470 REVISIT ALEX FITZGIBBONS: Orchestrating The Life And Soul Of A Wedding

The Wedding Biz - Behind the Scenes of the Wedding Business

“Our interests are totally aligned with our clients, to make sure their wedding is the best it can possibly be.” Listen as Andy and his guest Alex Fitzgibbons discuss how Alex got involved in the event industry, his journey to Fait Accompli, why he feels his work there is about finding and expressing the life and soul of weddings he orchestrates, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Alex is the Managing Director of Fait Accompli out of London, which organizes plans and designs spectacular events worldwide for A-list clients and Royal weddings. He orchestrated one of Vogue’s top listed weddings of 2019 and was also responsible for the wedding celebration of Ellie Goulding and weddings for the Royal family, including Prince William and Katherine and Prince Harry and Megan.

Alex discusses his understanding of what a client wants and how he finds his inspiration when planning the event. Alex shares a story of one of his favorite weddings last year, his design philosophy, and the challenges of orchestrating a very large event. He also speaks about how he keeps high-profile weddings private by taking away the guests’ phones, which also allows them to engage with others more freely.

Listen as Alex talks about balancing the business side of his company and the artistic side, how he puts together a team for each event, and how he has kept his business successful over the years. Alex shares that one of his favorite things about the event industry is the degree to which you get to know your clients and how exciting that is for him.

This episode is sponsored by Zola, the fastest-growing wedding platform that connects today’s couples with the right planners and vendors. Zola gives wedding professionals more control, better exposure, and higher quality leads - all with competitive pricing and no annual commitment. Create your free listing at www.zola.com/andy.

Have you heard about Stop and Smell the Roses with Preston Bailey on The Wedding Biz Network? Listen as Preston shares the secrets, tools, and technologies behind his extraordinary ability to create a theatrical environment out of any space. Also, don't forget about Sean Low's podcast The Business of Being Creative, where Sean discusses the power of being niched, pricing strategies, metrics of success, and so much more. You can find both shows on The Wedding Biz Network.

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Time Stamps

[0:00] – The sponsor of this episode is Zola.

[0:53] - Today’s episode is a revisit of Andy’s interview with Alex Fitzgibbons of Fait Accompli.

[2:01] - Alex is also a helicopter pilot!

[2:40] - After taking flying lessons with money meant for university, Alex delivered pizzas.

[3:56] - Alex undertook a 2,000 kilometer challenge in 2020, raising over 1.5 million dollars for Child Bereavement UK.

[5:56] - After a severe injury, Alex learned that he is extremely stubborn.

[7:10] - Alex discloses how he got into the events industry after college.

[8:08] - How did Alex make the transition from Nintendo to having his own company?

[9:51] - Alex describes himself as an adventurer who enjoys an adrenaline rush.

[11:24] - Any large event can be successfully organized through excellent relationships with suppliers.

[13:08] - We are walked through Alex's usual process with clients.

[16:31] - The diplomacy and politics involved in planning weddings has grown in the last twenty years.

[19:18] - Alex shares a detailed story of one of his favorite weddings.

[22:50] - Alex carefully guards guests' privacy by asking guests to check in their phones.

[24:45] - Alex laments that many guests focus on taking photos and videos of star performers rather than being present in the moment.

[26:37] - What techniques does Alex use to ensure guest engagement?

[29:18] - Alex feels the same pressure for all of his clients' events - whether they are high profile royal weddings or not.

[31:06] - How does Alex balance business and art?

[32:37] - Learn why Alex prioritizes hiring local suppliers and talent wherever an event is taking place.

[36:50] - Alex reveals how he has maintained success for so long.

[41:09] - Andy reveals where Alex and his company can be found online.

Find Alex: Fait Accompli - Website

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Title Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Kushner Entertainment & Zola.