Wedding planner Lorraine Stoddard says parlaying her business degree and wedding planning certificate into a bricks and mortar business was “a no-brainer.”
Stoddard, who is relocating her Kamsack business, Lolo's Events and Fashion, to Carlyle in order to be closer to her husband's job, says “I love fashion. I love weddings. Growing up, I thought I'd follow my father into business. After getting my business degree, I earned my wedding planning certificate, and started my business in February of last year.”
Stoddard, a native of Zimbabwe, moved to Canada in 2006, to further her education, and says that one of the first weddings she put together was her own, to husband Kenneth O'Dell.
“We married in March 2013, just after I opened. I did it all and planned it all. The only thing I didn't do was the food at the reception; the Delta in Regina did that.”
“I wanted a winter wonderland wedding. I wanted faux-fur chair covers and I sourced them in China and had them shipped to Canada. I wanted a bouquet made of crystals, and I had to get those from England.”
“I am very picky and it had to be perfect,” adds Stoddard. “I understand that that's how any bride feels.”
Another Saskatchewan wedding Stoddard planned and put together, “was one of my favourites. It was huge and was originally set up for 250 people. A week before the wedding, we had to set up for 100 more guests. The couple had special- ordered burgundy satin chair covers well in advance and we had to improvise and use white chair covers with red sashes for the extra guests, because there wasn't enough time to get more of the burgundy covers. We set it up in two days and the couple invited us to the wedding and during the reception, even more guests came in. We made it work and the family was so happy.”
“It just looked perfect. It was a rush for us, but we never let it show. I really liked the challenge and thinking on my feet. It really keeps me on my toes.”
“That's really the whole point of what I do. I want you to enjoy your wedding. I want people to enjoy it from the engagement, right through to getting married. My job is to do those things you don't want to do. You shouldn't be looking back on the day and thinking about how stressed you were.”
Stoddard says whether you're buying a wedding dress from her, renting a tuxedo or considering what she calls, “full-on wedding planning,” it is helpful to sit down with “a general idea of what you're looking for and a budget.”
“It's a good idea to sit down and talk,” she says. “To get a general idea of the styles you want to try on and your price. There are great things in all price ranges, and there's nothing more disappointing than trying on a dress that isn't in your budget. Sometimes, I take a couple of extra dresses, just so see how something a bride may not of thought of might look. It's good to have an open mind, and often, that's the dress a bride will choose, just because that's the one that looks great on her.”
Some of the lines available through Lolo's are Alfred Angelo, Mikaella, Tara Keeley and Lazaio. “Mikaella is a very popular Canadian brand,” says Stoddard. “And Tara Keely and Lazaio are created by JLM Couture, a high-end U.S. brand. I've already received calls from a few brides in Saskatoon, because I'm carrying JLM Couture.”
In addition to all things wedding, Stoddard will carry prom, graduation and special occasion dresses, as well as providing formal wear rentals for men.
“Eventually, we want to landscape the farm so it can be a wedding venue or people can have their pictures taken there.”
“I want to help people to celebrate and truly enjoy the special days in their lives.”
For more information, call Lorraine at (306)-601-9148, email her at [email protected] or check out Lolo's Events & Fashion on Facebook.
