All about me
Not many people can say that they have a sense of logical reasoning along with a flair for the creative-Hester Parks is confident that she embodies both ideals. The Atlanta-based wedding coordinator started off with an education in finance. Her penchant for setting budgets while delivering dreams is a complex skill, and Parks does it all. “Event planning actually doesn’t feel like work- that’s why it’s so easy for me,” says Parks, “I could have worked all day but once I get home and start looking at the bride’s styles and having to update their budget or sending them ideas about how to personalize their wedding- it’s like someone’s breathing pure oxygen into my nostrils and I’m just on a high.”
As an ambitious young adult, Parks figured she’d become either a CEO or a CFO of a major corporation, but to exercise her creativity she began planning her friends’ nuptials. It was a foreshadowing of what was to come, but Parks was unaware of the effect her hobby would have on her future. She enrolled at Georgia’s Berry College and graduated with a BS in Accounting and Finance. Still eager to gain more of an edge over the competition, Parks went to graduate school at Kennesaw State University and earned her Master’s degree in Business Administration. Immediately after, she began working in the industry at corporations like Home Depot, Delta, and The Weather Channel, but she still felt that there was a void. “I felt like, ‘Why am I doing all this for them when I could be running my own business doing something that I love like event or wedding planning?’” says Parks. Her initial goal was to own an event facility but she found that she would be better prepared if she knew the particular details that went into professionally planning a wedding.
Parks and a partner formed Wedding Soiree- a full-service bridal consultancy, wedding design and management group. She co-owned the firm for six years and proved her time there to be well spent. Wedding Soiree had been featured in the Atlanta Tribune, Brides, The Knot, Atlantan Brides and various other publications. She even co-authored the hardcover book, “Atlanta Weddings for the Modern, Stylish, Chic Bride,” which gives inspiration for creating flawless weddings, how-to advice, and insider secrets in an indispensable style manual.
After learning and achieving so much as part of a group, Parks decided to strike out on her own and finally start her own business- Park Avenue Events. She enthuses that her main priority is to fulfill the wants of her clients in keeping with the needs of their budget. “It’s very easy for me. I talk to a client and have them send me pictures, then I get a feel for their style and what they’re looking for,” she continues, “I already have an idea in my mind what the budget is around town for the different venues and how much things cost. I already have a very good understanding of the numbers behind what’s involved especially behind planning something locally here in the Atlanta market so it’s not a difficult task for me.”
Hester Parks is incredibly passionate about not only the planning but the execution of financial details. It’s a quality that gives her remarkable standing in a field overrun with creatives who hardly think about budgets. Her standards for providing quality service are unshakable and a large part of that is due to her relentless work ethic.