Meet Donna Vuong: Event Planner

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

Hi Donna, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
The conventional advice is that if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. I believe I’ve found the career path I love, and the truth is, if you do what you love, you’ll work more and harder than ever before. You’ll be so driven that you’ll be working more than full time, but you’ll still enjoy it. Being an entrepreneur means pushing harder than others in a secure job, and it means taking risks. So my twist on the conventional advice would be to find something you love so much, that you’re willing to put your all into it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Everdream Events started out as a special events event planning company, creating impactful and memorable experiences for brands and families alike. In 2019, we had big plans for a new beauty and self-care event that would connect beauticians, beauty vendors, and clients all in one luxurious spa-like chateau. We were gearing up for a large-scale, high attendance event, so you can imagine what came of it once Covid hit. First we postponed it during the uncertain months, then we cancelled it all together as attendance restrictions and lock downs came into play. With our big event placed on hold, we searched for new opportunities. We still had event inquiries coming in and as we looked for responsible solutions, we turned to outdoor al fresco events and micro-celebrations. It was at this time when we pivoted into the pop up picnic world, and it has been the most gratifying journey yet. We’ve fully embraced the pivot and now specialize in intimate luxury picnic experiences. Through pop up picnics, we have grown our network more than we ever imagined possible during a pandemic and connected with many local vendors in the community online. There is a huge sense of camaraderie in the event community, especially with the event industry evolving during these times. With luxe pop up picnics, we are still providing personalized experiences to our clients in an innovative, forward-thinking way, and it turned out to be the niche we’ve been looking for all along.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of my hidden gems of LA County is Rancho Palos Verdes. I love to show off our beautiful coast views with a scenic hike at the Ocean Trails Reserve and see if we catch any seals sunbathing at the tide pools. We’d visit the Korean Friendship Bell just a few miles south of there as well. The best part is, after a nice long hike and lots of photo opps, there is a lot of amazing eateries in Torrance, the city next door. Some amazing ramen spots to hit up would be Hakata Ikkousha Ramen, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, Ramen Yamadaya, and Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Yes! I’d like to shoutout @lavendaire, Aileen Xu. She’s a content creator, entrepreneur, and the creator of the Artist of Life Workbook. She makes videos, podcasts, and planners as a resource for personal growth and lifestyle design, which has has greatly influenced me over the years. Luckily for me, she’s also my cousin and mentor in a sense since she’s guided me through the rocky transition into becoming self-employed full time. She’s giving me so much encouragement and support and is the reason I’ve made it as far as I have so far.

Website: https://everdreamevents.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everdreamevents.co/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnavuong/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everdreamevents

Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@everdreamevents?

Image Credits
@codiwilcoxphotography @lavendaire