Put your hands together for Wedding Concepts as they celebrate an incredible win at the DWP ACE Awards! Dedicated to the art of distinctive celebrations, Wedding Concepts is South Africa’s premier Wedding Planners. Having co-ordinated and managed over 400 unforgettable weddings, their internationally experienced team and network of the finest service providers, can help you achieve everything you’ve ever dreamed of and more! We had a quick chat with Christina Holt, the Founder and Managing Director of Wedding Concepts who spoke about the company’s legacy of planning uniquely tailored, stylish celebrations with a strong focus on each individual client and their requirements.
How does it feel to win this prestigious award?
It is such a fantastic recognition for the last 15 years of our work in Southern Africa and in many ways, a huge reward for our continued contribution to shaping the luxury weddings industry on the African continent. I am incredibly proud and humbled to have won the award, amongst so many worthy nominations. It also serves as a great recognition for our team, our industry partners and South Africa as a world class destination.
How was your experience at the luxurious Destination Wedding Planners Congress 2019 that took place in Dubai?
DWP is just a fabulous platform to connect with our global friends from around the world and for shared learning – the best of its’ kind! There is no other conference like it and we walked away feeling inspired and seeing new business and partnership opportunities for us locally as well as globally. I also felt immersed in the energy of sheer “forward thinking” and “seeking of frontiers” that Dubai itself represents. I’ll definitely be back next year!
What motivates you to be so active within this dynamic wedding world?
It’s really quite simple: I am a people-person and business woman at heart and I couldn’t think of any better expression than working in our industry, connecting with clients (quite literally from all across the globe) and creating their bespoke celebrations. I am also very passionate about South Africa and delivering service excellence in this incredibly exciting, beautiful and emerging destination.
Tell us about your overall journey and how you have achieved this milestone?
I came to South Africa and founded Wedding Concepts, 15 years ago when the destination wedding industry was only just starting to be recognized and South Africa was beginning to boom as a world-class destination. With my background in events and hospitality, our focus has always been on a very personable and authentic approach, 5* service and working together as a close-nit team with a mix of strengths and talents. I believe that synchronicity also played a role – a few amazing clients who trusted us early on and opened some doors. But of course, we still make mistakes and have bad days like everyone else, we learn all the time, stay humble and are lucky to travel and network globally (which I love). It’s really a journey that we just enjoy!
According to you, what are some of the best weddings you have planned till date and how have they shaped your incredible career pathway?
The best weddings are those where I feel a very strong connection to my clients and we are trusted and appreciated for our professionalism from day one. Some stand out for location, others for intimacy, highly personal customization or sheer glamour. One of the most profound experiences however is a fabulous wedding we planned only 10 months ago, resulting in such a strong relationship with our clients, that they are now investing in our company and we will soon become business partners. This is truly the biggest compliment one can get and will shape the future of our business. The path ahead is a very exciting one.
Please provide a word of inspiration for the new, upcoming set of individuals who strive to follow in your footsteps and make it big in the wedding industry?
Staying authentic, true to oneself and totally transparent with your clients is the only way. Focus on your values and strengths and don’t try to be what you are not just because someone else is doing it (which is easier said than done sometimes). Stay open to collaborating with other planners, instead of seeing them just as competition. Sharing the spotlight and success tends to grow a brand, we all need to do more of that.
All Photographs Courtesy: Hewitt Wright, Tyme Photography, Yolande Marx, Ed Peers and Vivid Blue
