Graduate Features, Student/Graduate Features, Uncategorized
Graduate Feature: Madyson Bell
Name: Madyson Bell
Location: Wichita, Kansas
QC Courses she’s graduated from:
Website: https://www.madybellevents.com/
Instagram.com/mady.bell.events/
Facebook.com/Mady-Bell-Events
Tell us a little about yourself!
I’m a small town girl, originally from Whitewater, Kansas! I grew up an equestrian, and have a real passion for horses and farm life. Right after graduating high school, I moved to Los Angeles for work, where I met the man that is now my husband. Since then, we’ve traveled the world together and have lived a lot of cool places. We’re now settled in Wichita, where I’ve started my event planning business!
Why did you decide to become an event and wedding planner?
When I was planning my own wedding, actually! One of the last things I had to complete in my own wedding planning process was addressing and putting the wax seals on our invitations. As it turns out, I REALLY enjoy doing the wax seals! I, of course, enjoyed every aspect of planning my wedding, but when I was finished putting the last wax seal on that invitation, I was so sad it was over. I knew in that moment that I wanted to continue planning weddings for a long time to come, so I did some research and signed up for QC shortly after!
Photo by Katy Elaine Photography
Having graduated from QC’s Event and Wedding Planning Course as well as our Event Décor course, would you say you have caught the attention of more clients because of your additional training?
I can definitely say that I would not have gotten off to nearly as strong of a start, had it not been for my training through QC. I learned a lot about how to portray myself as a professional, how to deal with difficult situations, and how to make a space look beautiful and molded to a client’s needs.
Can you describe your event and wedding decorating style?
Photo by Katy Elaine Photography
At this point, my style is for sure on the moody, romantic side. That vibe is definitely what comes most naturally to me. But I’m really looking forward to branching out and seeing what I can challenge myself to do!
You’re a bit of a jack of all trades, offering wedding planning services all the way through to corporate events. Do you have a winning preference, and if so, can you tell us a bit about why?
I absolutely prefer weddings over corporate events because when you’re planning a wedding, you’re not just making an event for a mass of people to enjoy – you’re making two people’s dreams come true. That’s in addition to making a beautiful event for many people to enjoy! I love to make people happy, and I can’t think of a better way for me to do that than planning weddings.
Photo by JW Photography
What’s the best thing you’ve ever gotten to create for a client’s custom décor?
By far my favorite piece I’ve created is a moss chair named Louise. I actually created Louise for an enchanted forest-themed shoot, and it was a huge hit. I bought a vintage chair and covered it in moss. It sounds crazy, but it turned out to be so cool that it made me want to literally cover everything in moss!
What was/is the most difficult part about starting your event and wedding planning business?
This is such a hard question, but I think the most difficult part is knowing the different between what is currently necessary for me to invest in for my business, versus what I can pass on for now. For example, there is a bridal expo in Wichita twice a year. I opted to participate in the show in January (this will be my first engagement season as a wedding planner) so that I can try to reach newly engaged couples. But it’s so hard to know whether or not it was actually a smart move to spend money to be in the expo. Those are just things I will have to learn over time, through trial and error.
Why did you decide to attend an online event planning school over a physical school to earn your event and wedding planner certification?
I did online because at the time, I was already in school full-time for interior design. Obviously, in the end, I decided to go down the event planning route instead – and I’m so glad I did!
Photo by Katy Elaine Photography
To date, what has been your proudest moment as a certified event and wedding planner?
I don’t have a single-most proud moment, but what makes me proud is when other vendors recommend me. I don’t take that lightly at all. I know that when you recommend someone, you’re putting your own reputation on the line. So for other companies in the area to trust me, it means a lot.
With 2020 right around the corner, what do you have in store for Mady Bell Events in the future?
So much! My very first wedding season is going to begin soon, and I couldn’t be more excited. I plan on doing many more styled shoots and expanding my portfolio. But really, 2020 will be a huge year of learning for me. I’m a brand new event and wedding planner and have a lot to learn, but it’s going to be fun. I can’t wait for what’s in store!
Photo by Katy Elaine Photography
