know, we have
had a couple of things on the back burner. Leslie
reference style shoots or style shoots. Excuse me, don't know

(58:09):
why I said style shoots that we might have a
little bit of time to implement. Again, we have our podcasts,
are always thinking about creative things that we could do there.

Speaker 2 (58:18):
So I guess just stay tuned.

Speaker 3 (58:21):
What's the name of your podcast?

Speaker 4 (58:22):
Tell the people it is called Cocktail Hour with Less Slow.

Speaker 3 (58:27):
It's beautiful too, It's it's visually beautiful to watch too.

Speaker 2 (58:30):
You can bring you out.

Speaker 3 (58:32):
I know one of these days I could come get
all dolls up and come have a martini or two.

Speaker 2 (58:36):
Yeah, my favorite thing to do really.

Speaker 3 (58:40):
Dinner and martinis together. But yeah, so do I mean
now that you say? And I know we were about
to wrap up, but you the fact that you brought
up like the season that we're in and it's a
different do you are you feeling hopeful ladies for twenty
twenty five? Is your phone starting to ring a little
bit more now towards it? Now? For next year and
in twenty twenty six, I think.

Speaker 1 (59:00):
Less than a lot of inquiring Yeah, we just go ahead.

Speaker 2 (59:05):
Sorry, less.

Speaker 4 (59:05):
Sorry, we're in different place that's accidentally cutting you off.

Speaker 2 (59:10):
No go ahead, Oh, I was gonna say.

Speaker 5 (59:12):
I think I'm hopeful because I think.

Speaker 4 (59:14):
We're thinking a lot about growth and expansion. I mean,
one of the one of the things Lesson I've been
talking about a long time is maybe how we could
get a footprint in different markets. And when you have
full account events calendar where you are, it just doesn't
really give you the time, or when you just have
a full events calendar period, it really doesn't give you
time to focus on the business, right. And we've had

(59:37):
a lot of ideas and things we like talked about
a lifestyle brand. We have launched a candle line up,
like there's all these things, butting that I feel like
we haven't had a lot of time really invest in too.
And so I do think inquiries are up, which I'm
optimistic about. I do think I see a little bit
of the trend changing in the industry. I think people
were spending a lot on events and I think we're

(59:59):
seeing a shift back to kind of more micro even
like master Covid has ended, right, Yeah, smaller destination going
like we see I think the size reducing, But I
think the amount of events might uptick, but hopefully to
your point, logistically they'll be a little easier to implement.
But I'm excited about our opportunity to maybe grow into

(01:00:19):
some new market, which has some we've been thinking a
lot about and trying to roadmap. So I think that's
where you will you will see happening hopefully here in
the next in the next year.

Speaker 3 (01:00:29):
It's great.

Speaker 2 (01:00:30):
It's that.

Speaker 3 (01:00:30):
It's that when they say that blank space on your calendar.
And I literally just had this conversation with, you know,
a planner in my DMS, and I was like, like, oh,
it's slow, and I planners. People keep saying that, and
I was like, first of all, I need you to
know it's slow for everybody. I don't care how long
you've been in business. I don't care if you've been
six six figures plus for this many years. And it's everyone,

(01:00:51):
everyone from startup to season people is feeling it dillull
a little bit right. But then that doesn't mean that
you just sit back and chill and relax every day
all day. Like it's like, I feel like we worked,
We've worked really hard behind the scenes. We're worked in
the business. Excuse me on the business as hard as
we can and I still doing it. I mean the

(01:01:11):
to do list to get ready by that this team
has to do by October thirty. First, it's crazy, like
it's like here, here's who everyone has their marching orders
because you know, it's important to get this back end stuff.
So but like right now, if I was waiting to
now to do that, I have the next three weeks,
I'm not even home right and you know what I'm saying.
And so it's like when you have that slow time,

(01:01:33):
that downtime, it gives you time to be creative, to think,
to be like okay, it gives you a moment to
think about something other than executing that client's wedding. It
gives you a moment like okay, okay, well I'm really
thinking about starting a YouTube channel or I'm thinking about
a lifestyle brand or whatever the next step for you is.
And that's you know, with us, it's we have multiple

(01:01:53):
hats that we wear around here. So like the retreat
is something really big, and then the next big project
is the rebranding of the education portion, which when the
teams that we have to do, I'm like that that's
not gonna be done this year. I don't know what
you think got made out of And they're like no, no, no,
I'm like, okay, just I'm learning to say no, not now,
It's gonna be later. And so that's a plan for

(01:02:14):
to start in February to have it done by the summer.
So yeah, but you do have to take that time
instead of beating yourself up and windering what's wrong, like
prepare for when the floodgates open back up. I think
that's a good thing.

Speaker 2 (01:02:25):
A little bit more about design exactly, that's what. Yeah, definitely,
well good, Well.

Speaker 3 (01:02:33):
I'm so excited for you that you all join me today.
So thank you so much to you ladies of the
Ladies of less Low for sharing your insights and expertise
with us today. It's clear the design is such a
powerful too for planners, and it doesn't have to be
overwhelming or complicated. It's about enhancing the experience for your
clients and making their vision come to life in a

(01:02:55):
way that aligns with your strength as a planner. For
our listeners, I hope that this episode gave you a
fresh perspective on how you can incorporate design into your
business without feeling like you need to do it all.
Remember it's about adding value, not taking on more than
you can handle them. So thank you again for tuning
into inside the wedding planner's mind and as always, keep planning,

(01:03:17):
keep growing, and keep creating those unforgettable moments. And until
next time, God bless you.

Speaker 2 (01:03:25):
Hey their insiders.

Speaker 9 (01:03:26):
Big news for all you wedding planners out there.

Speaker 8 (01:03:29):
Whether you're kickstarting your business and pushing for growth or
aiming to scale up, you've got to check out Becoming
the business Retreat for wedding planners. It's happening January thirty
first through February third, twenty twenty.

Speaker 3 (01:03:43):
Five in Atlanta, Georgia.

Speaker 2 (01:03:45):
We've got three pack.

Speaker 8 (01:03:46):
Days of workshops, networking, and yes, some pretty fun nights too.

Speaker 9 (01:03:51):
Learn from top industry pros, meet planners at all stages,
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twenty twenty five the year you really shine.

Speaker 7 (01:04:13):
Mm hmm