Owner & Creative Director's Interview With Planner's Lounge

Owner & Creative Director, Karli Jones, was honored and excited to be interviewed and featured by Planner's Lounge!  You can take a peek at the article below:

Welcome to our “Day in the Life” series! We feature wedding and event planners from around the world with many different levels of experience. We are excited to feature Dallas, Texas wedding planner Karli Jones today!

Name: Karli Jones

Business Name & Location: Ivory & Vine Event Co., located in Dallas, Texas

Years Working in the Event Industry: 4

Years Owning Your Event Planning Business: Less than 1

Website: www.ivoryandvineeventco.com

Business Facebook Page: Facebook.com/ivoryandvineeventco

Instagram: ivoryandvineeventco

What is your typical day like?

I start my morning when my alarm goes off at 5:00AM. While I’m waking up, I look through my schedule for the day so that I can get in the right mindset. I respond to people on social media and look through my emails to take care of any urgent questions. Then, I listen to a few of my favorite podcasts as I get ready to head to my part-time job at 6:00AM, with a big mug of iced green matcha tea in hand. I work for a cryotherapy studio in the mornings, which allows me to be flexible for bridal consultations, meetings, and networking events in the afternoons and evenings.

At noon, I head back home to grab a quick bite for lunch – typically a salad or something healthy that will boost my energy for the day. Then after a quick 30 minute lunch break, I head to my home office with a big mug of tea and light a few candles before I get to work. I find that being comfortable in my workspace helps me to clear my head and focus on the little details that need to get done, and I can do this all in the comfort of my Lululemon leggings, which are like a second skin for me!

For the next few hours, I work on client needs: putting together design proposals for my full service clients, mapping out floor plans and checking items off my very detailed to-do list. I get a huge feeling of satisfaction when I can put a big line through an item in a checklist – call it “Type A” or whatever you want, but I love it! Then after calling a few of my brides’ vendors and getting their needs squared away for the day, I may work on my weekly blog post or finish up details on a styled shoot. I also make sure to include time on my schedule for trend research, SEO optimization, and marketing.

After I have all of my important tasks completed, I get ready for any meetings with vendors or networking events that I have on my schedule. I love networking with people in the industry, and Dallas has such an amazing community of wedding vendors. My schedule is usually pretty full with coffee meetings and happy hours with some of the best people in the business!

In the evenings, I’ll fit in a workout at one of my favorite spin, yoga, or pilates studios and spend time cooking dinner or watching one of my favorite shows with my boyfriend before planning out my schedule for the next day! I’m off to bed by 10:00PM.

How did you get started in the industry?

I worked for a wedding planner for a year while I was in college and absolutely fell in love with weddings. I also became Vice President of Event Planning for my sorority, which further exposed me to the events industry. I planned huge mixers, parties, family and sisterhood events, as well as all recruitment activities.

Then after a year of weddings and social events, I figured I should try to explore a profession that aligned with my major in Advertising and Public Relations, and began working for a large marketing agency in downtown Dallas. I worked for them for two years and absolutely loved every minute. I was planning events for huge brands like Topgolf, Frito Lay, Pepsi, and Quaker for a company that had an amazing office culture.

After two years with the agency, I felt that the events that I was planning grew to be too impersonal, and I missed making that connection with my clients. I missed all of the love, care and attention to detail that went into planning weddings. I was limited in my creativity and ability to make my own decisions. I started branching out by doing independent contracting for some of the best wedding planners in Dallas. Eventually I became so busy that something had to give, so I left my full-time job and decided to go out on my own with Ivory & Vine Event Co. Business has been growing like crazy ever since, and I could not be happier!

Where do you find design inspiration?

Inspiration is all around me – whether I’m shopping in one of my favorite Dallas boutiques, browsing through bridal magazines, sitting in my favorite coffee shop or traveling with my friends and family. Blogs that I look through religiously include Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, and Burnett’s Boards. I love Pinterest and I’m also a member of Aisle Society, which aggregates editorials from gorgeous wedding blogs. I find that sometimes the best inspiration comes from making that personal connection with your clients.

What are your favorite online resources for your business?

I love listening to Podcasts – with my busy days it’s important to make every second count, so I like to learn while I’m commuting to meetings or events. My favorites are Evolve Your Wedding Business, The Business of Weddings, and Being Boss. I also love Planner’s Lounge (of course), Aisle Planner and All Seated.

Article by Planner's Lounge: plannerslounge.com/day-in-the-life-karli-jones/

For more information on how to book us for your wedding, contact us here! We would absolutely love to help you plan your special day!