Our First Blog Post!
Hello and welcome to our FIRST blog post! My name is Lexie, and I am the Owner and Planning Director of Availed Wedding & Event Planning. Since 2017 I have had the privilege of helping my clients achieve their dream weddings across Minnesota and beyond. I’m so grateful that I get to do something I love every single day and celebrate life’s many milestones through planning unforgettable events for my amazing clients!
I’m starting this blog because I’ve always been so passionate about education. I want not only our clients but also our followers to feel like they are educated and armed with the information they need to make the decisions that best reflect their wedding values. Did you know that one of the meanings of “avail” is to be an available resource? That’s one of things that drew me to using Availed as our company’s name. I always strive to be that one stop resource for my clients, no matter the level of service they book.
This blog will be a space for me to teach you more about what my team does as wedding planners and designers. I’ll also give you helpful advice and resources for planning your own wedding, whether you’re an Availed client or not! I’m also writing this blog for other vendors to follow along and gain knowledge about our industry.
For this first post, we’re starting out easy - I’m sharing a few fun facts about myself so you can get to know me better. If you have a specific question or topic you’d like us to cover, please let me know in the comments so we can answer it in a future post. Without further ado, here are 5 things you might not know about me!
Lexie Cummings, Owner and Planning Director of Availed Wedding & Event Planning. Photo by Type and Timber.
5 Things You Might Not Know About Lexie
I have a retail corporate background, which tends to be pretty unique in this industry. I went to school at the College of Design at The University of Minnesota and studied Retail Merchandising, with minors in Management, French and Apparel Design. I believe my educational and professional background has really set me up for success in this world because I not only have years of experience with managing businesses, vendor relationships and budgets, but also with the design aspect. A consistent piece of feedback I receive from clients is that I’m a really great mix of both worlds, which allows us to build a beautiful wedding design while staying true to budget and values.
You’re probably wondering why I minored in French… most people don’t know this, but I actually lived abroad in Paris, France with my family during my middle and high school years. This experience has made me extremely passionate about other cultures and traveling. I often get asked where I pull inspiration from, and traveling is hands down where I find the most inspiration.
My favorite part of the planning process is finding the venue or building the design vision. I get so giddy about the search process and finding a dream space for clients where they can envision hosting their big day. Similarly, the hunt for the perfect floral design or rental item to complete a client’s design is always such a joy!
Although I love to travel and experience new cultures, I truly feel most at peace when I’m at my family cabin up north. There’s just something about being on the water and immersed within nature that makes me feel like I can exhale and just be present. We’re always going nonstop in our day to day, and being able to just sit back, relax and enjoy time by yourself or with family is a beautiful thing.
I am a semi-new Mama. My son, Maxwell, is a year and a half old. We had him a week before the Covid stay at home order and needless to say parenthood for my husband and I started off a lot different than expected! Max truly is my reason for being, for getting up every day, for pushing harder, for building this business. I want him to know that he can truly do anything he puts his mind to, and I just hope I can set that example for him. Thank you to all of my clients for contributing to this dream of mine and just know, every time you book a service with us, you are helping and supporting my little family and I’m so beyond grateful for that!
Want to know more about me or Availed? Check out the About Us and Meet Our Team pages on our website. If you’re planning a wedding and want to work with a wedding planner who will ensure that your big day is effortless and unforgettable, send us an inquiry today!
Thanks for reading! - Lexie