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 photo to info@plannerslounge.com. We are excited to feature Toronto wedding planner Wendy Lee today!

Name: Wendy Lee

Business Name & Location: Asian Fusion Weddings in Toronto, Canada

Years Working in the Event Industry: 10+ years

Years Owning Your Event Planning Business: 10+ years

Website & Blog Address: www.AsianFusionWeddings.com and www.AsianFusionWeddings.com/blog

Facebook Business Page: Asian Fusion Weddings

What is your typical day like?

I’m a mother of three including an 11 month old, 4 year old and 8 year old. My day usually starts at 6:30am before the kids wake up. The first thing I do is check and reply to emails. After that, the morning routine of getting the 2 older kids ready for school occurs. Our youngest is still at home.

It’s quite handy having my husband at home when he’s not on contracts because he often takes the load off when it comes to child care and household chores. Work revolves around my family’s needs, so strategically scheduling client meetings is key to being successful in balancing home and work life. When my husband isn’t available, then I’m fortunate enough to have parents who live close by who can give us some support with the kids.

I like working from home but it also means that I’ve got to be extremely focused and disciplined. I spend a lot of time working after the kids are in bed too. Since I have clients who live overseas, my work hours are never standard because the time zone difference is 12 hours. I’d say that the majority of my clients love have pre-scheduled meetings because it works for their busy schedules and it makes it easier for me to find child care in advance.

For me to be a successful working mother; means having a very supportive spouse and a network of babysitters to call upon when my husband gets pulled into helping on busy wedding days.

How did you get started in the industry?

I started reading bridal magazines in high school. From there, my desire to live and breathe weddings has only grown. I have certificates through Flowers Canada, Canadian Institute of Floral Design and Wedding Planning Institute of Canada. I have taken several courses on garment design, garment construction and alterations so I have been able to make wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses. With the floral courses, I’ve design and built my client’s florals and decor items for their weddings. I’ve also done some stationery design for clients as well. There has always been a learning curve to each element of weddings and the learning never seems to end which makes things interesting and challenging.

Where do you find design inspiration?

Grace Ormonde and WedLuxe inspire my clients and therefore inspire me. Preston Bailey and Karen Tran are also sources of inspiration. Often times the client’s venue can be a source of inspiration as well.

Couples come to me specifically looking to merge East and West traditions, cultures and styles. They also need guidance on how to merge what is his and hers to become theirs. Therefore their cultural backgrounds and the level that is incorporated into the celebrations inspire me as well.

What are your favorite online resources for your business?

Obviously, the Planner’s Lounge is a useful resource. Alan Berg, Wedding MBA, Community of Wedding Innovators and my own mentorship group are fabulous business resources.

Wendy, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story and a day in your life. If you are 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.