Informal interview of Jennifer Lane, A Memory Lane Event

Weddings with Jennifer Lane, A Memory Lane Event

What inspired or motivated you to become an Wedding/Event Planner?  I started in the industry at the age of 16 and just feel in love.  It’s like this industry was made for me.   I’m a night owl and a majority of events and weddings happen at night and on the weekend with the clean-up ending around 2:30 in the morning.  I love how every event and wedding is different even though they contain the same activities. Why? Each client has a different vision and I strive to match the vision and exceed their expectations. 

Tell us the day in the life of a Wedding/Event Planner?  Every day in the life of a Wedding/Event Planner is different, you can start the day with researching a destination for a client and acquiring pricing, by lunch loading vehicles for an event, for the average wedding, it can be up to a full sized U-Haul, and then racing to an event with a team of 10 people to set up. After another 6 hours of running around setting up and getting half way through the event, the bride’s bustle breaks and I’ll be sewing the bustle back onto the gown so that she doesn’t ruin the gown over the next couple hours. Four hours later, we’ll be re-loading the vehicles and driving home.

Why should someone hire an event or wedding planner?  Event planners know in advance when vendors will be having sales, when there will be businesses in the industry going out of business so they can purchase supplies for their clients at discounted prices, where to locate the professionals to assist with their clients vision that have the unique skills set desired, how to reach the professionals that will really make their clients party the one to talk about for the rest of the year.  How to ease their clients fears, and handles all of the details for several events at a time. Event planners are responsible for payments to all of the vendors, counselling clients, curving arguments between families, and overall making sure that their clients are tickled pink with the results on the day of their wedding or event.

Jennifer Lane, A Memory Lane Event

What are your favourite events to organize?  I love events where I can use my creativity, that is a big reason clients use us.  They desire something that hasn’t been seen before.  Kids parties, sweet six-teen parties, anniversary theme parties and weddings are the most fun for me.  All of my initial training I received while working at the Country Club, therefore I specialize in high-end, unique and completely customized special occasions.  

What special skills do you need to be a successful wedding/event planner?  A successful wedding/event planner must be super organized, very creative, personable, and bring a level of fun to a special occasion while being professional and able to run a team of about 25 people while working with outside vendors and a location, while understanding what each companies job is and not stepping on the toes of those involved with the event.  

What are the advantages of working for yourself? Being able to set your own hours and being able to meet the demands of clients.

What are the disadvantages of working for yourself? Having to do everything yourself. Be the CEO, the website designer, marketing, sales team, and the behind the scenes staff to set up, take down and attend marketing events…. Sometimes it can be overwhelming.  Life was easier when working at the Country Club and having only the clients and the event to be in charge of.  Going out on your own adds 4 more full time jobs to your daily job description.

What has been your greatest challenge so far?  My biggest challenge has been trying to be all things within the business.  It’s hard to be the marketing department, the sales department, and be able to handle all of my client’s needs simultaneously.  Many times, marketing and sales suffers because I will not allow client’s needs to not be meet.

What are your greatest achievements?  With a majority of events we and weddings we do, we are brought in to increase a clients status in the social scene.  Our clients want a professional, fun, elegant, unique occasion that will be remembered as a show stopper for years to come, instantly giving our clients a “rock star” status in their social circle.  So far we have been able to obtain that mark every time.

How do you ensure work life balance?  I have no life/ work balance.  It is all work, all of the time.  I try to give myself 1 or 2 days a month where I do nothing to recharge. 

Weddings with A Memory Lane Event

Who are your customers?  We work with the elite, socialites, country club members, celebrities, corporate clients, families and brides primarily in Colorado, the U.S and in international destinations.

What advice would you give to someone starting a business?  Of course it depends upon the business that you want to start.  The best advice is, however, whatever your endeavor, make sure you love it.  It will be a ton of work, if you don’t love it, you will burn out fast.

Name one thing that you could not live without in your business. I could not live without my i-phone and my team of interns to rely on to assist with getting everything done.

What is your favorite or most popular product/service? My most favorite product or service depends upon on what it is used for. 

What is your ultimate goal - and has this changed from when you started?  In 25 years, my ultimate goal has never changed; it’s that my clients come first and their vision is realized.