Pauline Stevens, owner of Elations, never planned to become a wedding planner. Stevens, a native of Jamaica, grew up in New York City and worked there as an auditor before moving to Richmond five years ago. Despite a fulltime corporate career, she often found herself using evenings and weekends to plan events for friends. 

"At first, I did it for fun, but learned I could do it professionally," she says. Stevens has been a professional wedding planner for five years. 

In January, she opened her Carytown storefront. Stevens came up with the name while fantasizing about her career switch.

 "I didn't want to go with 'Weddings by Pauline,'" she says. She thought about how a bride should feel at her wedding.  "I kept thinking 'I'm elated,'" she says, "'Elations' is a beautiful word. It seemed right." 

Stevens starts the wedding design process by clarifying what the bride really wants. "I help her move beyond what she has seen in magazines and into a real vision," she says. A year or eighteen months is optimal lead time, but she has done full weddings in as little as three months.

Elations also offers bridal seminars for those who prefer to plan their own weddings. Her workshops cover a range of topics, and couples can attend them together.

Stevens believes her industry connections and her commitment to realizing the bride's wishes are her greatest assets. At Elations, she says, "There is no limit to your dreams. They will be carried out -- and then some."

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