I have always liked standing out by doing things differently. Passionate about fashion and design, I pay great attention to aesthetics and keep up with trends. In terms of style, I would say I enjoy mixing modern and minimalist influences with ethnic inspirations in order to create unique things.
My background
After graduating with a master’s degree in international business, I started my career in Paris at Giorgio Armani as a Press Relations Officer, where I had the opportunity to organize fashion shows during Fashion Week. I later moved to New York, where I had the chance to manage the showroom of a luxury kitchen brand, Snaidero. When I returned to France, I was searching a bit because I did not feel fulfilled and wanted to do something for people. I therefore joined a recruitment firm as a consultant, but after six months I did not feel in the right place.
My desire to become a Wedding Designer
Before beginning business school in 2009, I had planned to become a wedding planner.
This profession, which came from the United States, appealed to me deeply. Since I had not grown up with an image of my parents as a united couple, I wanted to help couples make their dreams come true and celebrate their love.
It was only in 2018, after my job at Hays, that I had the real turning point. That idea buried inside me came back.
That said, in the planner profession something was missing for me: creativity. And that is when I discovered the profession of wedding designer, and everything clicked. Since that day and the training, I know that I have finally found my path.
The difficulties
Of course, starting your own business comes with risks, but I was so sure that I no longer wanted to return to my previous life that I gave myself to it one thousand percent. Being well surrounded and feeling supported helps a lot with the process. I am lucky to have people who believe in me and support me every day. That helps especially at the beginning when there are no immediate results. You learn to stay patient, persevere and keep believing.
My agency
SABI Wedding Designer & Stylist offers wedding decoration services, proposal design, and bespoke, unique experiences. It also offers decoration and styling advice to help brides choose their wedding dress well. Drawing on my experience in fashion, I offer this service to help future brides who are often lost when it comes to identifying the dress style that will suit them best.
I work in collaboration with my best friend, who is a photographer, and I also offer his services so that I can provide a complete package.
My first year in business
At the moment I am still in the early stages of my activity, so I am fully focused on promotion. I have already organized one inspiration shoot and a second is on the way. I do not yet have clients, but I hope to soon. I also had the chance to prepare floral arrangements for two weddings in July with Cécile from Capucine Atelier Floral.
My advice
Give it everything and never give up. At the beginning, you will have to spend money, whether for creating your website or for inspiration shoots, but it is worth it. For the website, there is no need to spend huge amounts: the WIX platform is great and anyone can create their own website. It saves money and you do not need to be a computer genius. The same goes for the logo — Canva is your best friend.
Everyday life
The biggest day-to-day difficulty is waiting. Once the website, Instagram page, Facebook page and Pinterest account are created, you feel happy. But after that, there is a kind of emptiness, and sometimes you wonder whether people actually see what you have created. You feel like you are doing it for nothing and tend to want quick results. But you have to put it in perspective and give yourself time to become known. Having good content is not enough. You have to maintain constant activity and be active all the time on social media.
What my training at IWI brought me
On a human level, the training first helped me believe in myself by meeting professionals who motivated me and by creating bonds with other students who shared the same project. On a practical level, I discovered the profession of wedding designer, which had previously been unfamiliar to me. I learned how to set a table, how to arrange a reception room, and especially how to create a sketch. I also learned many technical terms.