We’re back with another Team Q&As! This time, we’re thrilled to share a little more about Dallas Roy. Dallas has such a love for weddings, and it comes through in everything she does for our couples. It’s part of why I love collaborating with her. Plus, she’s one of the most organized and efficient people I know — and in this industry, that’s saying something!
Tell us a little bit about yourself
There are lots of things that make up who I am. I am a wife to my loving husband, Clayton, and a mom to my sweet baby girl, Emma. I am also a cat mom to Penny, who is known for often joining in on my calls with couples. I am an adventurer — I love spending time outside and explore nature. I love the West Coast.
I have a background in high-end corporate events, catering, and venue management. I love bringing complex and unique designs to life, and one of my corporate events won both local and national awards for planning and design.
What made you choose wedding planning as a career?
I actually feel like I didn’t choose weddings, they chose me. I first started working in weddings while I was at school for event management—and it was something that felt so natural to me. During that time, I was working with another Vancouver planning company and also helped manage weddings at a golf course. Now, after some time in the corporate world, I’m back in it full time and I couldn’t be happier.
What do you love about wedding planning?
I love tailoring wedding days to my couples and finding ways to incorporate the things that make them unique. The weddings that excite me the most are the ones that break away from tradition, where couples make their own rules and bring more of themselves to the planning. For instance, if a couple doesn’t want cake as a dessert, then we might replace it with their favourite movie-night snack to bring in more of their personality. To me, weddings shouldn’t be cookie-cutter events. I love encouraging my clients to think outside the box and really tap into the things that define them as a couple.
My favourite moment in a wedding is when the bride walks down the aisle and sees the groom for the first time. Unlike a lot of planners, I prefer this to a first look. And it’s funny, because I don’t actually get to see it happen that often since I’m usually behind closed doors after I send the bride down the aisle. That said, it’s always the first thing I look for when the photographer sends over the photos.
How would you describe your planning style?
I am very (very) detail focused. In fact, I have a business that’s called Details by Dallas, where I do marketing for wedding and event professionals.
I tend to focus my planning around the guest experience and making sure that’s unique and out of the box. As much as a wedding is about the couple, you also want to make sure that guests are having a wonderful time as they celebrate their friends or family members. My goal is to have guests leave a wedding thinking it was the best one they’ve ever been to.
Where do you find inspiration?
When it comes to my couples, I like to look at their hobbies, lifestyles, and what they do in their spare time. If they love cooking, then I know their menu selection is important to them, if they love the outdoors, then I take this into consideration when looking at venues and their decor.
For actual designs, I follow a lot of American planners. I love seeing how they incorporate designs and how those trends change through different regions in North America. That helps me prepare for when those trends end up landing in Vancouver. I really stay focused on other professionals in the industry to stay aware of what’s happening and what’s maybe fallen out of style.
I also draw inspiration from interior design. I think it’s really cool to create a lounge or other intimate settings based off of design concepts used for living spaces. It helps when couples want to create certain vibes in their reception, like a cigar-room in a bar feel, or a food station that feels like a rustic kitchen.
What are your favourite wedding venues?
One of my favourite venues is the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. I love the level of service at the hotel and think it’s a world-class location. It’s also the ideal place to turn your destination wedding into a full wedding weekend. Plus, if I had it my way, everyone would get married on a mountain (like I did!).
Captured by: Christine Pienaar Photography
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