REALITY TELEVISION

So while filming for the E! NEWS segment Countdown To The Altar I have come t0 realize the power Reality Television really holds over its viewers. I can only hope that folks watching this spot or any spot for that matter, will walk away with a ton of take away knowledge and not the just the usual drama fluff that some reality television seems to breed. It is fascinating to see how the general public can earn an education in areas such as my event planning and production world simply from acting like the ever desired "couch potato" and sitting upon the couch and turning up the volume.

Selfishly speaking, its kind of nice to finally be hailed as an "expert" in front of the world after slinging parties for the past twenty years. One can only hope that young folks watching these types of segments can gain some sort of inspiration to follow their inner creative and to turn that creativity into a profession; like I have done. Tune into E! News every Tuesday night from 7-7:30pm to catch this info-packed small segment that falls within the half hour.

A little bit about me, Jes Gordon!

Q&A time!

Describe your company?
jesGORDON,properFUN is a full service eventMANAGEMENT and eventPRODUCTION team. Its not all about one element for us to make your event spectacular, but rather a culmination of lots of elements coming together in a harmonious way to make your event unique to your particular style and to the ambiance you want to convey at your event.

What 3 words describe your work?
Eclectic, out of the box, individualistic to each client.

Why should someone hire you?
Because we genuinely care as a team and as myself as an owner. Each client should know that I personally work on every event that comes through our door. I over see every event whether I am physically there or not. I have a team rather than staff members that have defined strengths that make our events flawless in executing them. We also, make our clients personal creativity shine through. We help our clients find their inner creative and teach them how to express that through their events. We are also not a retail shop. We specialize in event design only, so that is our only focus when dealing with clients.

What are the common misconceptions about your services?
Well, that its an "easy and fun" business to be in! Of course we adore what we do, and even though it comes naturally for us its is never easy! Dealing with human emotions and insecurities is a talent in itself...the design is the easy part in our industry, its the road that gets us there that can be tough at times.. also a large misconception is the price of flowers and the labor that goes into them. Often folks don't realize that we need to start working on flowers three days prior to the event in order to condition them before event designing with them. Also, premium florals are not cheap!! They are often being flown in from all over the world, so the cost of flowers is high even before we get them to the event.

What drew you to this field/how did you get started?
I was hoping to be a rock star but that didn't work out. My mom noticed that I hated school from a young age, so she asked her good friend to give me a job in her shop. ( I found out later that she paid my salary because they couldn't afford an extra employee)! Turns out i was a floral prodigy from a young age so strange... I then went on to do movie sets and became the youngest design director at Tavern On The Green in NY i worked there only for a year and went out on my own by the age of 20...

What are some of sources of inspiration or influences on your work?
I love watching young people. Kids are so smart and fashionable these days. I love to see what fashions they are wearing and gadgets they are buying etc. I also love to travel and see different landscapes like deserts, mountains cities you name it but mostly just people watching can get my juices flowing pretty consistently.

Tell us about a favorite, unusual or most interesting moment at a wedding:
I have to say that i love it best when a bride is just simply happy to be at her wedding. She is just excited to get married and kind of lets everything else roll off her shoulders. This is rare because lets face it, this is a stressful time for anyone even if its just out of excitement. We had a bride once that was so carefree, that she jumped into a pool with her Vera Wang dress on! I thought this was pretty funny...

Tell us about a wedding you worked on that really makes you proud:
One of my faves from this past year was a same sex wedding in Malibu. The couple had been together for 27 years and their 15 year old daughter that they had via surrogate asked them to get married when it was legal for half a second... we created a magnificent supper club-old Hollywood glam style on the lawn of Gull's Way under an ethereal and magical tent...

What have weddings have taught you?
Compassion and the ability to be in touch with not only my emotions but the emotions of others as well. Also, since weddings are on a timeline, I have learned to accomplish enormous amounts of work in very little time.

What is the best advice you give to a couple when planning their wedding?
Don't sweat the small stuff and my mantra is: its not only about the wedding, its mainly about the marriage...keep your perspective and be happy you found each other in this crazy world

If you could have any superpower on the job, what would it be?
Ha!! I would have to say super human physical strength, mama's knees and back are feeling it!

What are 3 words that describe your personality?
charismatic, genuine and chameleon-like

What's your favorite book/movie/work of art?
These are tough, I adore horror films I just love the ride!, I love the work of Jeffrey Stolier, he is a painter friend of mine that paints landscapes of New Orleans in an abstract way... I read six million books a week, its my escape but one of my faves is MIDDLESEX. I also have a book coming out this fall of my own called "party like a rock star!"

What is your favorite quote?
My mother once said when I failed algebra "It's not how smart you are, its how you are smart." This quote changed my life.

What are your favorite extracurricular Activities?
Music and dancing- I love to disco dance ha! biking, pilates, walking my dogs Hurricane and Ruckus, entertaining at home.

If you weren't in your current profession, what would you do instead?
Most definitely I would be a rock star!