Meet Nicola Kayton | Wedding & Event Planner

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

Hi Nicola, what do you want your legacy to be?
Legacy feels like such a big, ominous word, like you have to change everything about the world before you leave it, but to me it is just the impression or feeling I want to leave people with after interacting with them. I want people to remember me as someone who celebrated people well. It brings me so much joy when the people in my life or the clients that I get to work with feel fully celebrated. Just like we all have different love languages or communication styles, I truly believe that we all feel celebrated in different ways as well. This is why it is so important for me to understand my client’s hopes and dreams for their celebration so that I can make sure they feel fully loved and celebrated through their big moments! Many of these moments, a 50th birthday, a bachelorette party, or a wedding will never happen for them again, and I want to make it an experience to remember! One day, they may not remember what their bridesmaids wore, who gave the best toast, or what flavor the cake was, but I hope that they remember how they felt on that day surrounded by the ones that they loved and celebrated to the fullest extent.

What should our readers know about your business?
I try to differentiate myself and my services by understanding my clients and what is important to them instead of just making sure the event runs smoothly. I absolutely love celebrating people and I want to make sure that it isn’t just a great celebration, but that you personally feel deeply and fully celebrated. There is a huge difference to me!

The most exciting moment in my journey so far, has still got to be when I booked my first stranger as a client. I am so thankful that my friends and their circles have been so supportive of my company, but it was really that first stranger who didn’t know me or have any reason to take a risk on me that affirmed for me that this is really what I should be doing. I think every entrepreneur can attest to how empowering that can be!

If people take away one thing from my story, I want them to be inspired to pursue their passions. I am not necessarily telling you to quit your day job! I know the world is not made of solely rainbows and butterflies and that is not possible for many if not most people. When I first got started as an event planner, it wasn’t feasible for me to pursue it full time, but I started small and am so glad that I did. I am still not quite full time, but I am miles ahead of where I began! Letting the fear of failure stop me would have only prevented me from ever exploring my true calling in life. My advice, if you can’t start full force towards your dreams today is to take a step. Whatever that is: starting a side hustle, taking a class to learn more about your passions, or finding a mentor in your dream industry. Whatever it is, always be taking steps toward those passions. Never stop taking steps and one day you will look around and realize you are where you once dreamed of being.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I grew up in San Diego and only lasted a few years outside of California before I came running back to my favorite city. I love San Diego and take pride in being a native! If a friend came to town, I would show them some of my favorite areas, North Park and Little Italy, and of course convince them to stay forever! In North Park we would grab coffee and pastries at Genteel Coffee, get our relaxation on with facials at Shop Good, visit the most aesthetic gift shop ever, Pigment, hit up the farmers market for some fresh flowers and snacks, and round out the evening with a concert at the Observatory. In Little Italy, we would eat all day long from Morning Glory for an Instagram worthy brunch to Nolita Hall for cute cocktails and delicious pizza to Pali Wine Co. for some wine on their rooftop patio to Salt and Straw to end the night with some delicious olive oil ice cream. Some of my other favorite things to do in San Diego include beach volleyball on Coronado Beach, fun picnics in Balboa Park, short beach hikes at Torrey Pines State Beach, and eating classic California burritos on Sunset Cliffs. Some other favorite restaurants that we would have to try are Tajima for the yummiest ramen of all time, Polite Provisions for delicious cocktails (especially around the holidays), Communal Coffee for toasts, coffee, and vibes, and Northside Shack for the refreshing Southern California staple, acai bowls.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As cheesy as it sounds, I owe a lot of my success as an event planner to my mother. For as long as I can remember, my mom has been hosting dinner parties, birthday parties, Halloween parties, and more, always combining friend groups from all different backgrounds along the way and welcoming people into her home. She didn’t always spend hundreds of dollars on these parties, but they were always so special. I vividly remember one of my fairy themed childhood parties when she handmade over a dozen pairs of fairy wings out of wire and pantyhose for me and all my friends. We got to decorate our own personal pair of fairy wings and it was pure magic. It is these magical moments that I find so important to provide for my clients today. They may not be made of wire and pantyhose, but they bring deep joy none-the-less! Because of my mom, I always knew I loved events. She always encouraged me to have people over and throw holiday parties of my own, fostering that love for events even more. It was only when I became an adult that I came to find that combining friend groups was stressful for many people. It was always so normal for my family and became one of my favorite things to do. Today, bringing people together and making magical moments is the inspiration for everything that I do!

Website: www.ohdevents.com

Instagram: www.instagam.com/ohdevents

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ohhappydayweddingsandevents

Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/oh-happy-day-weddings-and-events-san-diego

Image Credits
Lindsay Melanie Photography Everyday Forever Weddings Jamie English Photography Terra Visual Carlo Aranda Photo