my stylish french girlfriends - Emilie

Thursday, November 17, 2011

my stylish french girlfriends - Emilie

How much fun must it be to arrange beautiful weddings in exceptional surroundings?! - definitely a job I'd be happy to get my head around ... and that is what Emilie does, read on and you'll know more ....

Although originally from Normandy, Emilie lives and works in Paris. She gained her know-how working for the LVMH group of luxury products, then a few years back decided to launch her own events and weddings company, L&M Event along with her friend Lucie.

Eager to discover more about her life as a bright young entrepreneur in Paris, I asked her a few questions while I followed her around Paris as she prepared an upcoming wedding:

Hi Emilie, thank you for letting us join you for the day. How easy is it to live and work in Paris? We have the image of such an elegant city, do you have to be super chic every day?

Thank you for featuring me! I adore living in Paris, it's a melting pot and you're right, there are a lot of very chic people around. I try to dress in a feminine fashionable style, what the French like to call 'sport chic'. I always dress carefully when I meet clients, but sometimes a pair of jeans with high heels and a smart jacket or top is more chic than a fancy dress. My weakness is shoes, I have a cupboard full, in every colour. I think that shoes really make an outfit.

What is a typical working day for you?

Ooh la! No two days are the same! I always start the day early, I run or exercise then have breakfast while going through my emails. After that it varies a lot. Sometimes I have days where I'm tied to the office, other days I'm meeting with clients, or checking in with my 'suppliers' the fleuriste, photographer, printer, caterers. I'm lucky to have such a varied job.

Where do you like to shop in Paris?

Professionally I am faithful to my favourite florists, Fleurs Fruits Feuillages. I love going to Ladurée for wedding favours, and often use their adorable restaurant for meetings with clients. For my own personal shopping, I far prefer to use small shops than large stores. That's the beauty of Paris, that you can still find the small outlets be it for food, for shoes or even for a hat!

I notice that you like to jump on a 'velib' to get around Paris, in high heels, is that usual here?

You'd be amazed how many women you see cycling around Paris in beautiful outfits, I love using these velib bikes, it makes it so easy to get around town, but only when it's not raining!

Your role of wedding planner at LM Event is fairly new in France, do you think it's a very feminine job?

Yes I think you need a woman's touch when it comes to listening to a client and understanding what they want, deciding on the decor, the flowers. But when it comes to the big day I feel like I'm running a marathon, it can be quite physically demanding - I love it!

I'm sure that in France, food plays a big part of a successful wedding. What do you think is fashionable at the moment? And what brings a French touch to a wedding?

I love to cook, and I love to eat well! I help my clients decide on a menu and find the right caterer for their needs. At the moment people prefer to spend longer with cocktails or champagne and 'amuse bouches', finger food, before sitting down to eat. It allows for mingling, and it means that the guests don't need to be sitting down for so long.

I think that the Frenchness we can bring to a wedding is simple elegance.

I know that you have already planned weddings for American clients, how easy is that at such a huge distance?

It actually works very well. My American clients are used to the idea of a wedding planner, and although they are very demanding, they also are happy to trust and let go. We communicate by email and skype, and they generally arrive shortly before the day of the ceremony. Part of my family lives in America, so I'm very familiar with their culture and the level of service they expect.

Most of all, I love my job and I think when you enjoy what you do, that energy is communicated!