Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Kay Sallach.
Emily, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. I have always had a knack for organization, problem solving and hospitality. I would spend hours and hours as a child doing puzzles. I would frequently glue them together after because I didn’t want to mess up the masterpiece I had created. Being raised in the south, hospitality came natural to me. My home was always open to others, and my parents were great at making guests feel like they were part of the family right away. In my teen years, my house was where all of my friends would gather. It was not uncommon for me to have a couple of nights a month where 7 or 8 girls would have a sleepover. I have always enjoyed connecting and gathering people together, and though I don’t have many sleepovers as an adult, I still love bringing people together to socialize whenever possible.
At 19, I moved to Seattle, WA, where I had my first exposure to the events industry. I found myself working with a company that provided event staffing for Microsoft Conferences nationwide. I was fascinated by all of the intricacy and details of the event. I began to understand that every role had its part to play in the success of an event.
In my mid-twenties, my adventures took me to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I eventually met my husband, Joshua. Over the course of the years, I spent some time waiting tables, however the majority of those years was spent working at Starbucks. I loved the personal connection and service I was able to create with my regulars. It was so nice to brighten someone’s day by giving them their morning brew or serving them a meal with a smile. Being in the service industry provided a great opportunity to exercise my love for hospitality and making others feel welcome.
After my husband and I had our second son; I decided to become a stay at home mom. Joshua knew that wouldn’t last for long (he knows how big of a busy body I can be), but I wanted to savor the time with my boys because I knew it would go by quickly. After about six months, I found myself watching wedding planning shows on television. I was drawn to the idea of becoming a wedding planner. It was almost as if my career had been waiting for me to find it. After much discussion, I decided to launch Events By Emily Kay in January of 2013. I figured what better way to bless someone than to support them on such a special day.
I began my journey into the career by buying a bunch of books and doing a lot of research. For wanting to be a wedding planner, my wedding was very small. Today it would be considered a micro wedding. As I mentioned before, I am very organized by nature and loved throwing a good party, but to turn that into a business was a whole new world. I had a friend that was getting married in May of that year. He and his soon to be wife were gracious enough to bring me on as their wedding planner. They invited me to be involved in every decision. It was such a great learning experience. With a 400 person guest count, at a private estate, and a flip to turn the ceremony space into the reception, I guess you could say it was a trial by fire type of experience. Overall the event was a huge success. I am forever grateful that my friends gave me a chance to follow my dreams.
Over the years what began as a part-time career became my passion and a huge driving force to who I am. I LOVE being able to help others celebrate such a special time in their lives. Being the behind the scenes making things happen is truly my jam. Earlier I mentioned that we all have a role to play and each part is so important. I have always known that I have the role of the supporting character. I don’t say that in a disappointing way. In fact, it is something I am rather proud of. While others get to be Frodo, I am the Samwise who keeps the journey moving forward. The supporting characters, though sometimes overlooked, are integral to the storyline. My story is that I get to be the backbone or driving force to assist others in their journeys. I have embraced that part of who I am all my life and understand the importance and need for people like me. In the wedding industry, being a planner is truly that. I help couples define their vision and then make it happen. I get to be the frame that makes all of the gears keep moving.
In 2017, my husband’s career in the film industry brought us to Los Angeles. I really enjoy being in a big city again. There is so much passion, creativity, and culture in LA. Everywhere you look there is different talent and perspectives. It truly is a magical city. I was pleasantly shocked to see how welcoming the wedding & event professionals are here. There is a strong connection between many of us that hold the belief of “Community Over Competition”. Some of my dearest friends here are wedding planners. The way the Los Angeles community pulls together in the important times is amazing. When the fires hit over the past few years or during this horrible situation with the coronavirus, the support and team effort that is shown from so many in our industry is invaluable. It is truly a wonderful city to be a part of and I am so thankful my journey brought me here.
Has it been a smooth road?
I always say, “Life is an adventure.” I truly believe that it is. Like all good adventures, it has its ups and downs. Persistence and determination is the key. I have been fortunate that the minor struggles I have encountered over the years aren’t too bad. With the economy being where it is today, and the inability to have gatherings, this would probably be counted as the biggest hurdle in my career to date.
I am keeping positive though. In general, I have a glass is half full perspective on life. I think we can choose whether we let the trying times get the better of us or not. For me this season is providing me an opportunity to learn and grow; bettering myself every day. I am embracing the chance to work on becoming a better wife to my husband, mother (and now teacher) to my children, friend to my friends, and colleague to my peers in the event world. The one perk of having to slow down is that it gives us time to reflect. So now, I am reflecting on ways of how to continue to grow business to take it to the next level.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Events By Emily Kay story. Tell us more about the business.
I am the owner of Events By Emily Kay a wedding and event planning company based in Southern California. I love traveling though, and will gladly plan weddings anywhere. We specialize in fun celebrations rooted in our client’s individuality. We offer planning and coordination service for weddings, celebrations, non-profit and corporate events. Just as every person is different, each event has its own personality. We work with our clients to customize a package based on the level of support that is needed for their specific event.
When we begin the planning process we like to dive deep with each of our clients to get to know their personality and find out what they value and consider most important in their celebration. Making authentic connections with who they are is very important and helps with the process of streamlining the planning and allows us to make more intentional recommendations that would fit the uniqueness of who they are. In some sense, you could say we are client and vendor matchmakers. Connecting on a deeper more thorough level allows us to be the client’s number one advocate for their event. With weddings, specifically family and friends frequently have their own opinions and agendas. It is our honor to be able to make sure the couple’s idea of their day is what is manifested. Our goal is to make sure that the client is able to relax and enjoy each moment of their special day!
I am known for my love of polka dots and llamas. I believe that wedding planning should be like a pattern of polkadots, fun and organized. Kidding aside, I think people know me for my seamless organization, down to earth and approachable nature, along with my quirky sense of humor. I love to create environments where people feel completely comfortable being themselves. When working with other vendors at an event, I am quick to make sure they are taken care of. The couple is obviously my priority, but the vendors become a close second. If they are happy, then I am happy, and the couple will be happy and have that much more of a wonderful experience for their day. Every role is important to making a successful event. I truly value what each person brings to the table.
I feel that my organization and ability to evaluate situations with a clear perspective sets me apart. I can look at a situation and see the potential hurdles we may have to navigate, yet have the ability to approach them with a calm and sometimes even fun demeanor. I think it helps my couples relax and find more joy in the process otherwise.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think we have already seen a big shift out of necessity to smaller more intimate weddings. Couples are being positioned to really evaluate what is important about their celebration and enhance those elements rather than keeping up with what everyone else is doing. It’s beautiful in some ways to simplify and refocus on what a wedding is all about, which in the end is the couples union. Having a party to commemorate that union is wonderful and should be enjoyed as well, and once life levels out from dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, I’m sure we will see a boom of a lot more larger celebrations. My hope is that we continue to keep that intimacy and focus on who and why we are celebrating in the midst of planning the larger festivities.
Pricing:
- Wedding Management (Coordination) Starting $2,775.00
- Wedding Planning Starting $4,950.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eventsbyemilykay.com
- Phone: 501-258-7287
- Email: emily@eventsbyemilykay.com
Image Credit:
Mark Leibowitz Pictures | Eve Rox Photography, The Lodge at Malibou Lake | Emily Joanne Photography | Fun Lovin’ Camera, The 1909, DJ Michael Han | Martin Gno Photography, The Lodge at Malibou Lake, Chef Cordelia, Winston & Main, Sweet Lady Jane | Mary Costa Photography, Shindig Chic, The Unique Space, Second Song | Sweet William Photography, University of New Mexico Alumni Chapel | Tony Gambino Photography
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