We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Desirée Adams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Desirée below.

Hi Desirée, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Early in the company’s history, I read the book “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek. It was a book about aligning your company’s mission with your values. Through one of the exercises in the book, I realized that one of the things that gave me the most joy growing up and that is still so important to me today is spending time with my family and friends. Whether it was staying up late on Christmas Eve with my cousins in the Philippines, going to the ballet with my aunt and uncle in New York City, or playing long games of Monopoly with childhood friends, time spent connecting with the most important people in my life was one of my most cherished experiences. I also grew up the niece of a diplomat. I loved learning protocol, attending cotillion class, and believe that if you’re going to do something, you should do it with precision and the highest possible standards. It is these experiences and values that drive the nature of our work as wedding and event planners.

As a wedding and event planning company, the mission of Verve Event Co. is to not only make every milestone unforgettable for our clients, but to utilize our expertise so that they can be truly present with their guests throughout the event.

At Verve Event Co., we craft exquisite and immersive weddings and events with a focus on hospitality and high standards. We believe that time with our loved ones is finite. Connecting with them during these shared experiences and creating core memories enriches our relationships and lays the foundation for the next chapter of their lives and legacy.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Though I grew up in a small town in Virginia, some of my happiest childhood memories were visiting my aunt and uncle in New York City.
A lover of organization, hosting events, and meaningful experiences, it’s no surprise that I grew up to plan events in Washington DC – one of the great cultural capitals – and fell in love with the protocol of state dinners and diplomatic customs.
I originally planned to work in PR, but I quickly realized that I always gravitated towards the events side of my work, so I pivoted and worked in meetings and special events. Early in my planning career, I learned everything I know now from producing large-scale, high-end events for VIPs, including presidents, royalty, and celebrities.
After my husband and I started our family, we moved away from Washington, DC to New York, where I started my company. Weddings and events were a natural progression for my career because I am incredibly sentimental and a true romantic.
Although I’ve always loved etiquette, what I love most about my work (and what keeps me inspired) is the joy I feel hosting guests, making people feel seen and welcomed. As my family has grown and my children grow up, so has my perspective deepened. Time with our loved ones is finite, and celebrating occasions is part of our legacy. When we gather, nothing is more important than being present and reveling in the moment. Giving my clients the ability to do so is why I love what I do.
Since 2007, I’ve produced events from coast to coast, worked with dignitaries, and been fortunate to have my work featured in outlets like The New York Times, The Today Show, and The New Yorker. Thanks to my experience planning international events, I approach my events with a focus on precision, originality, and intentional design.

What sets us apart are our exacting standards. I’m persnickety about the small things. In planning circles, I’m known for my exceptionally high standards – I own a butler stick to ensure our tables are set perfectly and multiple steamers to eliminate any wrinkles in our linens! Being a little bit ‘extra’ is simply my approach to life. I toast marshmallows for hot cocoa with a pastry torch, practice calligraphy, love vintage stamps, and look up the origin of words in the dictionary for fun. Noticing small, infinitesimal details that others miss is simply a habit but it serves me well in my line of work.
What makes me most proud is when I see our couples and their parents being truly immersed in their event and time with their guests. When my clients say, “I have never been as relaxed and carefree as I was on my wedding day,” I know we’ve done our job. Giving them that sense of joy, of delight, and creating those core memories with their loved ones is what drives what we do.
Recently our company embarked on a brand refresh. During that time, I read a lot about luxury and heritage brands. I decided I wanted Verve to be known not only for leading the industry in how we create immersive experiences for our clients and how we serve our clients throughout the planning process, but also for how we make their guests feel when they experience one of our events. As Maya Angelou said, “People may not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.” This informs much of how we serve our clients and their guests.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

My favorite books for entrepreneurs are Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why,” and “Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz. The former was profound in helping me see how important it is to align my values with what I do. It gives meaning to our work. When you start with your business’s purpose and it aligns with your values, it will help you decide more quickly and easily how to manage your business, the services you should provide, and how to speak to your ideal clients.

I read “Profit First” at the beginning of COVID. 2020 was a very challenging time to be in the live event industry because of all the restrictions and the need for cancelling and postponing so many events. When I read “Profit First,” it helped me see very clearly the importance of spending within your means as a business. I slashed our expenses and grew our profitability immensely after implementing what Simon Sinek teaches in the book.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

As I mentioned, 2020 was a very challenging time to be in the live event industry because of all the restrictions and the need for cancelling and postponing so many events. Because of this, our revenue was almost non-existent. Fortunately, we were able to move many of our events, but we had to redo a lot of our planning. I had to explain to our clients why we still needed to be paid for the work we had completed but also needed to restructure our payment plans based on the future work we would have to re-do. No one had ever experienced anything like this in our industry, so it was like the Wild West when it came to guiding our clients through the ordeal but also keeping our business afloat. The pandemic and it’s repercussions wasn’t anyone’s fault, so finding an equitable solution for our clients that also allowed the business to survive was crucial.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.verveeventco.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/verveeventco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verveeventco
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desireeadams/

Image Credits

Laura Rose
Mary Dougherty
Coryn Kiefer
Juliana Cole