Q+A: DECORATIONS BY JELENA | WEDDING STYLIST SYDNEY NSW

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Jelena started out in 2008 making chair covers and sashes in her kitchen–roping in the youngest of two daughters after school to help with the cutting, counting and pattern making. Before she knew it, her little inventory had grown to include over 1000 chair covers, and she started to expand her range to vases and tea lightholders to create centrepieces.

Tell us about what DBJ Events can offer a couple for their Wedding day? Having now been around for over 10 years we have seen the trends and needs of couples change. The one thing that has remained is the stress that comes with planning a wedding. DBJ can help a couple really enjoy the planning process by guiding them in their styling and taking care of all their styling needs to provide a seamless and cohesive wedding. Our service is personalised for each couple and some of the options that we can provide include in house floral design, lighting, ceiling installations–whether they be flowers or fairy lights, furniture hire, coordination of stationery and on the day suppliers.

Did you always know that you wanted to design Weddings & events? Short answer no. We come from a family who love to celebrate and find reason to do so. When mum started the business we were there to support her as it meant that we also got to be (indirectly) involved in the celebrations–we love a party even from the sidelines. Over the years mum has stepped back to help take care of the grandchildren and the natural progression has been for Katarina (4th youngest) to take over. She’s always had a creative streak and finds inspiration from her couple’s love stories. She has studied interior design and that has leant itself to her love of creating magical spaces for our clients to enjoy.

Do you have any stories that you would like to share from your experiences? Yes–there was this couple. They loved the great outdoors and planned their wedding on their family’s farm just outside of the Southern Highlands. This couple had a wealth of knowledge and experience behind them–in the hospitality and service industries. They knew what to expect and they knew all the contingency plans they needed to have. They prepared themselves for every scenario that could possibly happen. And when their wedding day came–they definitely had their fair share. From extremely hot and humid weather to drought breaking storms. Bogged cars, late DJs and missing taxis couldn’t stop this couple from having the day of their dreams and the reason for this is because they were flexible and trusted their suppliers.

It’s hard to trust a company or a person that you have only just met, but it’s important to listen to your senses and if you have a good feeling upon meeting your supplier, then you should trust your instincts and be open to accepting their recommendations. Not every couple will have this history and experience behind them (like our couple)–but your suppliers definitely should.

What advice would you offer to Nearly Weds who are just starting out on their search for the perfect Wedding stylist? My advice would be to be flexible. If you are unable to be flexible with your budget, then it is important to be flexible with your ideas and expectations. Not seeing more than three stylists will keep you on track and making sure that what they are providing is comparable, that you are comparing the same services, products and level of experience.

Tell us about the best part about what you do: The ability to help a couple tick off much of their to-do list with just one meeting. Many couples aren’t aware of just how much our services cover until we’ve had that conversation about their styling needs. It really does cover such a large part of their big day and being able to take care of that, and play that role, is something that creates great memories and experiences for our couple.