WPIC Featured Wedding Planner of the Month:

 
Crystal Adair-Benning has a degree in Public Relations and her Masters in Media.  For a while she thought she wanted to work in marketing, advertising and communications.  In the past she has been employed by companies such as, Q107, AM640, CKLN 88.1FM, Westbury National Show Systems, Maxxium and her favourite position at TravelCUTS.

Crystal had been working in Toronto as an event planner since 1996.  She slowly moved into weddings when many of the band members she was promoting were looking for a wedding planner.  Her very first wedding was in 2003 for a couple she met as a concert promoter and event planner.  This was the wedding that led her to find her calling in life as a wedding planner.  She was working at a job she loved when she got laid off.  Thankfully, Crystal had already been doing weddings almost Full Time and with the layoff, decided to make it permanent.  Her husband backed her one hundred percent and supported her through the opening stages of her business.  Crystal always knew that she wanted her company to involve the word Occasions, the word Distinct felt like the perfect synonym for the type of occasions she wanted to plan.

The WPIC Course was the only certification in Canada for Wedding Planners, so Crystal enrolled shortly after opening Distinct Occasions. Crystal loved that WPIC offered the networking opportunities she needed for her business to succeed.

“I really love that there were others willing to support, encourage and assist me with whatever and whenever.” – says Crystal of WPIC Inc. 

Starting out, she advertised in Toronto Weddings, WeddingBells and many online websites.  She used WPIC’s Alumni for its networking opportunities and used word of mouth advertising to her family, friends and colleagues.

Since starting Distinct Occasions in Toronto, Crystal has opened satellite offices in Scotland and Australia.  Doing so has allowed her to design incredible weddings for clients all over the world and fulfill her passion for travel and weddings at the same time.

Getting to know client’s likes and dislikes, finding them a perfect venue and designing a wedding that is cohesive from invites to chairs, guest list to centrepieces is Crystal’s favourite part of the wedding planning process.  Hearing guests say, “This is sooooo (Bride) and (Groom)” reassures Crystal that Wedding Planning and Design isn’t just her career, but her calling and her passion.

The relationships that are created by being part of someone’s special day leave behind a huge bond.  Many of Crystal’s clients stay in touch long after their big day and keep her in their family by referring to friends and family members.

Since 2003, Distinct Occasions has played a major role in many weddings and couple’s lives, but a few that sounds out the most are:

• Renting a private manor on an island
• A traditional Thai wedding ceremony
• The stunning views of a wedding in Australia
• A 1950’s themed wedding

As many weddings are about the detail, Distinct Occasions leaves nothing behind.  One of Crystal’s favourite personalized weddings was the 1950’s theme.  Invites were created to look like dance cards, engagement photos were styled to look like 1950’s advertisements and the groom serenaded his new wife with the song L-O-V-E with the help of all the guests.

Distinct Occasions would not be as successful as it is today without the help of Crystal’s family such as her husband who supports her one hundred percent.  Her mentor, colleague and friend Jolyn Saramaga of Nuance Occasions has always been there for Crystal, even living half way across the country.  A few years ago Jolyn even flew across the country to help Crystal with a major wedding.  There are many assistants that are employed by Distinct Occasions; Victoria in Scotland, Ellen in Australia and Leah in Toronto are the backbone of support in her business.

“I don’t know what I would do without her love and support” – Crystal, about her friend Jolyn

Crystal really admires the work of Tara Guerard and David Beahm.  “Their events push the industry forward and continuously set a better standard for our industry”, says Crystal.  Of all the celebrity couples, the one wedding Crystal would love to be a part of would be Prince William and Kate Middleton.  This couple will set trends in the wedding industry for years to come.  The history, pageantry, pomp and circumstance would make the wedding of this couple a dream come true for Crystal.

Click below to see a video of Crystal and her day to day life as a Wedding Designer and Planner:

Distinct Occasions from Studio67 on Vimeo.