I think we all wish that we could live here, live there, and visit everywhere in between. You know, to experience different lifestyles, take it all in, and infuse those experiences into your everyday. And, Hallie Slade of LB Events Design, has done just that! There are few places this lady hasn't lived and it shows; each of her designs is so unique and clearly influenced by how many frequent flyer miles she must have! So, we sat down with her to learn about how her style has evolved over the years, what it is like designing events with her team, and the best place she's ever boarded down a mountain of fresh powder!
Tell us about your path to becoming a wedding planner.
After college I bartended and traveled my way through many different states (including the Virgin Islands!) and I knew when I landed in California that it was time to settle into something “more adult." With all of the hospitality industry experience I had gained, I landed a job as an onsite wedding planner for a country club. And, even though I was never the type of girl that dreamt of being a wedding planner, I figured “Hey why not, I can do this!” The rest is history!
I completely fell in love with the event industry. It was especially complimentary to my organized, control-freak tendencies – but then stepping into the design world was definitely fun and challenging. I never thought of myself as artistic until I started designing spaces and a whole new realm of creativity blossomed. After three years at the country club, I gained an incredible amount of knowledge and wanted to venture out on my own. I quit that job to start LB Events and work all over the place so that I could take my logistical and design skills to the next level.
All of your events have such great personalities! Even though they are all so unique, what would you say is the common thread?
Why thank you! The common thread to our events stems from our approach and we believe in branding each event from beginning to end. We want to set the tone through save-the-dates and carry that vibe through the entire event day. We are also very untraditional in our hearts, so doing something unique and quirky or something that guests wouldn’t expect to see, is what fuels our creativity.
What is your favorite way to make a statement at an event?
Escort card displays are a current obsession. Creating an experience for the guests that is not your typical “tented cards on a 6-foot table” leaves an impact on their experience and highlights the overall design concepts. But the real goal of each one of them is for them to scream “that is SO the bride & groom!” When we sit down to pitch ideas to the client, we talk about what they like outside of their wedding: their favorite food; a movie the groom is obsessed with; a hobby they share. Then our challenge is to create a unique installation that tells that story while still keeping the integrity of the overall event design in mind.
You’ve lived in so many different places, has that influenced your personal style over the years?
If by influenced, you mean changed, then yes! My personal style has changed about 204843847293 times and still does day by day. I have so many different styles in my heart it’s insane, but now I realize that it is actually a positive when it comes to design. My New-England-preppie comes out with my traditional, fresh, coastal client. My I-really-wish-I-was-a-hippie drives our boho brides’ aesthetics. My let’s-just-move-to-the-islands-and-wear-flip-flops-all-day allows me to love our lower-budget, more casual design. My country-club-blazer-and-slacks days allow me to understand our ballroom brides. The Colorado-mountain-girl in me comes out in lovely, outdoor experiences. And let’s not forget the Alabama in me – although I love being quirky, I’ll write the best thank you note and advise you on the most proper etiquette like the good Southern girl I try to be.
What was your favorite thing to discover about Aisle Planner when you first signed up?
THE CHECKLISTS!! We pretty much did a happy dance in our studio for days! We couldn’t find another tool that incorporated the ability to customize checklists and save them as templates for each client, per package. We spent hours upon hours upon hours customizing our checklists, and being the organizational nerds that we are, loved every minute of it (the wine helped too).
What has turned out to be your favorite Aisle Planner tool?
THE BUDGET TOOL!! It just feels so professional and inclusive. Of course, the ability to customize it is so rad, and clients are impressed by the design and thoroughness that it offers.
You have a pretty rad group of women working with you. What does a typical day in the office look like?
Oh Lordy! Now you’re getting personal. If I told you I’d probably lose all my clients… just kidding!! We are all super hard workers and are so grateful to be surrounded by other supportive women in our industry (we share our space with four other companies). Although we are all incredibly close friends, there is actually A TON of work that gets done and we often have to call each other on our way home to gossip about our personal lives. But here is a snap shot - everyone’s eyes glued to their computer screens, fingers typing away on keyboards, music blaring from a Prim & Pixie playlist (Jen is our studio stylist, DJ and overall cool chick), random phrases of excitement or frustration blurted out that gets everyone’s attention and leads to a story of praise or “we’ve been there too”, someone from our team crafting or organizing something or another, and more often than not an afternoon coup of champagne at our right hand!
Do each of you have different design aesthetics? If so, how do you meld that into a cohesive brand?
Yes, we totally do! Overall, I am the chameleon who presents clients with a whole crazy range of ideas. My style varies tremendously event-by-event (from modern, to mid century, to bohemian, to romantic and beyond) and that’s what keeps things fresh and fun. Sarah leans towards glamorous romance, loving soft florals, mixed metallics and luxurious linens. Kiersten loves “modern festival” or tailored boho, designs that mix old and new, clean lines and neutral colors with a pop of pattern or unexpected elements (i.e. her excitement over geometric shapes). We create cohesiveness by always overseeing each other’s design boards during their creation – offering up our opinions, suggestions and ideas, which allow for our personal aesthetics, and therefore our events, to meld together into a subtly common style, while still maintaining their own personalities.
What design trend are you totally over?
Rustic and shabby chic. Please no more hand made wood signs (think outside of the box and paint your signs cool colors or designs), mason jars (for flowers, drinking is acceptable) or burlap (no… just no – although I have about 30 runners in my studio if anyone wants to buy them)!
Any guesses on what the next big thing will be in weddings?
Sherbet toned weddings – vibrant colors, yet soft in nature.
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