I had the opportunity to sit down with Libbi Alcorn to learn more about Luxe Event Productions and her journey to grow it over the past 23 years.  Luxe specializes in event planning and production, mainly for weddings but also for corporate and nonprofit events, anniversaries and any other event needed.  Libbi and her team of certified event planners have been featured for their success in Lydia’s Style Magazine and recently won WeddingWire’s Couples Choice Awards.  Luxe is also an active supporter and sponsor of SAVA (Sexual Abuse Victim Advocate Center) and Libbi has recently been asked to join multiple nonprofit boards around Fort Collins.

Below is a transcript of my conversation with Libbi.

Logan with The Articulate: When did you begin Luxe?  What events led up to you creating it?

Libbi: I owned a wedding cake company in Wyoming.  A lot of my clients would come in and ask me questions like, “what colors should I pair with the cake” and “what should my timeline around the cake be?”  As I got more and more questions, I began to realize that I could expand my business into wedding and event planning.  After I began to transform to event planning and production, I moved to Fort Collins in 2000 and continued my business there.

Logan: What initial struggles were there?

Libbi: It was surprisingly easy to start out.  I worked from home and didn’t have a lot of the traditional overhead expenses that come from having a separate office.  At that time people still advertised in the phonebook and I gained a lot of my business from that.  I was also one of the only wedding/event planners in the Northern Colorado region so I gained a big radius for potential clients.

Logan: Building off the topic of advertising, how do you receive most of your clients?

Libbi: Well I don’t advertise in the phonebook anymore (laughs).  I get most of my clients, about 75%, through word of mouth and the rest from our website and social media.  In 2014 we rebranded and changed our name from Elegant Events to Luxe Event Productions.  This was because we wanted to become more of a one-stop shop for events.  This created a little confusion for people trying to find us but soon enough Luxe had its name out there.

Logan: How did the growth of Luxe impact your team?

Libbi: The most important part was to understand that growth means your business needs to continuously change and you need to roll with it.  As we grew I was able to bring in some interns and eventually hire them on board.  The hardest part for me was learning how to delegate the tasks and trust in my employees to effectively carry out our brand.  The people on our team are chosen carefully.  They represent the Luxe brand in a positive way.  We have procedures in place to keep consistency and I know that when I assign an employee an event to handle, I can be confident that they will successfully build the relationship with the client and provide an unforgettable experience.

Logan: Why do you personally believe in Luxe?

Libbi: Most event planning and production companies are either planners or rentals.  I am a planner but have also built up the tools to bring events to life and don’t have to go outside of our company much for that.  This saves the client time, money, and effort.

I truly love my clients and I think that is captured by how much we focus on building our relationships.  The only way to provide a bride and groom’s dream wedding is to become invested and build the relationship with them.  How are you going to make the experience unique to them without learning about their unique experiences together?

Logan: What hobbies do you have outside of event planning?

Libbi: I love to read and travel.  The most recent book I read and loved was called Property of a Lady.   My favorite place I have traveled to is London.  It was dreary and rainy the whole time, and I thrive in that environment.  I loved the history and learning about the mysteries in the royal families. If I could travel anywhere, I would love to go to Italy.  Two of my children went there and their stories and pictures have been stuck in my mind ever since.

Logan: If you could plan your dream event, what and where would it be?

Libbi: Absolutely a wedding.  I would love to plan a high end, celebrity wedding without a budget.  I dream of building a glass covering over a swimming pool for the reception and would love for it to be in Napa or Italy.

Logan: Thank you so much for sharing more about Luxe Event Productions with us today, Libbi!

To contact Luxe Event Productions for your next event, you can call (970) 690-6880 or email events@luxeeventproductions.com.