We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emma Hanis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Emma thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

When I started Émerveillé Events three years ago, I had a vision of what success would be defined by. In my mind, I envisioned every single weekend would be filled with weddings and events, the company would be making six figures within year one, and our team would be making many couples’ dreams come true by providing them a stress free wedding day. This vision took shape in the beginning of March 2020, just weeks before the CoVid-19 pandemic drastically changed everyone’s lives and reshaped the events industry. Measuring success as an event planner in a post-pandemic world had to very quickly change if I was going to survive being a new business owner in an industry that had previously relied on the ability for groups to gather in celebration.

The first step towards learning what it takes to be successful was learning to adapt to the fact that there was no such thing as “normal”. I had the advantage of not having the opportunity to know what a pre-pandemic events world looked like, so my “normal” looked like readjusting business operations and events weekly, thus learning the art of adaptability. This art allowed for me to create a habit of resilience amidst trial, and to not only survive, but thrive in an unprecedented environment.

The second major pivot towards learning what it takes to be successful was learning how to rely on the people around me. When starting a business, it is easy to enter in with big dreams and a sense of optimism, and while these are necessary to success, equally important is recognising shortcomings and taking critique to know where improvement is necessary. This has created an internal culture of trust because of a balance of healthy feedback and encouragement. Asking the people around me where growth is needed has been vital to success, not only for Émerveillé, but for myself as a wedding planner and business owner.

If there are two pieces of advice I could give to a new business owner who is trying to learn what it looks like to measure success, I would leave them with this: first of all, learn to be resilient. Adapting well will allow you to take failures in stride and learn how to grow from them. When learning how to be resilient, surround yourself with a community of people who love you, and who are willing to both challenge you and encourage you.

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

My name is Emma Hanis, and I am a Seattle-based wedding planner and designer with a passion for creating weddings that are both timeless and modern. With over four years of experience in the industry, I have planned weddings and events of all sizes, from intimate elopements to grand-scale celebrations with hundreds of guests. My love of natural and ethereal elements paired with modern sophistication is evident in every project I take on, and my commitment to helping couples start their marriages off on the right foot by allowing them to focus on each other and their loved ones is unwavering. As the founder of Émerveillé Events, I oversee all aspects of wedding and event design, bringing my signature style and attention to detail to every project.

At Émerveillé Events, we specialize in creating bespoke wedding and event experiences that are elegant, modern, sophisticated, and personalized to each client’s unique vision. Our focus is on planning and designing modern events with intentionality, ensuring that every detail is carefully considered and executed seamlessly. Our commitment to exceptional service and attention to detail allows our clients to enjoy their special day to the fullest, with the confidence that their vision will be executed flawlessly. Émerveillé Events is based in Seattle and London, and provides event planning and design services to clients worldwide

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

As we have been building our reputation within the wedding and events market, what has been most influential is remembering that at the core of planning and designing events is people. Every wedding and event is centered around celebrating someone, whether it is a couple’s love or a team’s accomplishments. When working with our clients, we desire to get to the heart of who they are so that we can make decisions on their behalf with confidence, and so that their entire experience is personalised and bespoke. In the same way, as planners and designers, we have the joy of working alongside talented professionals. At the core of working alongside our event colleagues, we desire for them to feel known and celebrated, rather than feeling like machines carrying out a means to the end of an event.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

When I began to grow Émerveillé Events and bring on a team, I quickly realised how much establishing a healthy team culture would create the foundation for the rest of the company. This meant defining what a “healthy team culture” actually is to begin with, and I am excited to share some of what this looks like. We wanted to value a culture of honesty and encouragement. We believe that to grow, we must be honest with one another on where we are able to improve in our craft, while also constantly encouraging one another. In our roles, a lot of our jobs often go unseen, and as a result, it can be discouraging when tasks that have a large impact go unnoticed. By creating a culture where everyone is providing constant feedback, uplifting one another honestly creates a positive environment where everyone knows that the work they do matters deeply and where they know they are not alone.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.emerveilleevents.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/emerveilleevents

Image Credits
Photography by Alexandrae Photography