Welcome to our “Day in the Life” series! We feature wedding and event planners from around the world with many different levels of experience. If you would like to be featured, download our questionnaire here and email your responses and photos to info@plannerslounge.com. We are excited to feature Aude Grosbois a wedding planner from Lyon, France.

Name: Aude Grosbois

Business Name & Location: Aude Grosbois, Lyon, France

Years Working in the Event Industry: A Lifetime!

Years Owning Your Event Planning Business: 1, I officially started my business on September 2021

Website: https://www.audegrosbois.comhttps://www.audegrosbois.com

Business Facebook Page: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083084393076

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agrosbois.wedding/

What is your typical day like?

Weekdays :

Unfortunately, I am not a 100% entrepreneur, I still have a paid job on the side. I work from 9 am to 6 pm. During break time, I usually answer my emails or social media messages. I am home by 7 pm. I take one hour to eat and I work on my wedding business from 8 pm to 10 pm. I finish the day by having fun, listening to music, reading a book… Everything to get my mind off work.

Weekends :

I enjoy my weekends working more on my business. I get up at 8am, take the time to wake up, take my breakfast. Following the tasks I have to do, I first work from 10am to 11:30am doing general tasks : writing newsletters, preparing future posts or podcast episodes.

I take a break until 2pm. The afternoon is mostly dedicated to meetings with my couples, their families or vendors. I also work on my future weddings and I finish what I couldn’t do in the morning.

On Sunday afternoons, I take some time to review and schedule the following week. I update my agenda so that people who want to schedule a meeting with me always have the accurate information.

How did you get started in the industry?

I have always been passionate about the world of weddings. I loved watching weddings on TV, in films, and in real life. It took me a while to realize it though because I was more of a tomboy when I was younger. I was afraid it would make me look too romantic.

My passion took another turn when I turned 16 and discovered wedding blogs. I could literally spend hours reading tips, and brides’ testimonials, identifying with them, and imagining how I would have reacted in their place.

It was at the same time that I discovered the wedding planner’s job. I’ve come back to it constantly over the years. But I always thought that it was not for me. That everything had already been done. That I wouldn’t have anything original to contribute. And above all, that I was too young to enter the world of entrepreneurship.

It only took the lockdown, where I found myself teleworking at my mother’s house, for this idea to take up more and more space in my head. At the time, I was still in the middle of my studies and my work-study programme. Even if I liked what I was doing, I clearly didn’t see myself doing this all my life. I said to myself “Try it ! If you like it, great. If you don’t, it’s okay, at least you’ll have tried it”.

That’s all it took for me to sign up for a distance learning course from a French school (the International Wedding Institute) to become a wedding planner, which I also liked because of its content and obviously its recognition in the wedding world. I was convinced that I was in the right place. And I was not mistaken.

What inspires you?

A lot of things! But I am mostly inspired by the world surrounding me. I love to take new ideas outside of the wedding industry, especially in the food world. I am the type of person that can walk to some store and have an idea pop up for a wedding only thanks to a random element.

My travels also are a huge source of inspiration. I like to know which traditions those countries follow, wedding related or not, and get to know the lifestyles. Finally, even though I was born in the summer, I tend to love the fall and winter seasons. So when I get to work on a project related to those seasons, I am totally on board and full of ideas to turn it into the greatest experience ever!

What are your favorite online resources for your business?

I follow a lot of French female entrepreneurs, especially wedding planners who dedicate their businesses to help other planners succeed (names such as Les Planneuses ou le Wedding Gang). It is so inspiring to read all those success stories and work with other planners to succeed.

I also love looking at international wedding blogs to get more advice and inspiration. My favorites are Martha Stewart and of course, Planner’s Lounge for all the handy advice I always find there

Aside from wedding and event planning, how do you spend your time?

I am a huge cinema fan, especially horror movies. I go to the cinema around 2-3 times a week. I also love reading and listening to music.

But my biggest hobby is traveling. I love discovering new places, new cultures and new languages. I try to visit new places in France or abroad a couple times per year.

I also love playing The Sims 4 in the evening.

Aude, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story and a day in your life. If you are a wedding or an event planner and would like to be featured, download our questionnaire today and email it to us along with a photo. If you aren’t sure about being featured, take a few minutes to read how it can help your business.