Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Newton.
Allison, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in a pretty creative environment in Western Massachusetts. I spent my evenings at the dance studio and weekends sewing with my grandmother. I always loved fashion and dressed up in heels and blazers throughout high school. Naturally, I went to college for Fashion Merchandising and Retail Marketing at Johnson & Wales University. I studied abroad in Milan, Italy, and was always drawn to working with colors, fabrics, and textures.
After college, I got my footing in events as an event coordinator at a seasonal country club. I really loved seeing how each couple that came in, envisioned the space a little differently. Shortly after, I moved to Boston and worked at a specialty linen company, Table Toppers of Newton that later joined forces and rebranded as PEAK Event Services as it’s known now.
While I was there, I worked with the President’s Offices of many of the Universities creating some of the most special events of their calendar year, along with other weddings and large-scale events. Again, I loved working with the idea of transforming spaces and trying new color or texture combinations. I loved sourcing new fabrics and creating custom one-of-a-kind tablescapes.
After my husband and I were married, we decided to move South to be a little closer to his family; and Savannah was where we landed. I bounced from Director of Catering at Savannah Quarters Country Club to then opening the Perry Lane Hotel to designing weddings at Montage Palmetto Bluff. All of these positions and jobs opened me up to new layers in rounding out my event planning expertise.
As 2021 was coming to a close, I knew it was time to venture out on my own and I haven’t looked back. Allison Event Design is a combination of all of the experiences and adventures I’ve had over the last 10 years. As a full-service wedding planning and event design company, we love bringing the elements of our client’s unique love story to life.
We work with our clients to honor traditions that are important while bringing a modern touch that they crave. We aim to deliver a design process that is incredibly comprehensive, cohesive, and feels effortless, comfortable, original, and truly elevated from start to finish.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
With every position and job, there were obstacles that one would face anywhere, but ultimately I look at all of those experiences as lessons to take with me.
The wedding and events industry will keep you humble very quickly. It will remind you when you’ve forgotten to order something and you are scrambling to every site or store in the world for that one thing you need. It will make you the perfect diplomat when it comes to other people’s family disputes or when something has been overpromised.
I think the most important challenge or lesson I’ve learned came from when at one point, I was working SO much. I would check my email and respond as soon as I got up, I would check as I was getting ready for the day, I would be in the office for 10+ hours a day and check emails before I went to bed. I wasn’t eating and barely sleeping, I was in a constant state of anxiety, but I was good at my job and people relied on me.
From this experience, I have learned to set boundaries for when I’m working and when I am ‘offline’ enjoying family and friends. I am able to completely disconnect and will turn emails off if I catch myself checking. I schedule days off and stick to them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Allison Event Design is a full-service wedding and event design company. We offer several levels of services based on our client’s needs including full-service, partial, and event design only. We work with our clients to see how much help they need throughout the wedding or event planning process and customize our approach.
Our mission is to curate beauty in the world through events that reflect the love of our clients, their families, and our team. To be mindful in our approach, by finding balance in honoring tradition while creating new. To pull inspiration from nature that surrounds us while sustainably producing luxurious weddings and events.
As I’ve mentioned, I truly love transforming spaces. I love taking my client’s vision, love story, etc., and translating that into a guest experience for all of their family and friends. I believe in top quality and excellent service that translates to a seamless experience for our clients. I’m most proud when my clients are truly happy and are able to fully enjoy the event day experience; they aren’t worried about the timeline or anything else happening.
When they are able to fully embrace the day, and all of its moments big and small, it’s the best feeling for me. I like the big moment, but I find something truly magical and special in all of the little moments of a wedding or event day. and if I can be a part of that for someone or can bring those special details to life, it makes my soul happy.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Gosh – I’ve had so many cheerleaders over the years. From teachers that inspired me to a family that supported me along the way and friends that check in to give support and love. My husband even if he has no idea what I’m talking about will give a head nod and a supportive “you got this” or will be with me on breakdowns just to lend a hand even if he’s worked all day himself.
But my mother deserves so much credit – she was a single mother that raised three wild-child girls and somehow found time to shuttle us wherever we needed to go. She would sew dance costumes to help pay for our classes, she showed me what a true work ethic looks like.
Whenever I’ve been frustrated at jobs and venting, her response was always, “maybe this is time to go out on your own.” When I decided I was officially going to make the move and launch Allison Event Design, I was so nervous to say it out loud. Her response was almost like, ‘it’s about time.’
She’s always had this proud mama confidence in me, even if I didn’t see it and that has always been a guiding light for me.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.allisoneventdesign.com
- Instagram: @designedbyallison
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllisonEventDesign/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/allisoneventdesign/
Image Credits
Kelli Boyd Photography, The Happy Bloom, Jennings King Photography, and Clay Austin Photography
