Happy Monday! Welcome to another round of Vendor Spotlights! This week, I’m joined by Kelley Kohler of Haviland Events. I met Kelley back in the fall through our local Rising Tide Society chapter and we instantly connected over our shared backgrounds in Richmond, Virginia. Kelley just oozes Southern hospitality and I have loved getting a small glimpse into her work both through this project and through photographing one of her events earlier this year. I also want to spend an entire afternoon just sifting through her beautiful antique plate collections 🙂

Everyone, meet Kelley!

I asked Kelley to tell me a bit about her, where she lives in the city, and any favorite restaurants/coffee shops the rest of us Chicago-ans should check out 🙂

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I was born, raised, met my husband and got married in the lovely, Richmond, VA. We moved to Chicago for my husband’s job 2 years ago and we LOVE it. While I definitely miss the culture and style of the South, we have definitely found home here in Chicago. I’ve also perfected my biscuit recipe since I can’t find good homemade biscuits here so that’s a bonus! We live in Lincoln Park and go to the Mexican restaurant around the corner from us, Mayan Palace, wayyyy too often. Is it bad when they know our order? When I’m not working, I’m spending time with my husband, scouring thrift and antique stores or drinking wine. As for my favorite coffee shop, I lived in Italy for about a year so I am a bit of a coffee snob. I drink espresso from a stovetop espresso maker in the mornings and really like the goat milk latte at Little Goat when I’m out and about.

What services does Haviland Events provide? 

Haviland is a boutique wedding and event planning company. The heart behind it comes from a mixture of southern culture and the ease of Italian weddings. I only take a limited number of weddings each year so I have the opportunity to work with each client to create a wedding that truly represents not only the couple but the families and traditions that they come from.  My focus is on full planning so I can walk through the entire process with you. I also take a number of partial and month-of planning clients as well. I also love clients who love tabletop decor and whose focus is on the marriage not the party.

How did you get started in this industry? 

When I was about six I decided I wanted to be a wedding planner. It wasn’t until college, though, that I realized that was actually a job. I interned for a planner the four years during college. Then I lived in Italy for a bit and interned for a planner there. Once I moved back home to Richmond, I worked for a company while building my own client base. Fast forward a couple years and I had to start from scratch once moving to Chicago. I’ve been so blessed with the amazing relationships I’ve built here. I couldn’t ask for a better community to be in.

What is your favorite part about the work you do?

One of my favorite parts of my job is working with clients to talk through details and solve problems that come up during planning. My favorite part of the wedding day is the morning when all the vendors arrive. It’s so crazy and unorganized but then, magically everything comes together perfectly.

What has been your favorite project so far? 

I have been so blessed with the most amazing clients; each and every one of my weddings is so unique. Every project I have starts from scratch with a meeting with my clients, learning their specific style and story and then creating the event from there. I really don’t have a favorite because each is sooo different. It’s nice to be able to have such a variety in my life 🙂

What is something that not many people would know about the work you do?

It’s a team sport. Your photographer, florist, planner, caterer, band, etc. all have to work together. You don’t just get to check them off the list and work with them independently. If they aren’t coordinating it shows and nobody should be surprised by what the other vender is doing. That’s one of my key jobs – making sure everyone is on the same page. When I am brought on early in the planning process, I get to help put that team together based off my knowledge of vendor’s personalities, styles, work preferences, etc.  

What are some industry trends you are loving right now?

I am loving that the industry is slowly coming back around to classic wedding styles with a whole lot of meaning. It’s no longer all about having the biggest and best wedding, it’s about the details you add to your day and the “why” behind your design.  

When it comes to planning a wedding, if you could provide one piece of advice to a bride, what would it be? 

Before you start planning, sit down with your fiance and a glass of wine. Decide on your top three priorities for your planning. Use those to guide your decision making during the process. I see so many couples spend way too much money on pieces of the wedding that weren’t even important to them. Also, because I can’t help myself, hire a planner to help guide you through that process. It will ultimately save you so much money, I promise!

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Thank you Kelley for all the wonderful information and for sharing a bit of your heart for what you do! Brides, the wedding planning process can be overwhelming and frustrating, and there are a lot of curveballs that can be thrown your way. But with someone as talented and thorough as Kelley helping to steer things, you get to be free to simply be a bride and enjoy the process 🙂

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Connect with Kelley!

Facebook: @havilandevents

Instagram: @havilandevents

http://www.havilandevents.com/