Featured, From the Experts

Industry Spotlight: Mwai Yeboah

Mwai Yeboah is the founder of the destination wedding planning boutique, Love From Mwai, located in the United Kingdom. As the lead planner and designer, she helps luxury and lifestyle clients from all around the globe turn their weddings and events into immersive experiences! It’s with great honor and excitement that we welcome Mwai to QC Event School‘s incredible roster of expert tutors!

Mwai holds a BA in Business Studies and Accounts, a Masters in Business Administration, and a Level 7 CIM Accredited Post-Graduate Diploma in Event Management. With more than 15 years in the events industry, Mwai’s traveled all over the world in her pursuit to plan high-end events. She’s even been named in a handful of Top 100 lists, and has received multiple awards!

As an event tutor, Mwai helps students understand luxury wedding design, style techniques, and high-end customer experience touch-points. With her industry knowledge, you’ll learn how to turn heads with your designs, and bring your clients’ visions to life!

Let’s get to know Mwai even more!

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Tell us a little more about your experience in the event and wedding planning industry!

I’ve had my work, event planner jobs, weddings, and styled photoshoots featured in the following places:

• Vogue India
• Brides Magazines
• Style Me Pretty
• WedLuxe
• Whimsical Weddings
• Love My Dress
• Rock My Weddings
• Boho Wedding
• Festival Brides
• Dream Weddings
• Over the Moon
• Munaluchi Magazine
• Zambian Times
• Zambian Daily Mail
• The Nation Nigeria
• Wedding-Russia
• Destination I Do
• Zambian Bride
• BellaNaija
• Weddings OnPoint
• Wedding Digest Naija
• Plans and Presents
• BLOVED
• Trendy Bride
• Nu Bride
• Wedding Peace
• The Wedding Community
• MODwedding

Furthermore, I facilitate a 5-day intensive course in Africa (which can be shorted to 3 days), entitled Luxury Event U: The Fundamentals of Luxury Wedding and Event Planning with an Introduction to Beginning Luxury Floral Design Techniques. I have trained events staff for the State House in Zambia, and have taught some of Zambia’s reputable events companies.

I am also recognized by The Royal Livingstone as the “face of Livingstone” for the luxury events industry, as well as their properties throughout Africa. This course can also be offered at degree level.

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What was your big breakthrough in the special events/weddings industry?

I planned Karen Tran‘s “The Floral Experience Masterclass” in Zambia, Africa, back in 2018. As the host-planner and organizer, it was a monumental experience! I took all the expenses and brought in 125 media sources from around the world, which included 20 students.

I’m also working with the Zambian government to build the very first large-scale cold room in Zambia. This will help bring in free floral trade for SADC and Comesa event planners – meaning no importation fees! This is huge, because when you’re planning destination weddings and events in Africa, transporting or shipping in bulk flowers can be incredibly pricey. It can completely kill a couple’s floral budget.

I’ve actually been affected before by the lack of cold rooms for storage and flower farms in Zambia. For one event I planned, I actually had to hire a refrigerated truck to meet me at the airport. I needed them to store the florals I brought in from Holland and South Africa for a number of days during the design and event setup.

In addition, I’ve also been working with the Zambian government to start a creative hub for wedding industry professionals. My goal for this is to help teach and up-skill them, by bringing in both domestic and international educators. This hub will be a place to empower Zambian entrepreneurs and give them access to successful wedding industry professionals who can help them on their journey. A bill has been passed and the government has put this as their 2022 project, after general elections, to support the creative industry!

You’ve also written a book, which has since been published! Can you tell us a bit about that?

I’m the author of “The Chaos-Free Bride-to-Be: A Purse-Sized A Purse-Sized Wedding Planning Advice Book with Key Tips and Powerful Declarations for a Joyful Wedding“. While it hasn’t made a bestseller list, it is consistently selling well! I’m also working on a second book called, “Africa’s Best Kept Travel Secrets: Lavish Resorts and Hidden Hideaways to Get Married or Holiday in Luxury.”

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Approximately how many event planner jobs have you had over the course of your career?

I’ve planned, designed, and/or managed the logistics for 29 destination events! I’ve also planned and designed 20 special events in various host countries. Due to the large budgets (and often, the status) of many of my clients, over the years, I’ve started to take on less weddings. When I do take them, they’re at higher and higher price points. The wedding budgets for my clients range from $150,000 to 15 million dollars – depending on the size, scope, and status of the couple.

I take on anywhere from 4-6 weddings per year, in order to give them the best service. So, it’s become less about numbers in my business, and more about luxury, scope, and the ability to be very hands-on and personable with these higher-end clients. They often demand more, so I want to make sure I always deliver!

What sort of media/public figure recognition have you received over the years?

I was named the Best Wedding Planner UK 2018, as well as the Best International Wedding Specialist 2019 by Lux Magazine. In 2014, I was named by industry peers to the Top 100 Honor Roll for the Wedding Industry Honor Roll.

In 2019, Michelle Obama invited me as a VIP attendee to her “Becoming” book tour in Amsterdam. There, I got to speak and learn privately from her! Also in 2019, I was given a scholarship to attend Discovering Excellence. This was an intensive leadership and personal development course, hosted the UN with the help of MIPAD.

I’ve also been nominated as part of the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024) under 40, in addition to the Global 100 list.

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You also have quite the resume in terms of organizing celebrity events!  Can you tell us a bit more about that?

Back in 2018, I planned and designed the wedding for the daughter of the president of an African country. I flew in a team of 30 international vendors working with the local support. 18 heads of states attended this wedding from Africa!

I was the logistics planner for the Karen Tran 25 international design team. I’ve also worked with Interflora, back when when Akash Ambani (the son of the Ambani family) got engaged to Shloka Mehta. Being Asia’s richest family, the Ambani’s have a net-worth of upwards of $44 billion dollars! Needless to say, the guest list for their son’s engagement was huge. It included 1,200 guests! I was in India for 13 days.

I was also the design team’s logistics planner and the on-the-day coordination planner’s assistant for a very prominent royal wedding that took place at Palais Liechtenstein in Vienna. I put together 20 designers from around the world, as well as local vendors and suppliers. Due to a non-disclosure agreement, I can’t name the client. However, the wedding designs and pictures are on my blog.

In December of 2020, I have a wedding booked for the bride of celebrity parents. They’re coming all the way to Zambia for this wedding! Again, because a non-disclosure agreement was signed, I can’t reveal who the client is. Many of my higher-end clients have strict privacy expectations. But I can say that the wedding’s budget is $8 million!

You’re going to be providing your expertise for QC’s Event & Wedding Planning, Luxury Wedding & Event Planning, and Destination Wedding Planning courses! What do you hope to bring to QC and your students?

The luxury wedding and events industry is evolving quite rapidly! There’s greater interest in the luxury, high-end market.

In my experience, QC Event School is one of the few leading online schools that offers such thorough and intensive event and wedding planning courses. I would love to help further address the intricacies of the luxury wedding industry market, as well as address gaps that are typically not addressed in a standard events course.

When prospective planners encounter gaps in their training, it can leave them ill-equipped to address the needs of the luxury wedding industry in the real-world. They can be unaware of the tremendous opportunities for this niche! I can help ensure that students enter the working world being fully prepared!

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Don’t forget to follow Mwai on Instagram for truly incredible event and wedding planning content! ❤️️

Earn your certification and be ready to book event planner jobs in as little as 3-6 months! Enroll in QC’s internationally-leading online Event & Wedding Planning Course today!

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