We recently connected with Love Clark and have shared our conversation below.

Love, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success is different for everyone, and what it takes to be successful will vary from person to person. I believe that success is always putting your best self forward, striving to make an impact, while leaving a positive memory on each person you meet during this lifetime. When you move through life with love and compassion each success story creates its own fundamental to your own indinival journey to success.

I remember staying up until 5:00 am noticing the sun beginning to rise as the sky began to light up, working on education to better myself, listening to podcasts, reading books and setting the platform for a successful launch. What I’ve learned over the years is that you must be a lifelong learner, always being open to growing and learning more in your industry or craft. Success takes a strong work ethic, being able to adapt to change, and your willingness to put in the time plus work to achieve your goals. It is also important to be organized, being able to manage your time effectively, and to be able to set and work towards clear goals. Adaptable to change is a must but it is also as important to be resilient and able to bounce back from setbacks or failures. Take the risks and try something new! Learning to have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, it’s important for success in many fields.

Overall, success takes hard work, dedication, and a positive attitude. It also requires a willingness to take risks, learn from mistakes, and stay focused on the goal. Successful people are also able to build strong relationships and communicate effectively. With the right combination and habits, you’re just steps away from your own successful journey.

Love, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As a child, I grew up in a home where my mother would renovate our home’s make them look astonishingly different from when we first moved in. My mother had a talent for being able to view a space and reimagine the outlook and the overall vision. In a lot of these projects, she included me in the details process and sometimes the hands-on portion which started my love for design. I remember enjoying selecting new items along her side to be installed into our home and having the excitement to see the final outcome.

I first started my career working in hospice care. This was a place where I could provide genuine assistance, love, and comfort to those who only have a few months, some days left on this earth. I knew that the journey in health care was changing when a friend of mine asked me to plan her event which sparked a fire in my heart and the start of the now-known journey of wedding & event planning. It reminded me of where I started in interior design but seamlessly planning weddings became much broaden.

I have always had a passion for planning events and weddings, so the moment I decided to pursue a career in this field, I knew I wanted to be a wedding and event planner. In my first year, my work was featured in wedding blogs such as Boho Weddings & local news such as the Baltimore Sun.

My event and wedding planning journey began around five years ago full-time while starting Love Clark Events when I realized that my love for weddings was never going to diminish. My mission has been to capture the moments and celebrate life with my clients, allowing me to network, travel, and grow my event and wedding planning skills. As I have built up my experience, I have not only had the privilege of witnessing magical moments but I have also managed some spectacular celebrations. As an event and wedding planner, I strive to ensure that each event I am involved in (no matter the size or scale) is filled with authentic moments of love, joy, and blissful moments.

I started as an event and wedding planner because I have always enjoyed planning and organizing events and feeding off the feeling of accomplishment from seeing an event come to life. Event and wedding planning require immense attention to detail, and it gives me great joy to create a beautiful and elegant event for the hosts. My career allows me to bring more joy to the world and alleviate the stress of planning for others. Being an event and wedding planner is a dream come true for me, as it allows me to pursue a passion and create amazing experiences for others.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

There have been a few ways that have helped me to generate new clients as a wedding planner. First, networking has been a great resource. I’ve met many outstanding professionals that are not only talented but also ones that I can call if I need assistance with a large project while delivering on each request.

This leads me to my first generator, Word-of-mouth from other professionals while providing excellent service to my existing clients. Our clients and couples became long-lasting family members and would refer their friends and family to my business.

Online presence: Building a professional website was essential to me as a landing page where clients could learn more about my offerings and services and use social media to showcase our current client’s love which attracted new clients.

Publicity: I sometimes submitted our couples to wedding blogs that fit within their story. Once a feature became live in a magazine or online blog, it grants the ability to have our clients seen along with all the hard work our professionals invested in their special moments.

Collaboration: Nothing is done by one hand alone, and using multiple skills to bring a vision to life, such as Partnering with other vendors, like florists, photographers, or caterers, to cross-promote our services.

Diversify: Offer additional services such as event coordination for corporate events, social events, and parties.

While also remember that it can take time to build a client base, so I learned to be patient and persistent in marketing efforts. And always strive to provide the best service possible, as satisfied clients are my best source of new business.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

As a wedding planner, managing a team can be a challenging but rewarding experience. It was a complete learning process, but one that I’ve learned is it starts with you and you becoming the leader plus organizer for your team. Our team is made of individuals that are passionate about striving to do their best while having a love for the industry in itself. Clear guidance is an area that has helped me with building my current team and also keeping my team by creating a detailed plan. Before the wedding day, create a detailed plan that outlines the roles and responsibilities of each team member, as well as the schedule and timeline for the event.

The question that I have to ask myself when managing is, Does my team understand and know our mission statement? How do they successfully fulfill our mission statement seamlessly throughout each event? When problems arise, which they will and do, Do they resource back to the mission statement and resources to successfully handle and solve problems?

It’s important that all understand their assigned specific roles and responsibilities. Assign specific roles and responsibilities to each team member, such as coordinating with vendors, overseeing setup and decorations, and managing the timeline.

I knew that I must be able to Communicate effectively. Communication is key when managing a team. Make sure that everyone knows what is expected of them and when it is due. Delegate tasks effectively. I’ve delegated tasks based on each team member’s strengths and abilities. This has helped ensure that the tasks are completed efficiently and to a high standard while also Providing clear instructions. Provide clear and detailed instructions for each task. It’s one thing to direct but Listen to those you work with and be responsive to your team’s needs. Being responsive to my team’s needs and addressing any issues or concerns that arise in a timely manner.

Always Lead by example. Being a role model for your team by being professional, organized, and having a positive attitude throughout the planning and execution process. One thing I also like to do is a single prayer before events. Provide support and feedback. Provide my team with the support and guidance they need to be successful.

Last but not least, Staying organized. Keep detailed records and documents throughout the planning process, and make sure that everyone on the team has access to the information they need. Planning is a team sport. The more you can empower and support your team, the better the outcome will be.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.LoveClarkEvents.com
• Instagram: www.Instragram.com/LoveClarkEvents
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/loveclarkevents
• Other: TikTok: @Loveclarkevents

Image Credits
Photographers: Tori Del Photography J.Perk Productions Fransorm Photography M Fields Photography DeJohn Davis Photography Sincereli Photography