Meet Valencia Faulkner and Valerie Able | Wedding & Event Planner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Valencia Faulkner and Valerie Able and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Valencia Faulkner and Valerie Able, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Event planning comes with such a high ending after all the planning is completed and you get to sit back and see the smiles on your client’s face and the laughter that fills the room. When guests experience an event, they see the gorgeous table linen. Colorful flowers. They enjoy the atmosphere the DJ sets with music and the food provided by the caterer. What guests and clients often miss are all of the hours that go behind bringing all those vendors together and making the event what they experience on that day. Several hours are spent locating and researching the right vendors for our clients based on price, the services they provide and if they are the right fit for our clients’ expectations and personality. Event planners experience things that our clients may not get notified of because that is what we are here for; to ease the stress of planning their event and cultivating an experience their guests will love. Behind the scenes we are negotiating prices, creating solutions when curve balls get tossed into the mix and organizing the schedule of the day, from vendors arrival time to break down. For your event planners that also specialize in design and decor, the event is not over after the party or wedding. We must then spend additional time cleaning and sanitizing products and repackaging for future events. Making the decision to hire an event planner, gives you a huge gift of time!

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.
Simply Able Events is owned and operated by two sisters, offering event planning services in North Carolina, Virginia and surrounding areas. We believe in keeping our clients stress-free and satisfied about the services they receive. We provide more than event planning; we’re designing and working with every detail from beginning to end that could stem from one simple idea. With 7+ years of experience, we have the expertise to guide you through the entire process from A to Z with our focus being the atmosphere, event experience and efficient functionality. When Simply Able Events, LLC was founded I (Valencia) had a vision that every corporate event, party and wedding would be our client’s dream come true. My goal is to take your vision, implement it and increase it to a level you may have never dreamed of. While my (Valerie’s) attention to detail allows my passion for organizing the who, what, where, how and why to flow naturally. My goal is to leave no rock unturned while planning every minute of the day.
We have gotten to where we are today by remaining students of the industry by attending classes led by other industry moguls. Remaining students of the business allows us to keep up with what’s new in the industry to better serve our clients while enhancing our planning & business strategies.

From the moment we decided to formalize and establish Simply Able Events, we have learned hard work is required not only in the form of completing a service, but operating a business. It’s very important to have contracts, document conversations, maintain financial records and so much more in order to operate a successful business. Paying attention to details and being organized definitely goes beyond the event and into operating an efficient business.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First, I would take them to Jeni’s Ice Cream in Noda for one of my (Valencia) favorite ice cream flavors, Wedding Cake. Later that day we would go to Queen Park Social for a laid-back evening with bowling, yard games, arcade and food. There’s so much to experience in Charlotte for any person; whether it’s visiting the Mint Museum, taking a stroll through Romare Bearden Park or one of the many greenways throughout the city, or enjoying brunch at one of my (Valerie) personal favorites, First Watch. Later that week we would experience the newest Black Owned Winery in Charlotte called Ebony Wine and Spirits and follow the evening at Optimist Hall Eatery where everyone can enjoy their choice of cuisine, from Asian to plant-based to Mexican. A week in Charlotte can be as adventurous or relaxing as you want it to be.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Simply Able Events could not operate without the love and support of our family and friends. When starting this business, several stepped in eager to help execute numerous events. As early or as late, they were right alongside us on the day of an event. We could not do it without the help of those that continuously support us. Our appreciation extends even further to the family, friends, and colleagues that knew what we were capable of and saw the greatness that lies within us enough to entrust their special moments and events in our hands. From those events came more events, more ideas and more opportunities for us to grow and strengthen how we served our clients. Most importantly we must recognize God for giving 2 sisters, Valerie Able and Valencia Faulkner the same vision while hosting events in different cities until joining forces to establish Simply Able Events.

Website: www.simplyableevents.com

Instagram: @SimplyAbleEvents

Facebook: Simply Able Events

Image Credits
Mastermind Production One Vision Photography Mango Market Twelve Stones Photography