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Studio Tour: Downey Street Events

October 2, 2015
Studio Tour: Downy Street Event

The gals from Downey Street Events have the loveliest, freshest Bay Area studio space that Shannen Natasha Weddings of The Wedding Artists Collective recently documented to share on 100LC. In their business, they’re inspired by interior design, architecture, fashion, fine art, luxury dining and travel, which you can tell influences their HQ. With all that inspiration surrounding them, it’s no wonder they never feel at a loss for good ideas to offer to clients. Just shows that when you truly look forward to each day with your business, you’ll take the time to translate that to the space where all the magic happens!

Studio Tour: Downy Street Event Studio Tour: Downy Street Event

Co-founders Emily + Lauren shared a bit about their business that we think you’ll find so inspiring…

Table numbers

What was the best decision you made for your business + how do you define success?

Not being afraid of growth. The best decision that we made for our business was investing the time, energy, and resources into opening a really lovely studio that fits our needs and the needs of our clients. Having a home for our company is wonderful, and adding Cassandra and Camden to our full-time team has been invaluable. To us, success is the respect of other vendors in the industry and the high praise of our former clients. Making more money then we did as first year attorneys doesn’t hurt either.

Studio Tour: Downy Street Event Bar cart

What advice would you give to anyone starting an event planning business?  

Take the time in the beginning to really think through your brand, your strengths, what you can offer that is different from everyone else, and how you are going to offer it. Once you get going you become busy with the day to day work of planning events, and your brand and reputation will be sealed early on. Also, have a community to support you in your endeavors! We couldn’t do this job without our amazing families, wonderful vendors, and each other.

Studio Tour: Downy Street Event Studio Tour: Downy Street Event Studio Tour: Downy Street Event

Pretty decor!

Favorite wedding trend of the moment? Wedding trend you’d love to see disappear forever?

We love that our clients are providing guests with customized welcome baskets in lieu of favors. They are so much fun to design and make guests feel truly taken care of. For us, while it was fun to be doing lots of non-cake dessert bars and pie bars the past few years, we are really happy to see the return of the wedding cake. We love, LOVE, wedding cake. So not having one would be a trend we are happy to say goodbye to!

Studio Tour: Downy Street Event Guest favors

Is there an artist/designer/generally creative person in a totally different field who inspires you?

We are inspired by the entreprenerial energy in San Francisco. There are so many people around us who get creative, follow their dreams, start their own businesses, and create truly amazing things. We love the hustle and bustle of our physical environment–it pushes us every day.

Studio Tour: Downy Street Event Studio Tour: Downy Street Event

What has been your favorite wedding moment?  

Saying goodbye to a bride and groom (and their families) after an epic four day event, and all of us were crying. We get attached to our clients and to see their wedding day unfold perfectly and have them express their gratitude to us is truly the best part of this job.

Studio Tour: Downy Street Event Wedding decor

What’s on the horizon for your business?  

Because each lead planner at Downey Street Events does a maximum of 12 events per year, we currently turn down over 50% of the inquiries we receive. We would love to continue to grow our team so that we can meet the needs of potential clients. We are also hoping to open a Napa studio soon, as roughly half of our business is located in wine country.

Place setting Wedding florals Studio Tour: Downy Street Event

If you weren’t an event planner, what would you be?  

Though we each plan our own set of events, Lauren and I are a package deal as business owners. But we have toyed with the idea of doing more consulting, or working together in real estate. That said, we jump out of bed every day to do this job! It is truly our first choice. No matter what the future holds, we know we would be doing something entrepreneurial.  

See more in the gallery below…

  • Tabletop decor
  • Elegant wedding invitation
  • Wedding florals
  • Bar cart
  • Studio Tour: Downy Street Event
  • View More

Big thanks to Downey Street Events + Shannen for teaming up for this tour!

For another inspiring studio, click here.

Photographer: Shannen Natasha Weddings of The Wedding Artists Collective / Studio: Downey Street Events