My slogan is love in your language. What’s your love language?
Do you want to get married ziplining or at the top of St. Lucia’s Pitons? Or how about we build a raft and get married right there on the water?
Throw the craziest wedding idea at me and I’ll get it done for you. I’m tired of the usual – I want to take it to the next level! See me as an adventurous out of the box planner.
That’s how Marcus Joseph, the Destination Wedding and Event Planner, and owner of Thouzand Wordz Inc describes what he does.
Mr. Joseph is no stranger to the wedding industry in St. Lucia.
With over fifteen(15) years exposure in the events industry, seven(7) of which were spent as a group and events coordinator at one of the premier luxurious resorts on island – Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort; he took his natural insight, mingled it in with his vision and creativity, even his insecurities and fears, and birthed what is today Thouzand Wordz Inc.
Why not MJ Wedding and Events though? A Thouzand Wordz?
Think of the phrase a picture is worth a thousand words. That’s the concept behind my name and creations.
I want that when you and everyone else look back on that day, it’s unique, magical and indescribable.
It has to be so magical that you won’t be able to put it into words; and even if you were to try, you still wouldn’t be able to find the right word!
1. Taking Flight
The journey wasn’t easy for this Beverley Clark certified wedding specialist. There were many hiccups along the way, but the greatest hurdle came when it was time to branch out on his own after fifteen(15) years in the hotel industry.
He says,
It was like a mother eagle kicking its young out its nest. At that moment I had to take flight.
During this journey, Marcus had to discover who he was without the demands and the noise; he had to think about what he wanted people to see when they viewed the weddings he’d planned – “was it Marcus? Or an imitation of a photo? Was it his best? Did it reflect the vision of the couple?”
And as will be seen, he went all the way big with his passion for bringing clients vision to life.
2. His Style
Simplicity and Adventure
Many think that simplicity is boring. Marcus, on the other hand, thinks that simplicity can be…a thouzand things; and that in itself is what makes this passion of his even more exhilarating – birthing the visions of his clients and leaving them in awe and searching for one word out of thousands to describe the magical moments.
Browsing through his photography, one can’t miss that simplistic style, in particular, the mixtures of neutral tones and natural flowers set admits some unconventional backgrounds.
For Marcus, the use of natural flowers brings everything to life.
A detail that stands out, even more, when it comes to his events is the location. Planning a wedding or any event for that matter is more than just making one’s day seamless, it’s also about sharing St. Lucia with the world, locals and visitors alike. Once you’ve got the perfect backdrop, you’re halfway there.
[masterslider id=”32″]
Marcus’ wedding planning business is based out of the picturesque town of Soufriere, in the south-west of the island, which boasts some of the most breathtaking views in St. Lucia.
Being a Soufriere resident himself, he has knowledge and access to some secret and astonishing locations.
Marcus let us know that location is important in designing and planning the entire concept – it most times gets to dictate the narrative.
If you have or you’re searching for a distinctive, eccentric, outré, avant-garde narrative for your wedding, then he already has some ideas for you.
He’s had weddings done on yachts, private villas and scenic resorts, old forts, estates, nature trails and more.
Working with couples who want to keep pushing the boundary is like adrenaline to this St. Lucia wedding and events planner.
[masterslider id=”31″]
One such bride who selected Marcus as their wedding planner was Angela Veshosky. She says,
I struggled to find a wedding planner in St. Lucia that would think outside the box and wasn’t tied to a resort.
My husband and I loved the outdoor beauty of St. Lucia and wanted a location that would capture it which was non traditional.
Marcus Joseph was the only one who came up with the idea of getting married at Tet Paul Park which has a cliff overlooking the two pitons and the ocean set in full on raw nature.
If you want someone who will be flexible, suggest creative ideas for your wedding, and in general be fun to work with, he is your best bet in St. Lucia for the wild at heart.
Read the full review here.
3. Beyond the Glitz
We had the chance to witness this firsthand as we shadowed and even helped out a bit at one of his wedding ceremonies. Even in the simplest of backdrops, detail remains everything.
What is even more commendable is his sharing of his knowledge and time for those who are interested in doing event planning.
A young 15-year-old female who simply had the courage to message him on Instagram and ask for guidance got more than she hoped for.
She was right there on-site getting hands-on training from this 15 year plus event planning professional – Marcus of course. He wants those who feel called to this industry to understand all the hard work that goes into it.
It’s not just planning and ordering pretty things to spruce up the place; it’s not about the money you’ll get – you must first have an eye for it.
Once you have an eye, you’re able to ensure that every detail is taken care of, thought of and managed.
You’re then able to bring your clients’ vision to reality – and that’s what it’s about.
He doesn’t pretend to be a one-man show or a know it all though. One thing he is very appreciative of and has confidence in, is the relationships that he has built over the years with local artists and suppliers.
He puts your vision down to paper and uses his hands to create masterpieces, yet he will also be the first to admit that he is no expert at all things. He says
…that doesn’t mean that I won’t source a person who can get what my client wants.
I do what I do best and I leave the rest to the experts [that I trust].
4. Lessons Learnt
In his career of being a destination wedding and events planner, Marcus says that there are two moments that will always stand out to him.
The first is one of the biggest lessons he learned as an emerging event planner in the hotel industry – always be aware of other cultures and their customs, especially when it comes to weddings.
Clients come from many different backgrounds and the last thing you’d want to do is something that is offensive in their culture.
The second is his first high-end clientele/profile after leaving the hotel industry. He admits it was a frightening and overwhelming venture, but he realized that if the bride trusted him enough to carry and execute her vision, then his gifting and passion was bigger than he thought.
From that experience, he exuded confidence and without a doubt, exceeded the expectations of both the bride and himself.
Now, with more than 15 years of experience under his belt, we wonder if he still surprises himself after planning and coordinating so many weddings and events.
5. Advice for the future married couple
A few tips and information Marcus wanted us to share with those interested in hiring a wedding or event planner:
- Not all weddings are the same nor will the cost be the same.
- Sending us a photo of something you like does not always allow us to give you proper costing. You must be certain of what you would want and articulate it to the best of your abilities.
- Be clear and honest about your priorities. Let us know how much you’ve allocated for the different aspects of the event. That guides us a great deal in knowing how to create your vision.
- Take our advice – on flowers, seating, etc. It may not always be what you want to hear, but a planner who is vested more in creating that beautiful space for you will always guide you in the right direction. After all, that’s why you came to us – to plan, facilitate, manage, guide, etc.
- A lot goes on behind the scenes. There are probably 10+ hands that help to create that vision on the day – it takes an army.
So if doing something crazy like getting married on a helicopter, while skydiving or under the sea sounds like you, Marcus only has one question for you,
what’s your love language?
Contact
[su_box title=”Thouzand Wordz Inc” style=”default” box_color=”#3be863″ title_color=”#FFFFFF” radius=”3″]
Follow on Instagram for Regular updates: https://www.instagram.com/thouzand.wordz/
Website: http://thouzandwordz.com/
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1758-286-5601
[/su_box]
The creation of this post was sponsored by Thouzand Wordz Inc. All thoughts, opinions and none quoted text expressed in this piece are our own.
Beautiful!