Today on Industry Friends, we present the amazing women of Elegant Productions, Katelyn Hipson (left) & Lauren Martin (right). These two beauty queens recently won GOLD as Best Decorator AND Best Event Planner in The Coast’s Best of Weddings, and we are so excited for them. Teddy and I haven’t had the chance to work with Katelyn and Lauren yet, but we know that 2015 our worlds will come together and make magic.

I had both of these lovely souls in my studio last week, and I didn’t want them to leave. Katelyn even brought her Oh Dina! flowercrown that she made at one of the Oh Dina! Flowecrown workshops a few weeks ago, both her and Lauren looked so beautiful in them.

Brides, if you haven’t yet booked a wedding planner or wedding styler, please consider these two geniuses, because they are truly amazing at what they do. Head over to their amazing website HERE to take a look at some of the wonderful visions they have created together. Check out their WEBSITE and BLOG, and also be sure to click the social media links to follow Elegant Productions on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST.

Scroll through the photos, to get to the full Elegant Productions story below, and to see their interview with us on how they can help you with your wedding. 
Give us a little history on yourselves?
Katelyn and I met while studying Public Relations at Mount Saint Vincent University. We really connected and became friends however after working on multiple corporate and social events throughout the course of our studies. Prior to starting Elegant Productions we worked together for a National fitness company in marketing and special events promotion. Let me just say that living out of hotels, driving thousands of km, and flying to different provinces can really test how well two people work together… After our nine-month contract had come to an end, and we were still standing, with experience under our belts, closer than ever, we were inspired to take on more, and so planning for Elegant Productions began… Our goal was to turn our passions into a career.

What made you decide to pursue a career in event planning, and bring Elegant Productions to life?
We have always had a strong passion for planning events and a creative flair for design. We were looking for a career that would blend our vision for design with our strengths in planning and organization. Both of us come from entrepreneurial families and we’re taught from a young age that creating the life you want to lead can be a hard, yet rewarding path. We are so grateful to wake up every day and do the job we love.

How did you get your name out there, find clients, and hone your craft?
From the beginning we started out with a strong marketing focus using social media and our website to build brand awareness. As PR girls, we also utilized our media relations experience to get on local news outlets to promote our business’ unique services and client experience. We officially launched Elegant Productions in 2011 at the Halifax Bridal shows where we connected with local brides and could directly showcase the services we had to offer. This was a great success, we exceeded our own expectations and started planning multiple events during our first season.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Our inspiration comes from our client’s personal style, magazines, blogs and trends in the wedding, fashion and interior design industries. Our client experience is tailored to their taste, lifestyle and personal flair. We work to make sure overall vision is well thought, laid out and then hone in on the small details that make any wedding experience completely customized.

What are some “golden rules” you believe every event planner should follow?
Our golden rules for every event planner include:

1. Find out what matters most to your client throughout the planning process and deliver.
2. Focus on the client’s style, even if this may differ from your own unique style.
3. It is your responsibility to create a stress free environment leading up to, and on the wedding day.
4. Remember to also focus on the guest experience, as the way guests perceive the wedding day will directly impact how the client perceives their day!

What do you love most about being event planners, and more specifically, wedding planners?
We are fortunate to have amazing clients and take every opportunity to personalize an event and wedding planning experience. We love being able to develop close relationships with our clients, getting to know them and their families, and working with them to create a stress-free planning and wedding day experience for all. We are energized and inspired when looking at a wedding after it’s all over, knowing that it was our client’s dream day. And finally, we love being in an industry filled with love and happiness!

Do you travel to other parts of the Maritimes for weddings?
Absolutely! Atlantic Canada is made up of so many amazing spaces and talent, we welcome the rest of the world to come and see what our provinces have to offer and plan many destination weddings in our own backyard throughout the year!
Travelling throughout primarily Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, we have developed amazing relationships with vendors from different areas. We love to travel and will work to tailor any event to the client’s overall vision and needs. We also look forward to expanding our destination wedding business in the very near future.

What are your favourite wedding trends, colours and themes for the upcoming 2015 season?
Our favorite wedding trends for 2015 include soft, whimsical and romantic details. This atmosphere extends from soft candlelit lighting to a smoky industrial bulb glow. Romantic champagne and neutral toned linens. Bohemian and Indie touches, lush greenery, full blooms, and garlands with detail-oriented tablescapes.

What are some other non-traditional planning services you provide for weddings?
We offer non-traditional planning and design services. We have planned and designed wedding proposals, styled engagement shoots and coordinated social functions. We can design and execute any event from fundraisers to formal galas, Bat/Bar Mitzvahs, bridal getaways to destination planning experiences.