Becoming a wedding and events planner is one of my life’s joys. I love what I do and would not trade it for the world! I’m often asked “What made you become a wedding and event planner?” Well, I will share with you how I became Owner and Chief Event Planner of Madison Elyse Events.
Since I was a young girl, I’ve had a recurring dream of owning a Victorian-style home with a wrap around porch. It was set on acres of land with a perfectly manicured lawn, full green and lush bushes, colorful flowers and blooms and a garden in the backyard big enough to have wedding ceremonies. Inside this home, was a kick ass office (mine of course), an onsite florist, a photographer and a chef. The back of the of the house was a giant ballroom with shiny hardwood floors, crystal chandeliers and amazing architecture through the room! This dream has been embedded in me since I was 13 years old.
In 1999, I started with planning family parties, friends gatherings and kids themed parties just to get my
feet wet. Fast forward to 2006, my sister got engaged and I planned her wedding. This was my big chance to see if I had what it took to plan weddings. Throughout the planning, I fell in love with the entire process – meeting vendors, reading contracts, putting together the small details and then the big finale…the wedding day! To see everything that we planned in six months come to fruition with the perfect execution, I knew then this was my passion. I had to make my way into the wedding and event planning industry.
I started my first business in 2011 called Propose This Event Planning. I jumped feet first into planning and after 2 years in business, I failed miserably! I had no clue what it took to run a successful business. Because of my lack of industry education, no experience, no relationships with other planners, my business bombed then I quit! I did not want to plan weddings or events any longer. In 2013, my husband and I had my baby girl, Madison Elyse. When I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t want to plan and execute any events. I wanted to raise my blended family, take care of our new baby and be fully committed to being a wife and mother. But when something is your passion and it burns inside of you, the flame may flicker, it may become smaller at times, but it never goes out. I missed planning events, missed seeing people smiling and happy because they were enjoying themselves. I really did want my business back, I just didn’t know how. One of my best friends said to me “listen, I know you said you don’t want to do events anymore, but this is your passion! This what you were meant to do. I know it and you know it. That feeling that you have is not going to go away. Take your time and do it right this time. I’m sure you’ll be successful.”
In 2016 I started again… I rebranded my style towards a more luxury look and feel, updated my brand colors, got a new logo and launched Madison Elyse Events in 2017 and as they say the rest is history!
And this my friends is how I turned my passion into a wonderful career in the wedding and events planning industry! I hope you enjoyed reading about my journey! Let me know in the comments.
Stay Fabulous,
Qiana Turner, Owner and Chief Event Planner
Madison Elyse Events
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