Meet Samantha Kin, Owner of To Be Loved Events, an awarded Los Angeles Wedding Planner who’s inspired by immersive event design, everlasting love, and a great rom-com. At To Be Loved Events, they believe everyone deserves to be loved—and that their clients' love deserves to be celebrated. They’re endlessly inclusive, incredibly supportive, and committed to ensuring their clients feel understood, cared for, and celebrated throughout the entire planning process and beyond. Keep reading to learn more about how Samantha got started in the wedding and special events industry and her top tips for event planning!
What inspired you to enter the wedding industry?
Ever since I can remember, I've always cherished bringing loved ones together, planning beautiful celebrations, and being extremely organized. I always knew wedding planning was my calling because it was the perfect combination between my love for planning beautiful parties and my love of love.
What inspired you to start To Be Loved Events?
To Be Loved Events began in a college course where I was tasked with creating something I wanted to pursue in my life. What many saw as simply a school assignment, I saw as an opportunity to launch the career I always dreamt of having as a wedding planner—and I haven't looked back since! Planning and managing weddings is something I don't take lightly. Having the honor of being there on my couples’ most important and memorable days is such a gift, and I wouldn't trade my job for any other.
If you could change one thing about the weddings and special events industry, what would it be?
I think the wedding industry can be very misunderstood. There's a lot of misinformation online about weddings, what they cost, and what wedding vendors do, and I wish there was an easier way to correct the misinformation and educate nearly-weds.
How does using Aisle Planner help you deliver the client experience you want to?
Aisle Planner has been the most incredible tool to deliver an exceptional client experience. From the very first interactions like the Proposals, Contracts, and onboarding process, to each tool like the Design Studio, Timeline, Budgeting, and more. Every step of the way, Aisle Planner makes for a seamless and streamlined process that's unlike any other.
What's your favorite Aisle Planner feature?
My all-time favorite Aisle Planner feature is the all-encompassing Checklist! For so many reasons, the Checklist is at the core of my planning process and ensures no tasks are forgotten and everything is on track. Organized by category and by timeframe, the Checklist is a must-have and it never disappoints! On my backend process, the Timeline feature is also amazing for organizing the wedding day activities and making sure all the details are in one place.
What would you tell someone who's thinking about becoming a wedding and event planner?
If you’re thinking about becoming a wedding planner, I have two pieces of advice! First, make sure your passion for it is stemming from love and from your couples. If you have the passion for it, the stress that may come with the job is all worth it! Second, in order to make it as a planner, make sure to grow your relationships with other professionals in the industry. Fellow planners and vendors are the best resources to learn and gain experience from.
What do you think will change about the weddings and special events space over the next five years?
With 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, and all the implications it's had on the wedding industry, I truly am unsure about how our events industry will change. I've been saddened by the catastrophe that 2020 was and I do think smaller, more intimate weddings and events are the future of the industry. I'm hopeful, but I do think COVID has changed weddings for the long-term.
What’s your personal philosophy on becoming a great wedding and event planner?
My philosophy on becoming a great wedding planner has always been about organization and being a good listener. It's so important to hear and listen to clients' wants, needs, and expectations when planning their big day. With their plans outlined and their vision becoming a reality, an expert planner who can keep all the details organized and execute them without hesitations is so important.
What lights your creative fire?
Honestly, what lights my creative fire is my couples and their love stories. Each love story is unique and has its own details and special moments, and these are what align to create a beautiful wedding that shares the love story with everyone present.
Is there anything you're particularly excited about working on this year?
This year I'm most excited for an intimate wedding I'm planning for July with the sweetest and most fun couple. They're expecting about 40 guests, pending restrictions, and they have the most unique and personal details. I can’t wait to see it all come together!
Just for fun
What’s the most used tool in your emergency kit?
Scissors, safety pins, and boutonnière pins. They're always needed in one way or another and I keep them on my person for quick use when needed!
I’m dying to design a wedding or event at…
I’m dying to design a wedding at the beautiful Pelican Hill Resort. This venue has been on my dream venue list for a while because of its stunning location and epic outdoor ceremony space.
Your favorite shoes to wear on event day?
Every great wedding planner really needs to have a few pairs of shoes for a successful wedding day. For me, this looks like a set-up shoe that I can run around in, lift heavy items, etc. These are normally my Nike exercise footwear. Then, prior to guest arrival on a wedding day, I'll normally change into my main wedding day black flats (Rothy’s). These usually can last me through reception dinner and formalities without any problems! Then, normally through cake cutting, the end of the event, and strike, I'll return to my comfortable Nike tennis shoes to get my bounce back in my step!
During your time as a wedding and event professional, what’s the biggest mistake you made and how did you recover from it?
One of my biggest mistakes I've made as a wedding planner was when I booked a wedding for "day-of" coordination in my early planning days. This bride truly believed she could handle all logistics and duties all up until the day of the wedding. This left me at a huge disadvantage to serve her on her day because I wasn't fully briefed ahead of time. There ended up being several logistical errors when it came to having enough place on the tables for her décor, catering timing and organization, and other vendor expectations not aligning. I definitely reflected on this wedding quite a bit and now my very minimum package must have more detailed planning beforehand so I can catch those mistakes before they happen on the wedding day.
If a client gave you an infinite budget, what would you do differently?
With an infinite wedding budget I think the biggest shift would be in the realm of design. With more money in the budget this leaves room for more personalized touches, a more unique and intentional wedding design customized to them, and more of the details that they maybe wouldn't have included.
Want to see more from Samantha? Check out her website tobelovedevents.com!
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