MEET KHESANH FROM 'A DARLING AFFAIR' - PLUS BRISBANE FAIR DATE ANNOUNCED

July 2, 2018 Jen MacMillan

Have you heard the exciting news - A Darling Affair has an amazing new owner and you need to meet her! First of all, we need to let you know that A Darling Affair and their team are so much more than just a wedding event, they are wedding family! Over three years ago when we were starting our business we were welcomed with open arms by this incredible team, and having officially launched our business at the 2014 Brisbane fair - their events are the highlight of our year!

Without futher ado, let's dive straight into the good stuff...

First things first, cocktails or coffee??

Cocktails! One French Martini please! I’m one of those weird people that has never had a sip of coffee in their life (I know right).

Tell us a little about yourself?

Hi I’m Khesanh, I like long walks on the beach – oh wait wrong interview - sorry. xx

I’m Khesanh pounced Kay-San, but after 30 years of the wrong pronunciation I now answer to anything. I am a makeup artist and have run my own hair and makeup company The Beauty Case for 6 years so that I could also be a full time parent to Lola.

I love romance and think that’s the main reason why I love the wedding industry plus who can go past amazing dresses and flowers.

I love all sports and played Women’s AFL for many years, in a previous life I used to be a swimmer when I lived in Kenya growing up.

How long have you been in the wedding industry?

Just over 6 years. When I had Lola I decided that I would build a business that was flexible around her and so when it came time for her to go to school, I could be there every day walking her and helping out in the classroom.

Why do you love working in the wedding industry?

Firstly, I love cheesy romantic films, secondly I LOVE love and think it’s the most amazing feeling in the world, and thirdly I get to have someone look at themselves in the mirror on one of the most important days of their lives and see a radiant, glowing and happy person and that makes it all worth it.

Plus the cool wedding industry friends I have made, everyone is their own boss trying to live the dream!

And now as the owner of A Darling Affair I get to help couples find the most amazing wedding vendors to help plan the best day of their lives!

Tell us how you came to be a part of the A Darling Affair family?

I got a last minute call up for the Sunshine Coast fair in 2013 as another makeup artist had a family emergency and couldn’t come, and as they say the rest is history.

Being part of the fair was such a great experience and being able to network with so many other passionate vendors was the best. I emailed the co-founders the next week asking if they needed any help with anything to just shout out.

The next fair, The Beauty Case looked after all runway fashion hair and makeup and it just continued from there. I became very close with Carrie and Emily and they were asking for my opinion and also running ideas past me. I felt part of the team and treated ADA as my own business too.

What is your dream for A Darling Affair?

I want to create a wedding fair that really reflects S E QLD Brides and Grooms. We are super relaxed, but still super stylish. I also want to strengthen our wedding community and ensure that our vendors are looked after. I want to do my best for them and I won’t stop until I know I have given it my all.

How would you describe A Darling Affair, and what set’s it apart?

I have always thought of ADA as the wedding fair that cares a lot about its vendors. I know that making the decisions will be hard for me but making sure we put the right type of vendors in front of our audience is going to be what sets us apart. Actually getting to know most of these businesses personally is what matters to me and making sure that I am doing everything I can to show our couples just how amazing they are is my number one priority. Their success is our success.

Plus a lot of the feedback we have gotten over the years from our guests is that they feel super relaxed and that they can get to know the vendors really easily.

Any amazing trends for 2019 you see on the horizon?

My mind is only allowing me to see past Saturday, 17th November at this stage, the date of our next wedding Fair in Brisbane.

To be honest I would have no idea, I leave that kind of thing to our wedding stylist and planners who I chat with weekly to ensure that what we have at our fair in regards to styling and the spaces we have set up for our couples really reflect what’s happening in the wedding world. BUT at the same time don’t let your wedding be all about trends, at the end of the day it’s about you and that’s what’s important.

How have you seen the bridal industry change over the years?

The biggest change I have seen is individuality. Couples are now really want to show off who they are and that reflects in the type of weddings they have.

Plus Australia finally voted YES and legalised Same Sex marriage! This now allows everyone to marry the person they love and we have seen some beautiful and truly deserving couples finally be able to tie the knot!

What are some ADA dates couples can look out for?

We’ve just had our relaunch party, it was such a fantastic night with over 100 wedding vendors from the Sunshine Coast to Byron Bay. It was so amazing to see so much support for not only A Darling Affair but for me too.

But For all of our engaged couples and wedding squads, November 17th is the date you want to lock away.

See you there!

Date: Saturday, 17 November 2018

Time: 2.00pm -7.00pm

Where: Brisbane Racing Club

For more information: http://www.adarlingaffair.com/our-fairs/brisbane/