Meet LaDonna Ford | Event Planner and Principal Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with LaDonna Ford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi LaDonna, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
To be completely honest, this is something that I still struggle with. I am married with two children AND I work a fulltime job. I am blessed to have a thriving business, but I have to be intentional with my time and “present” when I am present. It takes a lot of juggling, phone calls to vendors/clients in the car (to and from work). Adequate use of my assistants when I can, late nights and early mornings. I am also so grateful for my “village”, my husband, mom, mother and father-in-law who are amazing at stepping in and ensuring we are covered as a family.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart from others is my attention to detail, as well as my willingness to go over and beyond for my clients. From dressing and wrangling 4 kids to get them to an engagement shoot on time, to styling the grandmother of the Bride’s hair right before the wedding. I leave nothing to chance when ensuring that my client’s have the best experience possible. I also really take the time to get to know them personally, what they love, what they don’t, what motivates them, what makes them excited. It’s never easy, but when the client walks into the venue and sees their vision come to fruition…I get a HUGE kick out of seeing their faces light up. The excitement I feel by seeing their reaction is unmatched. To get to this point certainly has not come without its own set of challenges, lesson that I have learned are “stick with who you know”. I am a creature of habit, though I love meeting new people, I am often reluctant to work with new vendors as I am not sure if they will come through for my client. I am SUPER protective of them and their events so I tend to work with those that I know are tried and true. With that being said, I have come across some (new) absolutely amazing vendors that have really been a Godsend! (I guess change can sometimes be a good thing). I want the world to know that I am honored to assist them in celebrating their life’s most precious moments. I do not take any phone call, email, text, or inquiry for granted. I approach everything I do with a spirit of excellence and strive to make all of their event dreams come true.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would definitely take her to a nice restaurant for a good meal, some where super cute, were we could take great pictures. We are not really “club goers” but a nice lounge maybe with live music. It really does not matter where we go, we bring the FUN! AND we are home by 10pm!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shout out all of my friends and family that happily went along with all of my crazy ideas. Also those that gave of their time in the beginning by working for FREE when I didn’t have the money to pay them. Thank you for all the times you hauled stuff in your car, dropped everything at the last minute to assist. As well as provided me with words of encouragement to keep going when I felt overwhelmed. I am forever indebted to you for your love and support.

Website: https://www.alladreamepd.com/

Image Credits
Stanley Parrish with Pixel Outflow Studios shot my branding photos. http://pixeloutflowstudios.com/?fbclid=IwAR36U_FCt47VkTIxxsEMI84wMnMoC_nu4AFETOAJIovmVE9O-WLRc03iPzU