We were lucky to catch up with Diana Leonczik recently and have shared our conversation below.
Diana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Hi! My name is Diana and I am the Founder & Lead Coordinator at Gather Grey Events. I studied at FIT and my ultimate dream at the time was to work at a fashion magazine. I very quickly learned I actually did not like the fashion industry and could not see myself working in it and eventually pivoted to bridal.
I swear I was born with a clipboard in my hand. I say this quite often and it sounds like a joke, but I am very much serious in this statement. I fondly recall growing up what made me most excited was any sort of event and the planning that came with it. For every birthday, there had to be a theme, a guest list, a menu, a list of decor to match and you can bet my clipboard made its way with me down the aisles of Party City. It was something I looked forward to every year and started planning 6 months out (<i>not really your normal 8 year old</i>). Things did not really change as I got older.
By the time my own wedding came around, you can probably assume I was in my element. This was THE ultimate event I had looked forward to since I was that little girl with a weird niche for planning and details. I was one of the first in my group of friends to get married and one of the first to tackle the joys and challenges of wedding planning. Not so much traditionalists – my husband I opted for an industrial Brooklyn warehouse which was very much our vibe and THE vibe at the time. This came with a new type of wedding challenge that most wedding hall brides never had to face – sourcing all outside vendors, covering additional logistics that are typically included and having some sort of coordinator on site to help facilitate all those vendors and the overall day.
At the time I had never heard of a wedding coordinator or day-of coordinator; this was something our venue required, so I asked my most-detailed and organized friend to help take on that task for the day having not anticipated this as an additional wedding cost. She did an AMAZING job. It’s funny because we are often compared and work very well together so I knew if there was anyone to execute my vision and planning details, it was her. And she was definitely up for the task!
When we were getting married, a new wave of engagements was hitting our group of friends and naturally a ton of weddings followed shortly after. As I walked my friends through their own wedding planning processes, I noticed that this was an area that most brides did not anticipate needing help with initially in the engagement season, but as they approach the big day there are so many details, people, and logistics to consider that it can be quite overwhelming walking into that day without a shoulder to carry that weight. I instantly started to throw my name in the ring to those friends with upcoming nuptials. I started offering to take on that weight and role the way my friend did for me, knowing that I thoroughly enjoyed the details and responsibilities that came with the role, and excited to get my feet wet again now that my planning season was over!
I instantly stepped up to the plate and took on all the planning details my friends had poured their hearts into for months. I studied contracts, introduced myself to vendors, created timelines, met the families and was there at the ready the day of the wedding to troubleshoot and problem solve as any issues came up. My goal was and still is to ensure that my brides have the best experience possible and are able to be present and stress free on their wedding day! They should be taking in every detail and moment without the stress or “problems” falling on their shoulders the day-of.
I was instantly hooked. The second I finished my first wedding, it felt like something in me clicked. At the time, it was definitely a gap in the industry (at least in my local area) and I felt like I had a newfound purpose in the wedding industry. I was already the “bridal girl” amongst my friends, but I definitely became the “wedding girl” after this and it was known that if there were wedding planning needs that I was the girl to see!
As some time went on, I approached one of my best friends whose dream was also to run a wedding business. She had a passion for florals and with my passion for coordination and details, we decided to take on a business venture together to create a mixed offering and work as partners! We launched Gather Grey in 2017 and the rest is history. Our packages revolved around wedding coordination, decor rentals and floral design. Side note: eventually that friend moved across the country (<i>and has since returned!</i>) so we paused on partnering together with Gather Grey and I have taken it over fully since then! My offerings now focus on wedding coordination, wedding planning and small floral projects.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
During my time at FIT, I had an on-campus job in the Student Activities office. It was fate one day when I picked up the phone and Peter Langner was looking for volunteer interns to work in his booth at New York Bridal Fashion Week. About 2-3 interns were needed and I quickly threw my name in there to ensure I was on that list. Experiencing NYBFW for the first time changed everything for me – it just clicked and I knew it was my place. I quickly made sure that any NYBFW opportunity that came our way had my name on the list and I eventually came across the lovely Karen Willis Holmes. An amazing bespoke designer from Australia, this was her first time showing in the US and she was kind enough to reach out directly to me for two back-to-back seasons. During my second season interning for her, she picked my brain on what I thought about her opening up a NYC flagship and a few months later I received the call that she wanted me to work for her. This was an actual dream as a second year college student. I found my niche, found a job within that space and was in love with it all. I quickly spent most of my weeks and weekends working in her flagship showroom working directly with brides, as well as, helping managing retail wholesale accounts during market. It was a perfect job!
When the time came around for graduation, I did not have a full time opportunity available so I temporarily parted ways with the bridal industry. During this time is when my business started and it gave me a way back into the wedding industry as a freelance Wedding Coordinator! I can happily say I am now a full-time bridal girl working for designer, Justin Alexander, as a Merchandiser and continue my freelance Wedding Coordination in my spare time.
When it comes to what I provide at Gather Grey – I like to say I provide peace of mind to brides. As a Wedding Coordinator, my job is to assist brides & grooms on the day of the wedding, be an on site presence from set up to breakdown, oversee all vendors ensuring they are on time and coordinating logistic with them throughout the day, and manage “VIPs” such as bridal party members and family members to ensure that everyone is where they need to be at all times. I also assist with the creation and execution of timelines for the day. I typically have a timeline that revolves around the bride and groom, and a behind-the-scenes timeline that is focused on just the vendors and what they need to accomplish. As the wedding approaches, I start making phone call and email introductions to vendors so they can familiarize themselves with me prior to the wedding. I also start probing about important details for the day regarding their services, in addition to, confirming timelines on their part so I can create a master timeline as the day approaches. When the day arrives, I am the first person on-site to meet vendors as they arrive and usually the last one out shutting the doors. I am ensuring that the vision of the bride and groom is being executed so they can get ready and soak in this once in a lifetime moment without needing to stress about logistics. If there is any sort of decor or set up required that is not already managed by a vendor, I would also take this on to make sure that nothing is missed or overlooked. It’s a chaotic but fulfilling role- ensuring all details are accounted for, everyone is where they need to be, timing is being managed, and that all problems or hiccups are directed to me instead of the bride and groom. Like I said – peace of mind.
I’ve recently started to expand my offerings to include additional planning services on top of coordination. While I do not have the capacity to provide full-time wedding planning (this also tends to be an expensive service most people do not have the budget for) what I have started to offer is partial planning packages that help brides who may not be as detail-oriented or excited about planning to get started and stay on track. I have various packages now that range from consultations to help couples get started creating mood boards, color schemes and sourcing vendors. I also have packages that provide planning timelines (not day-of timelines) that are customized to a couple’s engagement period to help them stay on track to accomplish any To Do’s before the wedding day. And lastly, I’ve create a Petite Planning Package which offers scaled down planning service – providing all of the above from the previous packages, in addition to, monthly check in meetings and updated task lists by month to be discussed and worked on together throughout the engagement period.
I would love clients to know about me is that I am dedicated to my clients! I want this day to be what you have always dreamed of and any role I can play in that is an honor.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Honestly, the weddings I’ve worked have almost been experiences that speak for themselves. Many of my friends or even friends of friends have seen me in action at weddings and immediately make comments about how they cannot wait for me to help them with their big day. Many of these people hold true to this and do follow through once their engagement period comes around! And if not, I have wonderful friends and clients who spotlight me during these events on social media or through word-of-mouth to ensure that anyone who is getting married knows what type of services I offer and that I am a non-negotiable element on their wedding day! I definitely think people seeing my work in action has always spoken the loudest and has been my biggest way to reel in clients!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
As glamorous as the wedding industry might sound, it’s not always! I still love it of course, but weddings are long and emotional days for the people involved. I will say all my brides & grooms have always been lovely and kind. However, when you are a part of the biggest day of someone’s life, you are not just working with them but you are working with their family, friends, and all the important stakeholders in their lives. These people are often protective of the bride & groom and although they mean well, it can be tough at times trying to run the day as smoothly as possible and make on-the-spot judgement calls without offending or upsetting someone. At the end of the day, I do everything with my brides & grooms in mind and as long as they are happy, I am happy! I know that I’ve done a great job when the wedding is over and the bride & groom are blissfully unaware of any of the issues or problems that might have happened behind the scenes!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @gathergreyevents
Image Credits
Taken by Lu Olivia Kate Photography Florianne Photography Toni Marie Photography Casey Shannon Photo Meadow Lark Stills