Evelyn Sell, owner of Evelyn Francesca Events, is a sought after wedding planner in San Diego, serving all of Southern California. She specializes in personalized and exceptionally designed weddings and takes pride in a streamlined and organized wedding planning process to create an event that celebrates her couple's love. She offers an array of wedding planning services to include destination wedding planning, full service planning, and wedding coordination.
When she's not planning events, she's spending time with her husband and two sweet babies, Avery and Emma. She enjoys a simple life of spending time with family and friends, traveling, a good craft beer or glass of wine, good food, and relaxing. Her family and faith are her foundation for all she does in life and in business. Keep reading to learn more about Evelyn's journey to becoming a wedding and event planner and her favorite Aisle Planner features!
What inspired you to enter the wedding industry?
Growing up I was always searching for ways to be creative and design. I'd build huge lego houses and paint the "walls" and hang up curtains. I was more interested in decorating my barbie houses than playing. As I got older, I spent time taking fashion and design classes, architecture and drafting classes, and interior design in school. When I was 21 years old, I woke up one day and it clicked. When I say I woke up one day and said I wanted to be a wedding planner—that's literally what happened. I woke up from a dream, went to my computer and signed up for a wedding planning certificate. That was twelve years ago and every door possible opened up for me.
How does using Aisle Planner help you deliver the client experience you want to?
I've been with Aisle Planner for many years and I can say it drastically changed the way I do business. Every interaction my client experiences through Aisle Planner is clean, simple, and professional. I use it for contracts and invoices, to all client information. All my couples say how impressed they are with the process.
What's your favorite Aisle Planner feature?
My favorite features are the contracts and getting paid quickly and easily. There's no better way to start your day than with a phone consult and then having clients sign and pay a contract all within an hour!
If you could change one thing about the weddings and special events industry, what would it be?
I'd change the notion that just anyone can be a wedding industry professional. We see it all the time that planners start their business after planning their own wedding and photographers are quick to call themselves "professionals." They offer super low prices but couples aren’t educated that these new companies are not reputable, nor experienced.
If you weren't the owner of Evelyn Francesca Events what would you be doing instead, or what would your life be like?
I went to school to be a Marriage and Family Counselor but I'm not sure that would've kept me happy. I really can't imagine my life outside the wedding industry. I love it so much.
What are three things you never show up without on event day?
My wedding day emergency kit, my complete binder for the couple's day with all pertinent information, and a back up pair of comfy shoes for set up and tear down.
What’s your personal philosophy on becoming a great wedding and event planner?
If I were to do it all over again, I would've worked for an established planner and received hands-on experience before jumping right in. You really need to have the basic knowledge of how to run a seamless day and know how to handle situations as they arrive. You can't get that knowledge without hands-on experience. Also, as an established planner now, it's important to keep evolving, growing, learning, and teaching others. This is a community and we need to rally together to be great.
What’s your trademark in the client or event experience?
My couples get a completely personal and hands-on approach to their wedding planning with me. I have a smaller company of myself and one other planner and we take on a select number of weddings to give top-notch service. It’s a seamless and organized approach to planning and a very customized approach to design. We make the planning fun and effortless.
Is there anything you're particularly excited about working on this year?
In the last two years I've started business coaching and mentoring for other event professionals. This is such a passion of mine to teach and train new wedding planners. I also help with branding, website reviews, and pricing packages. I want people to succeed in their businesses and I've learned so many lessons the hard way, I'm happy to teach those to others now.
Just for fun
What’s the most used tool in your emergency kit?
Sewing kit. I've sewed wedding dresses, wedding bustles, tuxedos, suit buttons, guests’ dresses—you name it! I've had a guest whose dress ripped completely down the side and I sewed her right up!
What’s one trend you hope to see more of?
Non-traditional ceremony setups. I'd love to see more unstructured ceremony site setups where the couple is in the middle and the guests all around in couches or just standing since some ceremonies are shorter.
Your favorite shoes to wear on event day?
I had bought a pair of black flats from Banana Republic on clearance. Turns out they were the best shoes ever but I couldn't find them again! I wore those babies for years until they died from overuse.
If you could plan any celebrity’s wedding, whose would it be?
I'd want to plan The Bachelor's Ben Higgin's and his girlfriend’s wedding one day when they're engaged. It wouldn't even be over the top or fancy, but I think they're my ideal couple. I've loved watching their love story and since they share the same faith, I've always hoped I could plan their wedding one day.
Want to see more from Evelyn? Check out her website evelynfrancesca.com!
Hero photo courtesy: Natalie Bray Photography
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