Ida Giroday: Are there other fears that sometimes hold back your clients?
Annie Lee: Price is discussed early on so that no one wastes any time, so if they continue the conversation with us that means they are within it.
Because it’s a whole new world for the clients, the fears are usually around how the whole planning process works. They don’t understand what the event designer does, what the event planner does, who rents what, what the details of the costs are.
I am very big on educating the client so that they feel more knowledgeable and comfortable with the process.
I know exactly what happens and when. I ask them to trust me and feel secure in their decision. I tell them “I got you, you’re safe”.
Ida Giroday: What’s changing in weddings, how are your clients’ wishes evolving?
Annie Lee: The big shift right now is that everyone wants unique, genuine, authentic and creative weddings. No one wants anything that feels impersonal.
That’s a major change from when the bride and groom were just guests of honor.
Now the focus of the wedding is about the guest experience.
Ida Giroday: This is exactly where your brilliance comes in, in helping them to set up something unique.
Annie Lee: Because I educate them and I have the experience, I have the solution to all their concerns and any problem that may arise. I make sure their vision of their dream wedding actually come true.
Ida Giroday: Is it difficult to understand what your clients want and translate it into reality?
Annie Lee: It is actually very easy for me, I can always articulate what the bride is thinking about.
She only needs to show me one picture of what she likes. I ask the right questions and I get all the information I need. It’s like being a psychologist. I keep asking until I have the full picture and get a grasp of what her style is as well as her personality.
Sometimes clients use the wrong words to describe what they want. Like this one bride that said she wanted a “midsummer’s night’s dream” enchanted forest.
We continued talking and she showed me a picture of what looked more like a well-manicured English garden and not a whimsical fairyland.
So I helped her understand what part of the world and what era she was referring to.
My background in design helps me a lot. People often don’t trust themselves when it comes to design. What colors or patterns go together for example.
To me, it’s so obvious and that’s why I have a job.
I’m also into interior design, fashion, and art and I stay on top of what‘s going on in the outside world.
I don’t like it when things in the wedding industry are 3 seasons behind the fashion world. When I see something on the runway, it should be seen in weddings right then as well.
Ida Giroday: What really current right now in wedding design?
Annie Lee: One of the big things now is how the tables are set up. I really like the idea of crossing home interior design with event design.
Why not dine off your registry quality china for a beautiful experience. Even if it’s only for the head table
This brings in the idea of quality to the wedding. It’s so much more personal and unique than to eat out off a 2$ rental plate.
It adds value and makes the dining experience special.
Wedding design is so temporary, for a 6-hour party you rarely use quality items for the setup.
But I feel people now want the luxury of something more quality.
That’s why I did the launch for Baccarat’s US registry and their beautiful crystal décor are very much appreciated.
Ida Giroday: Do you need to educate your clients about the details of their wedding?
Annie Lee: My clients often don’t know the nice quality brands so I educated them about that too, same goes with flowers, etc.
So they learn a lot about social functions and the details that go into them.
Clients report back to me what they notice on social occasions and it is very clear how they become conscientious of different details. For example, between engraved and letter-pressed invitations.
Details of their own wedding have then more value to them once they understand the history of things.
Ida Giroday: Wonderful. How can a bride and groom-to-be contact you about their wedding plans?
Annie Lee: They can go to my site http://daughterofdesign.com or connect with me on social media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daughterodesign/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-lee-109a3b50
Twitter: https://twitter.com/daughterodesign Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daughterodesign/
#daughterofdesignwedding
