Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Knight.
Hi Julia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When I was 15 years old, I was sitting in class when my teacher, who owned her own event planning company, approached me. She told me she had a wedding the next day and needed an assistant because her usual assistant couldn’t be there. I was SO excited she trusted me, and I was getting $100! A 15 yeasr old girls dream – a wedding and money.
I remember going through the wedding with her and, not going to lie, feeling so cool. I remember I had my own apron with “emergency” bride supplies, and all I could think was “I can’t wait to have my own assistant one day.”
I continued doing weddings for her until I graduated high school. Once I got to college, I kind of threw that dream away, or I guess forgot about it. No matter what though, I found myself having side gigs throughout college that had to do with events to some degree. Florist assistant, event planner assistant, photographer assistant, etc.
Fast forward past college, I found myself in marketing. I liked it, but it was not fulfilling and I always knew I wanted to run my own business… I just couldn’t figure out what to do. My roommate at the time, who has known me since 2003, finally asked me “You loved wedding planning, why aren’t you pursuing that?” I immediately got on my computer and designed a website, I had no money to invest into the business, nor did I have a clue on how to run a business, but I was DOIN’ it.
I had my first client in 2021, and it was a friend’s graduation party – not a wedding, and not as fulfilling. I did a few more events but was burnt out and discouraged. No one was going to hire me to plan an entire wedding, why was I wasting my time?
Again, I went back to marketing and stuck with that for a year. Finally, I had a breakdown and thought “I am young, now IS the time to waste time, money, and energy trying to create the future life I want for myself.” I quit my job in Las Vegas and drove through the night to Austin, Texas. Very impulsive, but it was the best decision I have ever made.
The first month and a half in Texas was spent nannying and again, building a website, branding and just making a name for myself. This season, although short, was hard for me – I wanted it so bad. My patience paid off, and once I officially launched my own business, it took off and it hasn’t slowed down.
I remember my mentor told me, “Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get your first client within the first two months, keep going.” So while I HATED the sound of that, I listened and didn’t expect immediate results. So you can understand how thrilled I was when I booked my first event within five days of launching Day and Knight Events. I remember running up to my boyfriend and jumping up and down and dancing so hard in our kitchen… He knew immediately what was going down and joined the dance party.
So! Cheers to now planning dance parties and getting to witness so many brides and grooms doing their happy dances.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road! I realized after my first attempt at creating a company, you need to trust yourself. I think confidence has been one of the biggest obstacles. I know I can plan a brilliant wedding and be the person brides and grooms feel comfortable with, but I denied that for a while. A lot of “I haven’t done this in a while, what if I can’t do it?” I had to keep kicking myself and just DO it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Day and Knight Events is my baby! I specialize in Event Planning, specifically weddings. When it comes to my clients, I would say I’m known for how relaxed I make them feel… I make that a goal of mine for every client. I feel as though there’s a lot of things that set Day and Knight apart from other Event Planners. Honestly, the first one being money. Although I know my work and time are more valuable than ever, I believe fairness is an order.
When it comes to the brand, I am most proud of how I have literally built everything on my own: my website, socials, logos, literature, contracts, etc. It is such an amazing feeling seeing something WORK that you’ve made.
I want readers to know that I love what I do – which shows when clients work with me. I’m relaxed, so in return, they are. It’s the best feeling knowing your bride and groom are calm and soaking in their engagement.
What are your plans for the future?
I am totally a person that does not plan for the future, very ironic, I’m aware… In regards to hopes for the future, I can say I’d love to hire a full-time assistant within the next year. I was not expecting my company to grow this quickly, so I’m sure changes are coming!
Contact Info:
- Website: dayandknight.co
- Instagram: instagram.com/dayandknightevents
