Wedding Planner Profile: Laura Olsen Events
Laura is my incredibly talented partner-in-crime over at The Revel Sessions, as well as the founder of The LOE Studio. Proving that she can design beautiful spaces for work, not just play. First and foremost, she is founder at Laura Olsen Events, and recognized as one of Toronto’s top wedding planners and designers.
A former project manager and visual merchandiser, Laura has had a longstanding love affair with styling. Armed with natural talent, tireless creativity, and a pragmatic, calming demeanour that all brides appreciate, along with her eye for timeless details.
Laura knows how to bring love stories to life and is particularly talented at styling intimate weddings in remarkable settings that reflect the personal aesthetic of the couple.
Read more in her interview below:
What was your career path leading up to launching your business, Laura Olsen Events?
LO: I started out like most teenagers and early 20-somethings working in retail which gives you a strong work ethic. It showed me that there were creative careers within that industry, which lead me to a formal education in Visual Merchandising. A few years after graduating, I decided I needed a change and moved into Project Management for a web development company. It was when I got married myself that I realized wedding planning as a career would be a great blend of my skills!
Why do you feel couples need planning or coordination?
LO: Obviously, I'm biased, but I was also a bride once myself. So I know how it feels to put so much heart into planning a wedding while also wanting to enjoy the day. At the very least, help executing the wedding day is incredibly important. Someone to take all of the plans and ideas in your head and make sure it comes to life in the best way possible so you (and your families and friends) can actually enjoy the day! Plan for as much help as you can afford; I promise it's worth every penny. Whether it's emotional support, balancing opinions, brainstorming ideas, or even offloading as much as possible to only make the final decisions, the outside help is beneficial to keeping the planning process enjoyable.
Do you have a specialty?
LO: My specialty is event design with a focus on authentic designs in a budget-conscious way. I love making gorgeous designs that don't overload the senses. I believe that there are five major experiences for guests on the wedding day. The altar, welcome table, tablescapes and guest place settings and the head table so I put focus on making those elements beautiful but still manageable in terms of accessibility. A tablescape overloaded with florals and candles is beautiful, but if there's no room for guests to put down a clutch or their phone or even a salt and pepper shaker, it's a very frustrating experience.
What is it that you love about tented and private estate weddings?
LO: Tent weddings are a logistical puzzle that really are fun! Planning them is certainly not for the faint of heart and as much stress as they are, I really do love them. Building a venue from the ground up and showing off the natural environment is a huge draw. There's something about a blank canvas and opportunity to customize every single element brought in that is so exciting and really a designer's dream!
How did you incorporate more design services in to your business?
LO: Initially, I didn't think anyone would pay me for design services, but knew that it was my passion, so I put together an offering and it actually sold really well. It got me more experience than I had and gave me confidence to inch into full planning services. I still offer this service today with the same core inclusions (creating a design plan and then sourcing and managing all design-related vendors to bring it to life) but I now charge a higher fee and a different price structure and charge separately for wedding day labour. It also complements really nicely with the Wedding Day Management Service so I was able to add more business to existing clients without having to take on multiple weddings on the same day.
Where do you look to for inspiration?
LO: Certainly, Pinterest and Instagram are great sources for inspiration, but I love interior design and constantly draw from that. I follow various interior designers, watch a lot of home reno tv shows in addition to just literally looking up and paying attention to what is in front of me.
PHOTOS BY WILL REID
Tell me more about The LOE Studio.
LO: I had always wanted a studio space to host clients, and it's always more fun working while someone is beside you, so I finally bit the bullet and got an office space! I figured it would also be a great space for others to come in a work, so it ended up as a bit of a co-working space and rental studio for photo shoots at the same time, which is a great way to offset a portion of the rent. My dream is to also have it as a space where couples can come in and get ready the morning of their wedding instead of messing up the hotel room they'll be using their wedding night or trying to find suite big and bright enough to host everyone as many hotel rooms just aren't ideal. We'll be doing a trial run for an LOE client this fall so it'll be fun to see how that works!
What has been the bright side of COVID and how it effected weddings, or are there any lessons learned that you would like to share after such a strange year?
LO: I think it's forced a lot of couples and vendors to see what's really important to them and make plans and offer services that really and truly feel authentic. We've had to shed a lot of negativity that we no longer had the room to accept and that's certainly not a bad thing. It's made everyone think about what details and friendships really matter and how we want to incorporate them in our weddings and work. Our threshold for negativity and stress has been lowered which is a great thing!
What would you like new planners to know?
LO: Soak up as much education as you can and invest in purchasing planning templates to build our own! Really think about your process and how you want to view and manage your details. Essentially, I have a blended group of documents that I've modified so heavily that they are now perfect for me. Make friends with your 'competition' and form bonds that mean you'll have each other's backs and can share your process, pain points and successes!