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Passion + attention = magic

She turns away more than she accepts. Award winning event producer and designer, Deborah Elias is highly selective in taking on new events. Her 11 year old Houston company, Elias Events, has earned a reputation for flawless high-end events delivered with a magical touch. According to Elias, this magic happens only when she and her clients are a good match. When she takes on a wedding, Elias starts by really getting to know the bride and groom. Visions are shared, dreams are described, and expectations are spelled out for everyone. The result is that Elias is able to put the couple’s signature on the wedding, personalizing each aspect to reflect their taste and style.  For example, envisioning a romantical tropical theme, Elias used the stunning cake table pictured above which features hanging votives and sliced citrus fruit to bring in the couple's exact colors. Photo by Michaeal Carr Photography.

 

Elias normally tackles only one wedding or major event a month. This schedule allows her to concentrate on the details. Her attention to detail is famous and sometimes maybe even a little infamous. The requirement to get the tie exactly right on every single chair sash may irritate the setup crew when they have to re-do all the less than perfect chairs. There’s the infamous part. The effort has a huge pay off though when all the chairs have a uniform, pleasing appearance as the bride and groom first walk into their reception. There’s the famous part. 

 

As particular as she is about chair sashes, Elias carries that passion and standard of excellence to every single task on her very well thought out event plan. She’s sent back floral arrangements that contained the wrong shade of pink. A square cake stand will not do if the contract calls for a round. Musicians play lists are reviewed and approved in advance. Table placements in the ballroom that don’t conform to the layout are inevitably moved. Elias is exactly the kind of advocate you want working for you if you are the kind of person who likes things done well.  Bottom line, there is a lot of hard work, inspection and even rework to make a flawless execution actually flawless.

 

At left, the happy bride and groom take a minute for a magical moment at their wedding reception, courtesy of Elias Events.   Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Sullivan.

 

It is no surprise to learn that Elias Events has won a number of prestigious awards and recognitions. In fact, her trophy case is more crowded than most. To date, she has been awarded the Texas Star, Esprit and Crystal Icon awards from ISES, the International Special Events Society. As far as we can tell, Elias Events is the only Houston company nominated for an ISES national award too. Some would be happy to rest on their laurels, but not Elias. In the past week she submitted another of her fanciful events to the committee for consideration for next year’s awards.

 

As the event planner with one of the longest tenures in town, Elias is familiar with just about everyone in the industry. And as choosy as she is about taking on clients, she is just as fastidious about the vendors that supply the goods and services for her events. In fact, every vendor Elias works with must not only excel at what they do, they must also be a member of ISES. That membership confirms each vendor has completed a rigorous screening process. In addition, Elias knows those vendors will work doubly hard for her for the good possibility of earning a prestigious ISES event award by being a member of her team. 

 

Debbie Elias is a busy woman. Besides keeping track of the schedules, commitments and details of all her weddings and events, she is also very active in many professional organizations. Elias currently serves as President of the Houston chapter of ISES. She has served that organization on the local board for the past ten years. She currently is a member of the national advisory board of Special Events Magazine. She also is a board member on the Texas Meeting and Events Magazine. That would keep most of us fully occupied, but not Elias.  She is also an active participant in the American Marketing Association and the Houston Convention and Visitors’ Bureau. 

 

We asked Elias what was the most important consideration in choosing a planner. Elias says brides should feel comfortable and relaxed with the wedding planner they choose. If you are feeling anxious about what the planner is or isn’t doing, you’ve selected the wrong planner for you. When asked for some advice for brides planning their own weddings, Elias opined that planning the wedding should be fun. She recommends you not take on more than your schedule can handle. It’s important to book vendors in the following order to make sure the most difficult to secure are lined up early:

 Elias also recommends brides let their design and color choices evolve over time. If you lock in your selections too early, say a year before the wedding, rather than being on the cusp of a trend, your reception may look like a tired version of what your guests have been seeing for the past year. Keep it fresh by making those selections just three or four months before the wedding. Personalize the look to make it uniquely yours.

 

Abracadabra! Or as the Police would sing, every little thing she does is magic!