Luxury event Designer & Planner Kisha Barner of K. Barner Events discusses business practices, inspiration, and more in their in-depth interview with MunaLuchi. With ten years in the wedding industry and many more in planning & design, K. Barner Events is known for making their clients’ event dreams come true. Lavish, stunning, elegant, timeless, and unique are just a few descriptors from the K. Barner Events style library.
Driven to always “create something amazing,” don’t miss a word of this insightful and inspirational in-depth interview with K. Barner Events.
Name: Kisha A. Barner
Business Name: K. Barner Events
Founded: 2007
Describe your business. K. Barner Events is a luxury event design and planning company based in the tri-state area, catering to events worldwide. Our focus is creating stunning weddings and events that are personalized for each and every client, while providing a seamless and fun planning experience.
What did you do before starting your business in the wedding industry? I worked for a Fortune 100 company as a Floral Regional Coordinator. I also dealt with a bit of corporate planning, as well as planned events for family and friends. Starting my business was truly a leap of faith!
How long have you been in the wedding industry? 2017 marked our 10 year anniversary! I’m so grateful and excited to be able to celebrate such a huge milestone.
How would you describe your style? Lavish, but not overdone. Stunning, but not typical. Elegant, but not boring. Timeless and unique. Detailed, but not busy. Custom and always classy. This is the best way to describe our “style.” We can’t really say “big and lush centerpieces is our style,” because although we LOVE flowers, all of our couples do not. We have to adapt to the vision of each and every client to create something that is uniquely theirs, yet also reflective of K. Barner Events. All of our ideas for the vision of each wedding comes from getting to know our clients – the things they like, the things they don’t like, conversations we have, the overall vibe they want for their day, and also budget. We draw from each of these things to create #KBEdesigns that are perfect for each client and doesn’t go against the grain of our brand.
What motivates you? My couples and my family. For my couples, I’m driven to create something amazing that will create happiness for our #KBEcouples. We always look forward to the room reveal because the feeling we get from their reaction is simply priceless. We help to make their wedding day dreams come true, and there is no better reward then when we see firsthand that we did just that. My family motivates me because I want to be great for them. I want to be a great example of where following your heart and your passion can take you. I want them to be proud of me.
Why should brides/grooms choose you? Our belief is, “Your Happiness. Our Purpose.” We truly want you to be happy, ecstatic actually. We want you to enjoy the process of planning your day. We want you to be blown away by the beauty created for your day. We want you to be relieved that your day was so seamless. We want to truly exceed your expectations. We want you to be happy and we do everything in our power to make that happen.
How does your company define and measure success? The only way we measure success is by two simple, yet meaningful words we get at the end of the night from the couple, parents and guests, “Thank you.” As long as the couple is happy, had a stress free day, received the vision they wanted, and are satisfied with the job we have done, nothing else matters. Hearing “thank you, we couldn’t have done this without you,” or “thank you, thank you, thank you for the AMAZING job,” at the end of the event from the couple is the greatest feeling. It lets you know that all your hard work has paid off.
What do you enjoy most about your work? First are the amazing couples we have worked with throughout the years. I’m big on having fun and enjoying the process so I do my best to make sure the couples we work with are fun, down-to-earth people. Thankfully, we have been blessed to form wonderful relationships, and even friendships with some really amazing people. Second would be design, design and more design! Just being able to let my creative juices flow and challenge myself to come up with something different every time. This makes design very fun for me. Of course there are times where the creative juices just aren’t flowing, but this is when having an amazing team who is also very creative comes in handy!
Describe a proud moment while working in the wedding industry. I think my proudest moment is just being where I am today in my career, and in this business. When I started in the industry, I assumed it would be pretty easy to work with our ideal clients, to have my calendar filled year after year, and to create and execute flawless events over and over again. While there have been ups and downs, as with any business, I can honestly say that all of the trials, the struggles, and the successes have been worth it. In addition, my team and I have grown year after year –what a dream! Where I am today is beyond what I ever prayed for.
What’s the best compliment you’ve received for your work? With tear filled eyes, a mother of the bride held me and told me that I made their daughter’s life long dream of her wedding day come true. I exceeded everything she had ever imagined and made her happy beyond words. She said as a mother, it fills her heart because all you ever want is for your kids to be happy and to have the desires of their hearts (so true!). She said we did that for her daughter and for her family and she is forever grateful to me for that. She said I have a talent that is from God and I’m a gift to every person that works with me. It was a beautiful moment, and was a true reminder that I’m walking my purpose.
What are your business goals? There are a few! First, I would love to work with more celebrity clients. Believe me, I definitely have a few favorites in mind! I would also like to design and plan more destination weddings, and expand my portfolio of locations and venues. On a more personal level, I want to be mentioned in the same sentence as other top Designers and Planners. They always say “you are the company you keep,” and being noted amongst other inspirational, industry veterans would be an honor. Overall, I just want to continue to grow, develop and positively impact the special moments in people’s lives.
What’s your favorite part of the wedding industry? My favorite part is the fact that we’re a part of one of the most important moments in the lives of countless people. How many of you have looked at the wedding photos of your parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and so on? There’s a story there. There are people who helped make that happen, whether in a big way or a small way. Those people are a part of that story. This is such an honor! When couples look back at their photos, their video, their gown, we are forever a part of that beautiful memory.
What’s your least favorite part of the wedding industry? Pinterest – KIDDING! These days, there is a lot of inspiration out there for couples to look at. While this is great for inspiration and creativity, it also can create some unrealistic goals and visions, based on a variety of factors. You never want to see disappointment in your client’s eyes when planning their special day, so I do my best to work with them to try and create their vision, just with their own spin on it and make it work for them.
Describe your vision of the “perfect” wedding. I could describe a color palette, flower style and much more, but that’s so subjective. For me, a “perfect” wedding has the couple at the center of it all. So, here it goes…two people who are completely in love with each other and focused on making the day about being a reflection of their love. They see the value in making their wedding aesthetically beautiful and unique. They want to create a wonderful experience for their guests. They want to enjoy their wedding. When it’s all said and done, they’re thrilled because they had a great time planning their wedding, their day was more than they imagine, and they’re happy. They’re happy. That is all. Happiness.
Where do you find the most inspiration? I can honestly find inspiration in almost anything. A little while ago, my hubby bought dragonfruit. I took a photo of the inside because I saw it as inspiration of color and a vibe for a wedding. A piece of fruit, a whole vision of the design, just from that. Any takers LOL?! I find inspiration in the other talented Designers and Planners in this industry. It pushes me to strive higher. Of course, our couples’ vision for their day and their love story also gives us a ton of inspiration. We understand the importance of a wedding day and we value that. Taking whatever details they provide, details from their likes/dislikes, hobbies, and more to create a personalized design that is “so them.”
Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know? I always recommend figuring out what your budget is before you start booking anything. We’ve had so many couples come to us after spending 60% or more of their budget on the venue alone and they’re looking to stay in budget and still have us create a top design.
Find vendors that you feel good about, are confident in and can trust. You hired them for a reason, so you do not have to worry about that aspect of the wedding. Let them do their thing, and you focus on being in the moment on your special day!
Don’t sweat the small stuff! Keep in mind, there’s no such thing as perfect. Close to it, yes, but not perfect. You can’t get upset over every little thing that may not go your way. You’ll be miserable in the process. Save your energy for the big stuff that matters the most.
Remember, the wedding is important, but the MARRIAGE is most important. We all get caught up in the beauty of it all, and you some times lose sight that this day is about marrying the love of your life! So, if you can’t get foil printing because it’s not in your budget, it’s okay! All of your guests don’t know you were thinking of that anyway. You’re going to marry him or her, regardless of what kind of print method you’re using. Stay focused on that love, and you’ll be good!
Finally, do not be afraid to pursue your passion. You never know where it will lead you! I did just that and it was one of the best (and scariest) decisions I’ve ever made!
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