More to the Story: Alexis Wilkins
Taylor Harrington 3/1/2021 3:58pm ET
We sat down with plus-size fashion and lifestyle blogger, as well as event planner, Alexis Wilkins. Alexis hails from Baltimore, Maryland, and shares her message of self-love and confidence, and can make the event of your dreams come to life.
It was a pleasure getting to know Alexis’ story, and we are so excited for her future endeavors.
Where are you calling us from, Alexis?
Baltimore, Maryland. Obviously, it has its problems or issues, but there are so many great things here and great people. In a lot of ways, Baltimore has a very small-town vibe even though it’s a city. Everywhere I go, I always run into someone that I know.
You started an event planning business, which is incredible. So tell me a little bit about that, did you go to school for event planning?
No, not at all. What is it now? Four years ago? Wow. Yes. So it kind of started from me wanting to work in weddings and social events. I will say side note, my full-time job is also in events, more like corporate event sales, not only the fun parts. When I started my own journey, I literally just emailed every wedding planner in Baltimore, on TheKnot.com, and got like two responses. One of my best friends was getting married and he was like, Oh, I need a planner. I don’t have one and I want you to do it.I was like, oh, but I don’t do it myself. He’s like, but you could do it by yourself. So I go online and figure out a contract and how all these things I never had to do as an assistant work. It was supposed to be 50 people at the wedding and it wound up being 250 people, which is how I learned to put a clause in your contract. So that friend’s wedding is how I became official and then one of my other good friends’ sisters was getting married that same year, so I did her wedding. The next year I went up to doing seven weddings, and last year I had 13 weddings. Unfortunately, this year, you know, it’s been crazy. I was still lucky to do five weddings in 2020 through Covid.
Luckily I only had one complete cancellation and the rest moved to next year. I really fell in love with the smaller intimate gatherings. The first one I had it was this couple and they were both in the Navy. They were 19 and 20, very young. The bride had never been to a wedding before and I planned their wedding for 17 people, found the venue and the flowers, the hair, the cake and everything. She was like, I trust you in my life. They were such a cute couple that I never would have probably met if it wasn’t for all that’s going on.
What can you tell me about your blog, Living Alexis?
So on the other side, I have a blog, Living Alexis, it’s a fashion and lifestyle blog. I started it three years ago in November. I was in a really bad space and place and I needed an outlet. People would tell me that I have the greatest clothes and that I should start a blog. When I first started it was more about fashion and plus-sized fashion and being confident in your body and your skin and helping inspire women to do that which is so, so important. Then it kind of evolved over the past few years and I every day I share a morning message. That really came out of being home by myself during quarantine. This year is kind of different, like I’m wearing a sweater right now and I’m not as fashionable, but it’s more of a comfort thing than it’s ever been before in my life. Just literally being in my own skin and what that looks like and just being more regular and not wearing makeup because I’m like okay, I look beautiful. So that’s kind of how the blog came to be. It’s really grown and evolved over the past three years.
Do you do any podcasting?
I’m dabbling in the podcast world, trying to get more Sipping On Self Love. I did an event last year, in-person, to bring people together that were wanting to share their self-love stories, and man, everyone has their own stories and their own bad baggage. Finding a place to broadcast their stories of overcoming and self-love is so important. It’s been crazy so I haven’t been able to focus as much as I would like to on that, but more is coming soon for sure.
Is there any advice or do you have any words that you want to leave us with?
Be authentic and just be confident in yourself and love yourself. I think when you do those things, everything else falls into place.
Alexis can be found on Instagram at Living_Alexis, or Alexis Wilkins Events. The full interview where we chat Bravo TV, fashion, and dreams can be found on our YouTube channel as well as everywhere podcasts are available.
