Episode 67 Talk about Insecurity & Inspiration with Lorna Dennis Parker
Have you just started or are you thinking about starting your very own wedding planning business? The thought can be both exciting and frightening, especially if you can’t find support in an industry that sometimes can feel unsupportive.
In this episode, I chat with Wedding Designer Lorna Dennis Parker about how to handle those insecurities and find inspiration and support from both seasoned professionals and those just getting on their feet in the wedding industry. We talk about how to respond to others, how to give your own support, and how to gain those experiences that will not only benefit your business but help others along the way.
If you are itching to get started in the industry, this is the episode for you!
About Lorna Dennis Parker
Lorna is a certified event designer and a trained floral designer who curates premium luxury experiences for her clients that are customized from invitation to entertainment.
While working in the airline industry, where she developed her people skills and a gift for creating excellent customer experiences, Lorna was asked to assist in planning her brother and sister-in-law’s wedding in Montego Bay Jamaica for the show “Married Away” which focused on fabulous destination weddings. Prior to this opportunity, Lorna had planned numerous events for family and friends but it was this experience that sparked her love for “all things events” and pushed her to turn what had previously been an expensive hobby into a business. After a battle with breast cancer in 2012, Lorna decided not to return to her previous work, but rather to work full time doing what she loves- Creating beautiful memories through event and floral design. Lorna is now the owner and principal designer with L D Parker Event Designs which is a boutique event design firm located in Charlotte NC.
Lorna is a Preston Bailey Protégé and was nominated for an Intrigue Floral Award in 2019. Her work has been featured in Alt and Today’s Purposed Woman magazine. Lorna is the founder of the Event Professionals Marketplace; a social media platform that has a membership of nearly 20 thousand event professionals from every part of the industry. She recently launched the Event Professionals Marketplace Academy which specializes in hands-on and virtual education on every aspect of event design from branding and tablescaping to beginning floral design. Her goal is to teach burgeoning event professionals to find their “voice” in their design style. The academy teaches the basics of small business ownership and looks forward to growing its platform to include courses by other industry professionals and well as trade shows. The academy has allowed Lorna to marry passion with purpose as she provides courses that were previously unaffordable for newer planners at a reasonable rate and in areas of the country that are often overlooked by other trainers.
Lorna holds a BS in Psychology from Lamar University and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
Key Takeaways for Inspiration & Insecurity:
- Separatism in the Wedding Industry
- Responses to insecurities
- How to reach out to other vendors
- Laying the ground rules for newer vendors seeking assistance
This Week’s Sponsor: Biz*ish 2020
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Thanks for Listening
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Credits
Title Track Voiceover: Melissa Disney
Editor: M. Lynn
Photos: Courtney Paige Ray
Cover Art: Magnoliahouse Creative
