Certified Timeline Genius
Richandra Nickerson-Ukpong
What inspired you to launch your own business?
I managed training and events for global oil and gas companies for over a decade. My love for weddings came after I planned both of my own weddings, the traditional Nigerian wedding and the American wedding. The bookings started to come out of nowhere. I found myself planning corporate events during the week and flying back in town to do social events and weddings on the weekends. Weddings have what the corporate events lacked- LOVE, and I fell in love with it. I eventually followed my calling, and went full time in my business. The rest is history! Fervent Designs allows me to use my passion and expertise to plan and design custom events that tell my clients' story, while creating lifelong memories for their family and friends. Also, being the leader of an amazing team of talented event professionals is not too shabby.
What keeps you passionate about weddings?
Every wedding is unique because every couple and family is different. As a wedding planner, you build special bonds with the clients, which allows me to become a part of their family. I then utilize what I learn about the couples to create a custom event that showcases their love, personalities, and style. The possibilities are endless! Doing weddings allows me to utilize my creativity, communication skills, and organization skills all at the same time, while building meaningful relationships. It is my way of changing the world through love, one event at a time. Seeing all of the planning come together is PRICELESS. We call it a "labor of love".
Please share a recent testimonial from a happy client!
"We couldn't have done it without Fervent Designs. You made the impossible possible. At first we were skeptical about having a wedding planner, because we are military and currently reside in Virginia. But we were both from the Houston area and had to have our wedding in Houston. This team was 10/10 on everything. From decor, to food, to having everything on a strict schedule, our wedding and reception was PERFECT!!!! We only made 1 trip to Houston to pick out the reception venue about 10 months before our wedding date. Everything else was handled by Richandra and her amazing team. We had monthly, bi-weekly, and then weekly virtual meetings to go over plans all the way up until the wedding day. All I have to say is if it wasn't for Fervent Designs, I have no clue how we would have accomplished half the things they made happen for us." - The Whites, 2019 Military Couple