Community Spotlight: Alison Events

We are feeling very fortunate to be able to continue our community spotlight program in to 2022! Our first spotlight of the year goes to an industry leader for event design and production, Alison and her rockstar team at Alison Events! More from Alison Events:

Ruth Skidmore, Creative Manager:

“I typically source inspiration from the natural surroundings and landscape of the venue paired with understanding the clients aesthetic. We are lucky to work in so many different environments, the goal is to create an experience that feels natural, approachable, and most importantly authentic.There are so many aspects of my job that I love. I mean I get to see the world, eat amazing food, watch some amazing musicians perform, and produce some pretty special celebrations with our team and vendor partners. It's pretty amazing! My favorite aspect has got to be the connections we make along the way. I love learning about a new environment, culture, and concepting ways to incorporate what I've learned about the space into the wedding weekend.”

Danielle McCarthy, Senior Production Manager:

“I have learned to be dynamic with everyone you interact with. All of our clients and vendor partners have different personalities and preferences, so to be able to be dynamic to with with a broad spectrum of people has become a real asset. We are working with all different types of people so it is really helpful to make things run smoothly if you can communicate in different ways in order to get the best outcome for everyone. I would describe our work as inspiring, creative, organized, and collaborative. My favorite aspect to the job is to get to know each and every couple and to figure out how to create a unique event that feels like the couple. Trying to figure out those small details of how to tell the couples stores throughout the wedding weekend is what makes the event really special.”

Alison Hotchkiss, Principal:

“To me producing a great event is about the creative team we curate. We work hard to make sure to work collectively so it feels like a group effort no one person can do it all:-) My favorite part is that we work with new people and new locations all the time so we are constantly being challenged there is no room for complacency. I love a language barrier layered with a specific design direction along with a planes trains and automobiles and even a grumpy event manager. We take it all on one layer at at time and do our best to make it great for all parties.I have learned to not take anything personally, we all have our stuff and our job is to keep it fun and engaging and specific to each client. Our armour is thick:-) I love to travel so for me whether that travel is to Napa or Aspen or Marrakech or Harbour Island, its all fun and interesting and we give it all 150%.”

The origin story of Alison Events from Alison:

I started the company in 2003 (when I was 25) just after spending a couple years working in corporate events. My friend suggested I plan a friends wedding that it might be more fun and creative then what I had been doing in corporate. So while I was launching my business I worked other planners, florists, caterers, paper designers to really wrap my head around the industry and understand how it all worked. Meanwhile I took on little jobs here and there....I think my first wedding I planned (it was day of coordinating) I was paid $500 for a wedding in Tahoe. Then my second wedding I was paid hourly to help a friend with her wedding in Kauai then it was Costa Rica and the idea of destination events was born. 20 years ago destination weddings was not popular as most people got married locally at their family home or church or at a venue close to where they grew up or resided as a couple. I knew there were very few people in the country that called themselves destination wedding planners so I made out to make that my specialty as I grew my business. Having spent some time in an exchange program in Japan in High School and having lived in New Zealand in College I already had a packed passport by the time I graduated college. Travel was my passion and I dove right in.

I worked my butt off from 2003 when I started Alison Events - soaking in everything I could. By 2009 when my first book was published on Destination weddings I had planned over 200 weddings many based far from my home town. I was becoming known for far flung destination weddings. And back then resources around the globe were slim to nothing. We often took linens/napkins, props/decor with us in our suit cases navigating all that you could in customs with 5 bags and a hopefully nice TSA agent. Proving often we were not importing things just there for the week doing an event for a client and the 5 bags had table linens in them or rattan chargers or favors for guests or custom something.... Film still had to be scanned prior to photographers departing the islands and there was always a risk the film could get damaged. It was just different 20 years ago, it was all new and we had to make it up as we went along and be incredibly resourceful. I have had more episodes of food poisoning + montezumas revenge, had crazy mosquito scars, jellyfish stings, all kinds of odd colds, bruises and cuts from adventures off piste... you name it from being in random places and learning the hard way. We once begged a local rodea to use their benches for a wedding in rural Costa Rica and hired a local seamstress to sew oversized pillow cases for a casual beach wedding so guests could sit in the sand. We have had flowers spray painted when they arrived and not the color or flowers we expected...we have foraged more flowers and greenery in our day and even met an amazing cake maker when sneaking in a morning surf. Another time I met one of my favorite hair and makeup artists late night at a bar in Puerto Rico. Always open to new people and new experiences and taking each event one at a time with each clients preferences one at a time....service has been buy passion and therefore I feel like we as a team work hard to connect with our clients and understand what's important to them then customize everyone to meet their needs. No wedding we do looks the same & there is no formula, it is fueled by the desire to create unique things, learn something new along the way, being open to new things and new ways and having fun while we do it all. Next year will be our 20th year in business, its crazy how time has flown. I am so grateful for everyone I have met and the adventures I have been on.