MunaLuchi Coterie member and wedding & event designer and planner, Avril Hernandez of Olivia Dream Weddings and Events has been planning and designing events for ten years. Avril brings a very experienced background in finance to her business, founded in 2014. “Elegant, classic and often formal” she welcomes the opportunity to create unconventional designs and think outside the box. Incredibly passionate about her profession, Avril works tirelessly to achieve and deliver the highest caliber of work for her clients.
Read all about Avril Hernandez and Olivia Dream Weddings and Events in this informative and inspiring in-depth interview.
“I am motivated by my love and passion for designing and creating beautiful designs as well as seeing fellow vendors creatively design their events…”
~Avril Hernandez
Name: Avril Hernandez
Business Name: Olivia Dream Weddings and Events
Founded: 2014
Describe your business. My business is primarily an Event Design business that also provides some Wedding and Event Planning services.
What did you do before starting your business in the wedding industry? Before starting my business in the Wedding industry, I worked in the financial industry for 10 years working at various financial institutions.
How long have you been in the wedding industry? I have been planning events for 10 years, and when I decided to officially start my business I adding wedding planing services to my portfolio. I have been in the wedding industry for 3 years.
How would you describe your style? My style is elegant, classic and often formal, but I welcome the opportunity to create unconventional designs and think outside the box.
What motivates you? My love and passion for designing and creating beautiful designs as well as seeing fellow vendors creatively design their events.
Why should brides/grooms choose you? They should choose me because I focus on removing the stress and overwhelming work associated with planning their wedding; providing them with the opportunity to fully embrace and enjoy the most important and memorable day of their lives. Having been in the event planning and designing business for 10 years, I am very good at capturing the vision of my clients and bringing it to life. I have an eye for details, I’m very professional and provide stellar customer service with a spirit of excellence.
How does your company define and measure success? I define success based on a few factors. How profitable my company is, the growing rate of my client/customer base, how satisfied my customers are and last but certainly not least, how happy and satisfied the individuals that work with me are.
What do you enjoy most about your work? Apart from coming up with the initial design and the execution of that design. I enjoy seeing my client’s overjoyed, and often times euphoric, reaction when a design fulfills or better yet, superseded their expectation.
Describe a proud moment while working in the wedding industry. When I first starting planning weddings, one of the first weddings I did was in Trinidad at the Oak Plantation Estate in St. Joseph. It was a gorgeous estate with laden trees and greenery as far as the eye can see. The bride and groom desired to have an outdoor wedding under a tent. All plans were in place by my arrival three days before the wedding. However, everything that could go wrong, did. The vendor that was supplying the gold sequin tablecloth for the cake table didn’t deliver as promised, someone broke the 36” vase that was suppose to be the grand centerpiece of the reception decor. The lights provided in the tent were not working that evening…and it rained cats and dogs and the wind blew with such force that it moved the curtain panel backdrop which in turn threw down the candelabras that we had on the head table (almost catching the tablecloth on fire) – needless to say we did resolve each of those issues. The proud moment came when the bride and groom who knew nothing of what occurred earlier in the day (and still don’t know about most of the issues that occurred) stood up and said to me that the wedding, both ceremony and reception exceeded their expectations. The groom in particular was teary eyed because he had not been involved in the planning process and really didn’t know what to expect from our services.
What’s the best compliment you’ve received for your work? The best compliment I’ve received for my work was when I heard my clients say that the design was “perfect” and was even better than they anticipated.
What are your business goals? A few of my business goals are to design between 20 & 24 weddings per year, in addition to designing other social events. Also, to get featured in multiple bridal magazines over the next year. Lastly, to network more over the next six months to build long lasting relationships with other business vendors in the industry.
What’s your favorite part of the wedding industry? My favorite part of the wedding industry is collaborating with other talented vendors in the industry.
What’s your least favorite part of the wedding industry? My least favorite part of the wedding industry is when event planners at some venues give you such a hard time and make it more challenging than it needs to be to work and produce what the client desires.
Describe your vision of the “perfect” wedding. My vision for the “perfect” wedding would be where I get to design and execute the dreams and or vision of my clients and deliver the experience that surpasses their original expectations.
Where do you find the most inspiration? I find the most inspiration from looking at other established vendors like Colin Cowie, Karen Tran, Preston Bailey, Akeshi Akinseye of Keshdesigns, Pinterest and more.
Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know? I would like the readers to know that I am incredibly passionate about what I do, and I work tirelessly to achieve and deliver a certain caliber of work. I am strongly committed to providing a high level of excellence, elegance, class, sophistication, integrity and customer service in all that I do.
Follow Olivia Dream Weddings and Events here!
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