With a gift for assembly and an eye for color, Elizabeth has a fresh perspective and keen sense of style, which has made the Elizabeth Demos design studio one of the most sought after companies in the South. Referring to herself as, "an old fashioned girl in a modern world" Elizabeth has a knack for refreshing traditions with her modern take on vintage. With an incredible design career that includes event design along with a successful career in the publishing world, Elizabeth has a unique set of skills that have contributed to her success. Her work has appeared in the pages of Weddings Unveiled along with Real Wedding features on Completely Unveiled. Read on to more about the talented Elizabeth Demos and what inspires her design.Elizabeth Demos is based in Savannah, GA. To contact Elizabeth Demos, visit the company website by clicking here or call 912.308.4435.Weddings Unveiled: How did you become a wedding and event designer? When and how did you begin Elizabeth Demos?Elizabeth Demos: I truly fell into both the photo styling and event design careers. In 2003 I was discovered by an editor from Better Homes and Gardens magazine while running my store, @home vintage general. He took me under his wing and let me explore the production and photo styling world while working as a freelancer. Once that first door opens you can move around freely if you have a great work ethic, talent and people like you. I have a pretty long-standing track record with all of the publications I have worked with and maintain good contacts with all of them. As for weddings, in the spring of 2009 I planned and designed a wedding for one of my former @home shop girls and quickly realized it was a career tailor made for me. It incorporated all that I love about photo styling and being creative with my management skills (acquired during the 10+ years in retail). In 2010 I closed my shop to pursue both careers simultaneously. Yes, I’m a workhorse, but I love the challenge both careers provide and not surprisingly each influence the other nicely.WU: Tell us about how you work with engaged couples, whether as a team or individually.ED: I love to meet both the bride and groom but understandably I often meet the bride first (with their mom or best friend). My first consultation feels a bit like a job interview. I consider it a getting to know you session and they can get to know me too. I explain my background; talk logistics, chat about my creative skills and then we talk “vision”. After all I’m a visual girl and when we can talk about the aesthetics I get really jazzed. From that usually lengthy first meeting I develop a plan for the look and feel of the wedding, I create a budget, plot the timeline and make a list of recommended vendors specifically selected for the couple, I schedule meetings with vendors and arrange site visits. Most of this phase is logistics but the fun stuff is never far from my mind, it often directs the site selection and most definitely the vendor selection.WU: Describe your wedding style.ED: I think my style is a modern take on vintage. It is how I design houses, style photo shoots and now it all translates to events. I ADORE antiques and vintage finds and incorporate them into everything I do. I’m an old fashioned girl in a modern world so refreshing traditions is my expertise.WU: What inspires you?ED: Color, texture, nature, places, people, photography, antiques, vintage wares, interior design.WU: How do you keep your ideas fresh?ED: I think because I’m a very recent addition to the wedding industry my things come across as fresh. I’m driven by what I see in the editorial world and in interior design not by what I see in the wedding industry. A long time ago I watched an interview with Marlo Thomas and the interviewer asked her about her father’s support of her career and she shared his wisdom; “I raised you to be a thoroughbred. When thoroughbreds run they wear blinders the keep their eyes focused straight ahead with no distractions, no other horses. They hear the crowd but they don’t listen. They just run their own race.” After I listened to her explain what her father had told her I thought to myself, that is how I operate, I don’t really pay attention to what other people are doing, I just do what I do and hope that is it comes across as fresh. My motto has and always will be “be yourself.”WU: What was your favorite wedding and why?ED: Oh no, I can’t really say. I love aspects of all of them. Let’s just say my favorite wedding is the next wedding because I haven’t totally created it yet.WU: What makes Elizabeth Demos different from other wedding and event designers?ED: I’m a photo stylist so my clients always walk away with a complete vision, a complete thought and killer pictures.WU: What would be your ideal wedding assignment or dream wedding to design?ED: Not sure, I have really felt that each of the weddings I have created have been “the ideal assignment” until the next one rolls around and then I think, no, it is this one. I’m guilty of having CADD (creative attention deficit disorder) and asset if you ask me.But then again, there is the one that got away, a friend decided to elope instead of have the wedding. I had already planned the whole thing in my head. It was to be a tram wedding on the top of a snow covered mountain in Wyoming, 40 close family and friends would ride up in a tram stand at the top of the mountain and witness the ceremony, share a cocktail and travel back down to enjoy a reception. Simple really, but so sweet. I like little weddings.Anyway she is in Hawaii right now (literally) getting hitched and I’m happy for her but sad to have never planned that sweet little wedding in my head. Oh, the letterpress invites were going to be so cute……………. (are you reading this Kelly B?)WU: Tell us three things you can't live without.ED: My family. My eyes. My ambition.WU: What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?ED: You get what you give.WU: What is the best advice you can give to an engaged couple?ED: At the end of the day the real purpose is to be married. The process should be enjoyable and stress free. Breath.WU: What does the future hold for Elizabeth Demos? Are you working on any upcoming projects?ED: The near future involves many days and nights editing photographs, creating DIY projects and writing the final chapters for my upcoming book all about weddings. I'm over the moon with excitement about it and can't wait to share more when it is released next year (publisher, Chronicle Books). As always I continue to produce and style features for magazines, blogs and design and plan beautiful weddings. I'm a busy and very lucky girl.
