Inspiring Conversations with Tory Smith of Smith + James Events

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tory Smith.

Hi Tory, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always loved weddings and got my first subscription to ‘Martha Stewart Weddings’ when I was eleven or twelve years old. I love the aesthetic, the splendor, the ritual, the merriment. It’s all magic… such a heightened day.

Before I made my way to the wedding space I started with a career in the music industry, working for the GRAMMY Museum at LA Live.  I worked on their curatorial staff, curating exhibits and meeting the most incredible people. One of the highlights was definitely when I dug through Beatles’ artifacts at George Harrison’s home at Friar Park. I went full-on fangirl.

I always knew I wanted to start my own business and mentioned I’ve always loved weddings. So after a few years with the GRAMMY Museum, I took the plunge away from music and into events. I started off working for a few high-profile wedding planning companies before launching smith + james in 2015.

To speak a bit about the business, we are very specific about the clients we take on. We are extremely focused on our brand and how each client aligns with our voice and vision. As a result, we’ve been really lucky to work with the coolest, most fun clients, all while traveling around the world throwing amazing parties. Have I mentioned I love the Great Gatsby? We’re always aiming for Gatsby vibes. We love our clients and attract the types who don’t take themselves too seriously, so it’s a blast the whole way through for all of us. We hate the stigma of wedding planning being super stressful. That’s not the vibe.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Wedding planning is not for the faint of heart. The hardest part of my job is that you can plan until you’re blue in the face but most of the day-of execution is problem-solving. You can’t plan for a venue burning down in the Woosley fires the day before the wedding or a hurricane, for instance. We once had penguins hired as part of a ceremony and one of them died the day before. You have to be really flexible and ready to pivot at all times.

Then 2020 hit… Enter: COVID-19. That, of course, was difficult on many industries… but the wedding industry was hit so hard. Anyone that made it through to the other side had to fight really hard to do so.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Smith + james is a destination, full-service wedding planning and event design studio boutique based in Los Angeles and serving clients around the world. We have been named “Best Planners in America” two years in a row by Brides Magazine. As part of our business model, we only take on a select number of weddings a year to provide our clients with the highest level of service.

I love the challenge of bringing fresh ideas into the wedding space, mostly inspired by fashion, interior design, or architecture. For me, it’s all about producing creative moments in creative places. We get to work in the most stunning places around the world and love to get inspired by those places.

Our style is effortless, cool, and organic and our approach to weddings is both heavily curated and experiential, so that our clients and their guests always have a blast. We love to create impactful, crescendo moments. I think the thing that sets us apart the most is that we love to be our clients’ ultimate hype girls and keep them laughing the whole time.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I’m a killer in a foot race.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.smithjamesevents.com
• Instagram: @smithjamesevents

Image Credits
Photos by Sarah Falugo, Amanda Crean, Alex Warschauer, Gabrielle Hurwitz, Laura Murray