Lemon & Lime Event Design

I can’t believe I’m already saying goodbye to this fantastic summer with lemon & lime event design.  Of course, this isn’t entirely true – I’m headed back down to Baltimore in just a week to help out with a client’s wedding at the Hotel Monaco because, frankly, I couldn’t stay away!  I’m spending today, my last official day on the job, shooting new photos for the website and helping Katey & Ashley get all gussied up.  It’s going to be a blast and I couldn’t ask for a better last project!

Before I go, I want to share the three major lessons I’ve learned since arriving in May.  I’ve learned many more lessons beyond these three (like the benefit of a good run of show document, for instance), but these are the big hitters – the ones I’ll keep applying to my life far beyond my time in Charm City & D.C.  So here it goes:

1. No 9-5s for me!

I have never been more sure of anything than that I can never work a typical office job, especially after trying my hand at the events business.  I’m still not sure what field that’s going to be in … but wherever I end up, I want to be doing new and exciting things every day.  No day has been the same as the last this summer.  We’ve had client meetings one day, followed by hotel walkthroughs the next and hunts for chalkboard paint in Michaels the day after that.  And I’ve loved it!  Work should be exciting and something you look forward to every day – and working with lemon & lime certainly set that standard for me for the rest of my life.

2. I need a wedding planner.

I used to think that on the day I get married, I wouldn’t need any help.  I love party planning and just didn’t see the point in hiring a planner.  I’ve gone from that mindset all the way to being fairly sure I’ll want a full wedding planner package from the get go, starting the day after I get engaged.  Besides wanting a friend through the whole process who will hold my hand when a vendor cancels or I can’t make up my mind on the flowers, I also now know how important it is to not be a stress case on your big day.  Planners like Katey & Ashley have the power to transform any event you’re hosting from a major opportunity for stress on your back to a peaceful day on theirs – our brides got to enjoy their friends and families because the details were handled.  I may just have to move back to Baltimore one day so I can hire l&l!

3. Don’t be afraid of big dreams.

Katey & Ashley quit their jobs last year to chase this wild and crazy dream of theirs.  I think a couple years ago I would have called them nuts for leaving stable jobs to start an event planning business – it just didn’t sound pragmatic to me at all.  But that’s the beauty of going to work every day with people who really believe in what they’re doing and love their clients until the ends of the earth: you understand that yes, they were nuts, but there was no way they wouldn’t succeed.  As the ladies come up on their one year anniversary with a whole roster of fall clients and more booking for 2013, I couldn’t be more proud to say I was a part of a piece of this crazy journey with them.  Working with such inspiring people has given me the courage to chase after the career path I really want instead of settling for what I think is pragmatic – I can only hope I’ll be as successful (and have as much fun!) as Katey and Ashley.

See all of you someday soon!

All my best wishes,
Jessica, summer 2012 intern with lemon & lime event design