Vendor Spotlight: Lisa of Oh How Charming

Lavish, unique and unexpected is how I would describe an event put on by Lisa Vorce, of Oh How Charming. When I was first introduced to Lisa's events, I was awe struck. Her events are so stunning and unique. They are definitely not your "cookie cutter" wedding and that's what I love so much about them. As Lisa puts it so perfectly, "...my events tend to take more of a hip dinner party vibe, than a wedding vibe."
I was so excited when Lisa agreed to be featured on Zenadia Design! She is such an amazing talent in the wedding industry and I am so excited to have her as my featured guest! So without further ado, I give you Lisa Vorce, of Oh How Charming!

Zenadia Design: How did you get started in event planning & design?
Lisa: My background is in technical consulting. Spent several years at both IBM and Intel doing consulting for them. I was making a ton of money - but was very ill-fitted for the I.T. industry, so after 5 years I quit. Started doing events for fun while I was "soul searching". Through a family connection, my first event was a birthday celebration for Nina Clooney (George's mom). I was fearless when I started. Kind of dove in head first with zero experience or knowledge. (For the record...I don't recommend this approach!). I love making people happy - so that was really my M.O. The fact that I had no idea what I was doing never even crossed my mind. My first event was a huge success and things just unfolded from there. I worked insane hours 7 days a week to get where I am now. I had a lot of things to learn along the way!

Z: Your events are so lavish and unique, without being overdone. Tell us a little bit about where you find your inspiration?
L: My primary source of inspiration really comes from understanding my clients. I spend a lot of time listening to my clients and getting to know them so I can infuse their personalities, style, culture, etc into their event. When I design - I am designing with each personality in mind. I truly understand who my clients are at their core - so it's easy to pull together elements that I know will move them and will be beautiful to them. Most of my clients have a very "non-bridal" sensibility to them - so my events tend to take more of a hip dinner party vibe, than a wedding vibe. When I'm pulling together design elements for my clients - I get my inspiration from so many different sources -- fabrics, jewelry, china patterns, architecture, interior design, art, etc. My brain is constantly translating every day elements into event concepts. For example - I'll see a beautiful pattern on a dress and my brain automatically starts to translate it into an amazing patterned aisle runner.

Z: What advice/suggestions can you give to couples who are on a budget.
L: Prioritize and simplify. Pick a few core elements and rock them out. For example - simplify your florals but put them in an extraordinary vessel. No matter what budget your working within -- spend time with your family and guests and truly celebrate with them! That's really what it's all about, and that's what makes a great party.

Z: What is your favorite part of your job?
L: Can't limit it to one thing! I love being able to create on a daily basis. I love being able to travel around the world and work with different personalities and different cultures. I love my amazingly talented staff and team of vendors. I love being the last person the bride talks to before she walks down the aisle. I love creating beautiful environments for people. If I had to pick one thing -- I think it would be the element of making people happy. It's so amazing to watch 150 + people have the time of their life at one of our events.

Thank you so much, Lisa! You are so talented and provide such inspiration to brides out there as well as myself. (You make me want to throw more parties so I can decorate!)
Alright now lets take a look at some of Lisa's amazing events. Click on each board to zoom in for more detail. Also, make sure you visit her website for more wonderful inspiration!







Photography Credits:
First board all photos by Megan Sorel. Boards two and three all photos by Aaron Delesie. Boards four, five and six all photos by Elizabeth Messina.