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

Hi Julian, what do you attribute your success to?
As an adult looking back on my childhood I have realized, with the help of some pretty incredible professionals, that there was a lack of guidance provided to me about how to live a successful life. I was completely unsure about how to navigate the maze of questions and choices that were presented and determine which was the correct direction to go. In harnessing this truth about myself, looking intently at it, stripping the trauma away from the lessons learned, I have realized that my goal in life is to help people navigate difficult situations with ease. Wedding Planning is tough. Making over three thousand micro-decisions without being able to see the finished product until it is unfolding in front of all of your closest tribe is a scary process. But luckily, I have been through this maze before. I have successfully guided hundreds of couples through the wedding planning process with great success. The single most important factor behind my success is that I am ready and willing to show you the same way through. To be an open book in the often untransparent world of weddings. To deploy my experience in hotels, catering, rentals, floral, and now planning to your advantage and to help you achieve success not only for yourselves but for your guests.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The privilege of creating a transitional day in someone’s life is truly an honor. The magnitude of an experience where two people enter a day individually and then exit coupled gets me excited every day. The joy I find in the process of helping two people define their style, make decisions to bring it to life, and then execute that vision as a living experience for their closest family and friends is one of the coolest jobs on the planet. Was it easy to get to this place? No! It is the result of 15 years of hard work to build a skill set to help couples in every facet of the wedding planning and execution process. I have worked in hotels, for florists, for corporations, and now for myself to be able to understand the full 360-degree view of the events industry. The most important lesson that I have learned through all of this experience is honesty. In starting from a place of honesty, with yourself, with your clients, with your decision making, you can overcome any obstacle set in your path and I have worked diligently to incorporate this lesson throughout the process of working with my clients.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have always described Dallas as a collection of small villages built up around movie theaters and small-town squares. My perfect tour of Dallas would involve a visit to each of these villages to be able to capture the true essence of what makes us a city unlike any other. These villages would include, Lakewood Village for a little funky flair, Highland Park Village for a bit of posh people watching, Mockingbird Station Village for some indy films, West Village to showcase our up and coming vibrancy and a bit of tex-mex magic, Casa Linda Village for some lake views and arboretum touring, Deep Ellum Village for some live entertainment, Bishop Arts Village for some good BBQ and antique shopping and last but not least a trip to the newest village of them all NorthPark Center Village to pay our respects to the shopping mecca. Each of these villages presents a different side of Dallas, one that is constantly evolving and growing, and that gives us an edge on any other city in the South.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to the following people who have helped me grow as a human, mentor, and business person. My partner, Francisco Diaz, my immediate family, my business coach Sam Jacobson, my copywriter, and mentor Katy Taylor Jacobson, my therapist, Dr. Stephanie Hall, my chosen family at Lake Highlands, and my higher power.

Website: www.julianleaver.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/julianleaver
Facebook: www.facebook.com/julianleaverevents
Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCKpJmz68G8F1ow5-6Nsa4zg

Image Credits
John Cain Photography Samuel Lippke Photography Tara Morolda Photography Tim Will Photography James + Schulze Photography Brandon Kidd Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.