A sheepish grin works its way across her face as she ponders the question. “Well, I love weddings. There really isn’t any better way to put it – I love weddings! I can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing.”
For Jessica Gillon, coordinator and owner of Events By Design, there was no better decision than to start coordinating weddings for a living. “I was that twelve year old girl looking through bridal magazines every chance I got.” Growing up, she spent much of her time on the ice, competing across the country as a junior ice skater. Her mother Robin would coordinate all the regional team events every year, often times bringing together thousands of people for a multi day competition. After Jessica’s wedding seven years ago, she began to realize how she could turn a dream into reality.
“My mother had spent years coordinating for my ice skating competitions, and I had just come off planning my wedding. I went to her with the idea of coordinating together, playing off each other’s strengths. Events By Design was born!”
Tall, blond, and with a joyous smile glued to her face, no one seems better suited for the wedding industry. Young and vibrant, it’s easy to see why so many brides trust her with the most intimate details of their day. “The design has always been my favorite part about coordinating – hands down. From the tables and decorations all the way down to the choice of linens – it all plays into the overall layout.” Jessica has a firm belief that if you keep the wedding entertaining for the guests, the bride and groom will enjoy their day that much more. “The event has to be entertaining for everyone, down to the very last guest.” She looks up for a second, pausing to flash her big smile. “At the same time, though, it’s all about the bride and groom. All about the bride and groom.”
Since its inception, Events By Design has grown to be a full service organization. A year after starting their coordinating services, Jessica and Robin added disc jockey services to their repertoire. Nowadays, Jessica and Robin share ownership with John and William and offer coordination, design, disc jockey, and special event lighting. With five coordinators on staff, someone is always equipped to help, be it from day-of coordination to comprehensive planning and design. Along with such a large team comes the constant focus on maintaining the personal touch that every bride needs. “The benefits of having several coordinators on staff comes in the planning and design. With every bride, we sit down with several of the coordinators and have a creative design session where we brainstorm for their wedding. The results are amazing – its like having a design team planning for your wedding.”
Jessica glances at her watch and realizes she’s got to run off to a design session. “Did I tell you about how that’s my favorite part of this job?” she quips as she grabs her bag.
Events by Design
Jessica Gillon
[email protected]
760.644.0589
“Events by Design is a fresh and innovative team who applies cutting edge style along with years of experience to bring each event its own life and personality. As artisans and professionals, we pour our passion and creativity into every event.”
“Jessica and the Events by Design crew are the team who can not only build an event just as the couple dreamt it, but finish the whole thing off with a flair of creativity, expression and professionalism unlike anyone else.” Bronson Pate, Bauman Photographers
article written by Jared Bauman
photo by Jennetta Lea Penner
