by Mark Kingsdorf, MBC

 

I’m REALLY excited to introduce everyone to my new partner Phyllis Ann Jablonowski; owner of Eventricity, LLC.

In case you missed it, The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants joined forces with Eventricity, LLC earlier this year. We are the wedding planning division of her larger, family run, event planning and décor company.

Phyllis is hardly a newcomer to wedding planning. So I decided to sit down and do the “On the Mark” interview I’ve done with many local colleagues to introduce you to her.

For starters, her last name isn’t really as hard as it looks – Jab-la-now-ski!

Mark: How long have you been in the wedding and events industry and how did you get started?

Phyllis: That’s a loaded question. I’ve always been in the business; at 6 or 7 I worked in my grandmother’s flower shop, in college I worked part time in my uncle’s shop and SWORE I’d never get into the business and still ended up in the family business about 30 years ago. About 22 years ago I started PJ Events, which eventually became Eventricity, LLC.

 

Mark: Tell everyone more about Eventricity –

Phyllis: Eventricity, LLC is really an umbrella company, especially now with the addition of The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants.

We have a Retail Floral Shop called Kesler’s in Glenside, where our design studio is located. We took over the property of a family run flower shop and greenhouse and still do lots of retail flowers for births, funerals, proms and holidays.

We do full service event décor – floral, linen, lighting, rental and props- for weddings, mitzvahs and other social events, as well as for corporate and nonprofit events. Our team really loves event design.

We also do a large amount of planning of corporate and nonprofit events as well as mitzvahs; things like 20 events for the Grand Opening of the new Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, ship christenings at Aker Shipping at the Philadelphia Shipyard and fund raisers  for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

We also have an in house graphic designer who supports all of the décor and events with printed materials;  thing like invitations, seating charts, ad books and graphics.

We had been doing a bit of full service wedding planning but not on the scale of the “Queen of Hearts”. Incorporating your team, which is proficient at full service planning, is a natural progression for Eventricity.   We were already working together pretty frequently, so the groundwork was already laid.

 

Mark: Wow, OK, that’s more than many people realize. What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Phyllis: There are LOTS of highlights. I think every day is an opportunity for another GREAT moment.

 

Mark: You already told us you grew up in a family floral business, but what’s the craziest job you’ve ever had?

Phyllis: LOL, that’s easy – I worked as a dispatcher for a township public works department. Trash men, streets department and public works – 48 guys and me!

 

Mark: That’s funny, I’m sure you have some crazy stories. Tell us something else about you most people don’t know.

Phyllis: I have a Master’s Degree in Sports Medicine from Temple University. I worked as a trainer in a high school and in Temple University’s sports programs.   I am very proud to say that I was one of the first women in the region working with professional sports teams- both the ‘76ers and the Eagles.

 

Mark: You’ve dealt with couples planning weddings for nearly 30 years – what’s the biggest mistake you see people making?

Phyllis: There are a couple of things that all relate to each other – they don’t have a body of knowledge about the big picture of weddings so they often come in with unrealistic expectations. I also see couples who look at everything as an individual project instead of one larger body of work. And lastly, brides especially, think they can do it ALL; even on the wedding day and they miss so much of their day.

 

Mark: Let’s talk about some fun, random things… what’s your favorite food?

Phyllis: I love food and I love flavor – anything that is a party in my mouth. I really like homemade pasta – pumpkin gnocchi with sage butter…now that’s a party in my mouth.

 

Mark: How about your favorite restaurant?

Phyllis: I don’t remember the restaurant’s name; but I had AMAZING Dungeness crab on the Warf in San Francisco. That was part great food, part great atmosphere and part great company (I was with lots of industry friends at a conference).

 

Mark: OK, how about a local restaurant?

Phyllis: Heirloom in Chestnut Hill – they have interesting flavors!

 

Mark: What do you do on your day off?

Phyllis: What do I do or what do I like to do? I like to spend the day flea marketing or at a museum, I usually spend my day off catching up on housework and time with my family.

 

Mark: Last Question. What’s your advice to couples planning their wedding?

Phyllis: Focus on the end result, an overall vision – your emotional response, your experience, your guest experience and the feeling of the event…we’ll help you get there.

For more information on Phyllis’ professional experience, awards and involvement check out her bio on our About Us page.

 

 

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