Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Eppolito.
Hi Andrea, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I was 13 years old, we were invited to a cousin’s Sweet 16 Party. She had just lost her father, whom I had only met once. We were all somewhat shocked that she and her family had chosen to go forward with the event. Our drive into the city was long, and I remember my father trying to explain why this party was taking place. “Her father wanted this,” he said to us all. “Giving her this party meant the world to him. It is the last thing he will ever give her. When bad things happen, and they will always happen, you need something to look forward to and something to look back on.” His voice trailed off. “Years from now, she’ll look back on this night and remember what it was like to plan her Sweet 16 with her dad. Those memories matter.”
We need things to look forward to and memories to look back on.
I decided then and there that I, too, would have a Sweet 16. My mind was racing as I silently planned all the things I would have: the color scheme, the decorations, and the music. When we got home, I grabbed a 3-ring binder and began planning my own event in earnest. For two years, I clipped photos from magazines and collected invitation samples. I sketched dresses and wrote my candle dedications. I rearranged the guest list and changed the seating chart every time I fought with a friend.
When I was fifteen years old, I was visiting my friend Mike’s house. His mother, Pam, grabbed my ever-present binder and asked, “What is this thing you keep carrying around?” After a few minutes of flipping through the pages, she handed it back and announced, “You should be a wedding planner.” She gave me a job working as a greeter at a weekend wedding fair. That was all it took… I was hooked!
I went to UNLV and studied hospitality management while working in restaurants that specialized in large parties and events. I hung up a flyer in the Mormon student Union and offered to do free wedding planning for a couples getting married in exchange for letters of recommendation. But I was 21 years old, I left UNLV in order to open the Bellagio as a wedding specialist.
From there, I worked up and down the strip, moving between resorts, restaurants, and nightlife venues. I intern for florists, videography first, and anyone that I thought could teach me anything. After years of practical experience, I opened to Andrea Eppolito Events in 2011. The rest, as they say, is history.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No such thing as a smooth road! And quite honestly, I would not want there to be! It’s the obstacles and the struggles that make us better.
There were many challenges that I had in growing my company. The first being that Las Vegas was not known for being a luxury destination market. I had to redefine what it meant to get married in Las Vegas while developing my own style, changing business paradigms, and finding ways to educate myself and others.
I knew that I could not do the type of work I wanted to do alone; I needed to build a team of like-minded creatives that shared a vision and a passion. It took years to find my footing and establish myself as a thought leader. And today, I am constantly putting myself in new situations, working with coaches, and seeking out ways to create and overcome new challenges. That is where the growth is!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My job is to create extraordinary experiences for people who lead extraordinary lives, and my entire reason for existence in this space is to celebrate life, luxury, and above all else, love. I do that by bending the universe to my will so that for one night, the world is a perfect place.
I am known for my over-the-top interpretations of my client’s worldview. I love production. I love the process of transformation.
What I am most proud of, professionally, is two-fold. My work turns a moment into a memory. These become benchmarks in my couples’ lives and the lives of those that attend their events. Years from now, they will look back on these moments and be filled with so many emotions. I am so proud to create these memories and know that my work has had an impact on my clients’ lives.
Also, I am incredibly proud of the impact that my work has had on Las Vegas. Changing the reputation of the city attracted more business, better business, and it has allowed my partners, my colleagues, and even my competitors to enjoy a state of greater respect while making more money and being more creative.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The entire world is in such a tenuous place, everything can and – in a way – must change. The value that we as a society place on being together and gathering has increased exponentially. We need to bear witness to one another’s lives, and the act of being together creates a sense of humanity and community. I expect that over the next 5 to 10 years celebration will become more elaborate, with a greater attention to detail than ever before. Clients will seek out much more meaningful interactions, and they will invest significantly more money per person than they ever have before. Couples will want a sensory experience, we’re all five senses are engaged. And decisions will be made on purpose, with purpose, in order to communicate a story and create a feeling.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.andreaeppolitoevents.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/andreaeppolito
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/andreaeppolito
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/andreaeppolito
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/andreaeppolitoevents
- Other: www.tiktok.com/@andreaeppolito
Image Credits:
1. Stephen Salazar 2. Brian Leahy 3. Rene Zadori 4. Nicole Hernandez 5. Nicole Hernandez 6. Nicole Hernandez 7. Dennis Kwan
