Today we meet Samantha (Sam) Nelson of EVL Events. She is a master certified wedding planner who founded EVL Events after planning her own 80's themed wedding. Originally from Olean, NY, Sam currently resides in Ellicottville, NY with her son and husband. With a love for travel, research, and office supplies, Sam deeply enjoys making connections and building relationships with all of the people she gets to work with.
EVL Events plans and executes weddings and other events all across the greater Western New York area. With Sam's outgoing personality and attention to detail, she has established herself as one of the area's premier event planners. Strong relationship building has allowed EVL Events to choose from a myriad of established and unique vendors, providing their clients with options that will help make their day perfect. EVL Events is all-inclusive and has pledged to offer services to anyone and everyone regardless of sexual preference, gender identity, or any other lifestyle choice.
Winner of multiple awards throughout New York State and the United States, Sam and her team at EVL Events turn visions of a perfect day into an unforgettable reality.
What inspired you to enter the wedding industry?
Like many planners, I found a love for the wedding industry while planning my own wedding. I have a knack for working under pressure, and my husband and I decided to plan a huge all-out wedding in 3 short months! I can honestly tell you, I loved every single step of it. From meeting with vendors to working on the design, and so much more!
What inspired you to start EVL Events?
After my wedding, I worked a few side jobs helping friends out with parties and friends of friends out for weddings. I had received so many compliments about what a great job I had done. I loved the organizational aspect of it. I loved getting to know the couples and helping take some of the stress off of their planning to let them be a guest at their own wedding. I wanted to make this my full-time job but was totally afraid to leave the cushy corporate world with paid benefits. After a year of doing it as a side gig, I decided to jump in headfirst and just go for it. I officially started my business in December of 2017 and haven’t looked back since.
If you could change one thing about the weddings and special events industry, what would it be?
I am not sure I would change much. I think everything is what you make it, who you work with and the couples you work with. I have been pretty fortunate.
How does using Aisle Planner help you deliver the client experience you want?
I love using Aisle Planner to help keep me organized. I also use the software with all of my clients. It gets them involved and keeps them on track of what needs to be done. My clients love it because it is a one-stop-shop!
What is your favorite Aisle Planner feature?
My favorite AP feature is the ability to invite couples as well as vendors or other planning partners to join in. This keeps everyone aware of what’s going on and again tremendously helps with the organizational aspect. It’s nice to have everything in one spot for them and tools everyone can use.
What would you tell someone who is thinking about becoming a wedding and event planner?
Being a Wedding Planner is a lot of work and it is not for everyone. It’s not as glamourous as it is defined in the movies lol! There are a lot of long hours, a lot of sleepless nights, and a lot of stress. You are taking the weight off of all of your couples' shoulders and putting it on to your own. Planning one wedding is a lot of work, planning multiple...
What do you think will change about the weddings and special events space over the next five years?
I think you will see a lot more intimate gatherings and elopements. While I do love large weddings, I think with COVID-19, we will see a lot less. I think couples will be ok spending a good amount of money on their big day but will focus more on spending that special day with their immediate family and friends.
What’s your personal philosophy on becoming a great wedding and event planner?
Organization and communication. Point blank, if you don’t have these skills, it is super tough to be great at your job. We handle so many important details and many planners handle many events per year. Without the right processes in place, things can easily slip through the cracks, leaving the client’s experience and your experience negative.
What lights your creative fire?
Oddly, Stress. The more stressed out I am for some reason, the more creative I get. I hate that about me, but I guess there is no better job to be in to bring that stress out lol! I tend to start working on and developing mood/design boards when I have like 500 other things on my plate. That’s when my best ideas surface. I work great under pressure and always have, so I just go with it!
Is there anything you are particularly excited about working on this year?
I am super excited to still be working on events and weddings that are still going on this year. A few, in particular, we have been working on for over a year now, and while they are not exactly what our clients had originally planned, we have made changes to accommodate their new plans and each one will be amazing. I was also lucky enough to pick up some other couples that were displaced from their original venue and plan and have moved forward with a tent wedding on private property. While they are a ton of work, they are still going to be amazing.
Just for fun
What’s the most used tool in your emergency kit?
Safety pins and my crotchet hook (to help with the bustle).
I’m dying to design a wedding or event in…
In a large city! I would love to do something really upscale in NYC or LA where it's trendier and are different. We tend to see the same things wedding after wedding and being able to create something completely different would be amazing.
What’s one trend you think should be left in the past?
Head tables… they are antiquated and I would love to see more captain’s tables or sweetheart tables. Also, aisle runners, let’s put them back in the 80s.
If you could plan any celebrity’s wedding, who would it be?
I am a huge Bachelor/Bachelorette fan. So I’ve been really cheering for Jason Tartik and Kaitlyn Bristowe to get engaged. Jason is from the Buffalo area and I may have told him that when they get engaged, they should have their wedding here and I’d happily plan it
If you could go back in time, what’s one thing you would change about your wedding?
Oh gosh, that it lasted all weekend! It was the most amazing day and it flew by way too fast!
If a client gave you an infinite budget, what would you do differently?
Really dive into the details. Special place cards, unique desserts, perfect signage, etc. I love details and would love to always give that special TLC to each detail necessary for the wedding.
Hero image courtesy of Anomaly Photo
To find out more about Samantha and see what EVL Events is up to, check out their website: www.evlevents.com
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