A Conversation with Leslie Lukas…
Leslie Lukas is a Montana wedding planner and floral designer. She is a regular contributor of BRIDES magazine for the mountain west, and has recently been seen on Grace Ormonde Wedding Style. www.leslielukas.com
Photograph by Morgan LaMare
MWG:Tell us what you do and what you love about weddings?
LL: As a full time wedding planner and florist, I plan and design weddings from concept to completion for destination clientele as well as local brides and grooms. The candid me loves the personal connection that I have with the families during such an intimate time. We get to know each other through the process, and it is so validating when I am able to create a concept that I know they will cherish their entire lives when they look back on their wedding. The professional me loves the challenge that planning a wedding in Montana brings, from weather-related plans, to vendor relationships and dynamics, to the organization of it all. It nourishes the need for me to do something from start to finish and see it unfold before my eyes…..smoothly, of course!
MWG: Share a bit of advice with other wedding vendors on social marketing. (ie FB commenting on other peoples posts, and anything else you do)
LL: I feel that with free marketing tools such as FB and blogging at my fingertips, it is important to work it into my weekly schedule to showcase my latest projects and achievements. In today’s technological age, I cannot ignore the potential to reach my clientele in this way. On another note, I constantly remind myself that if I want feedback and positive comments on the posts that I create, it is important that I do the same for my colleagues. Scratching backs in this industry is important. When a colleague posts an achievement or their latest project, I take the time to tell them they are doing a great job. I feel this attracts positive energy to our entire wedding community. It is also a great idea to offer a bit of advice, and showcase the expert I am by being the first to share the information. It is eye-catching to potential clientele that you are up on the latest trends and care about what is going on in the wedding scene.
MWG: Share a story about your favorite photo of one of your weddings?
LL: This photo captured by local photographer Morgan LaMare says it all for me….it was taken at Chico Hot Springs, where I first got my foot in the door and began my career. Every time I see such a joyous couple like this under Emigrant Peak, it makes my heart sing and takes me back to my roots of when I first started in this industry. I’m sure there will be many more photos with this same back drop, but it will never get old for me. I am all about the couples, but I am also in this industry because I love design, planning, and the conceptualizing that I get to do.

MWG: Finally, what do you like about the MWG?
LL: MWG is a collection of Montana’s top vendors. I feel that the advice on the blog is sound, the layout is beautiful and it is a good representation of what the vendors within its pages have to offer. It is such a great value, too. Its standings in the major search engines have grown to the top, and we can all sleep well at night knowing that potential brides are finding us through MWG. I am excited for the future of MWG as it works towards a stronger online presence with the e-zine and focus on searchability.
