In Focus | Jenny McAlpine of Jenny McAlpine Weddings

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Jenny McAlpine

What do you always find yourself saying?
“No worries.” It’s a Kiwi thing. We’re a lot like Canadians that way. We’re pretty easygoing and we generally just take things as they come. That and we apologize a lot.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
Ellen DeGeneres. I like her approach to life. She stands up for what she believes, looks out for those in need, but always has a smile on her face, is quick to laugh, and rarely seems to take herself too seriously. And she likes to dance. Sometimes on tables. So, yeah, I’d like to spend the day helping people and smiling and laughing and dancing on tables with Ellen.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
I’ve already won it. My daughter gave it to me a couple of years ago. It’s a certificate for being “Best Mum in the World.” Beyond that, I’m really not about awards. The people I respect the most are those who have inspired me to be stronger, go farther and work harder than I thought I could, with no expectation of recognition or reward for themselves. I want to be like them, and feel the reward of having inspired, helped and supported others.

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
I was born and raised in New Zealand, so I’d have to say my countryman, Sir Edmund Hillary. When I was a child, Sir Edmund lived nearby, and we would see him in the local fish and chip shop on occasion. I wish I’d asked him what it was like to be the first to scale the largest mountain on the planet – literally, but also symbolically and psychologically.

What inspires you?
Running inspires me. I used to be able to run to the mailbox (well, almost) and then I met the motivational Jim Bates from Fresh Air and the phenomenal Christy Lovig and I learned to run (yes, you can learn running!). I ran a bit. Then a lot, and often, and my life changed forever. Running has shown me that I’m so much more capable of anything than I ever could have imagined.

What are three things on your bucket list?
To see my kids grow into happy, healthy and independent adults living their lives well.
Run the Napa to Sonoma half marathon.
Sing ‘When You’re Gone’ on stage with Bryan Adams. At his 2003 concert in Kelowna he obviously missed the screeching blonde waving madly and got the girl in front of me up on stage instead…so close!

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
“That Lovely Little Boat” – that’s what I call all enormous yachts that I see and know I’ll probably never be able to afford.

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
Easy: the day, not too far in the future I hope, when my entire family is in the same city together. My parents, my sister and her family live in Auckland. My brother and his family live in London, England. And I live here in Kelowna with my family. We’ve never all been in the same place at the same time. So that would be my dream: to spend the day in my hometown with all the people who are important to me: my nieces and nephews and daughters and sons and brothers and sisters, my husband, and most of all my Mum and Dad.

What are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about people. I love being around people, meeting new people and hearing their stories. I’m also passionate about planning and organising. I’ve always been a planner. I’ve always been organised. It excites me!

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
There have been so many wonderful days in my life. I like to look back at the end of each day and be grateful for all I have, for my health and the health of my family, and for all the love.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Making the decision to leap out of my comfort zone of being an employee. Over the years I’ve worked with an amazing array of accomplished, creative people. Leaping into the unknown world of self-employment is terrifying, but magnificent!

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
RauDZ Regional Table. Love Audrey and Rod and their team. Adore the atmosphere of intimate openness, where there’s a sense that “everybody knows your name” but you can also find a quiet corner to disappear into. The food is fantastic. The liquid chefs behind the bar are geniuses. And it’s where they created the best dessert on the planet – Chocolate Caramel Crunch (one spoon please). What’s not to love?!

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
Destination Races’ Wine Country Half Marathon. It takes place in September each year and is a 21.1km run past East Kelowna’s orchards and vineyards culminating at Waterfront Park with a wine and music festival. Through this event I’ve shared the road (and a glass or two of wine) with some fabulous people and have made friends for life.

What is the name of your business/organization?
Jenny McAlpine Weddings

Where can people find you or your business online?
www.jennymcalpineweddings.ca

How do people connect with you on Linkedin?
Jenny McAlpine

What does your business/organization do?
My business plans and coordinates weddings here in Kelowna and at Big White Ski Resort.

What is your mission?
My mission is to create memorable, happy and very well organised weddings so that my couples can share their love and celebrate with family and friends.

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
My greatest achievement in business would be to know I’ve played a part in helping two individuals create the perfect first day of the rest of their lives. And to be able to do that for every single couple I work with.

Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
As a relatively new business in Kelowna, I feel like the future is a blank canvas. I want to paint it with the most memorable scenes of love and commitment I can. In five years, I want to be recognized as a creator of life memories and the number one person in Kelowna people put their trust in to help create the wedding of their dreams.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
I’m so impressed with, and am eternally grateful for Danielle Andrews Sunkel and Tracey Manailescu, Co-Founders of the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada (WPIC) and the vivacious, highly knowledgeable instructor Monica Caesar. I became a Certified Wedding Planner through WPIC earlier this year. These women have planned thousands of weddings between them and have created a professional training institute for planners to learn from their vast knowledge along with a code of ethics for us to adhere to, ensuring planners always work to the highest industry standards. They have been instrumental in shaping a professional wedding planning industry here in Canada. In Kelowna, we have a marvelous range of people and businesses in the wedding industry who exemplify professionalism and dedication and I’m thrilled to be a part of this group of people.

What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
I hope my business reflects the same qualities I find most important in an individual, and which I try to exemplify personally on a daily basis: trustworthiness, commitment, integrity.

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
As a relatively new business owner, I don’t have any staff yet. But I’ve been an employee my entire career, so I know what the ingredients were that made my best employers not bosses, but leaders: they set standards and expectations, but they gave us the tools and the environment in which we could succeed. They were patient and understanding in the face of failure. They always made it clear we worked with them, not for them. And most of all, they said “thank you” more than “please.” So I think that’s the first thing I’ll remember when I have the honour of having staff: thank you.

How does your business/organization impact the community?
The majority of my clients are from out of town, so, in addition to planning their wedding, I also have an opportunity to assist them, their friends and their families discover everything Kelowna has to offer while they’re here. Anyone who lives here knows, once you’ve experienced Kelowna, you just can’t get it out of your blood. The fact that I’ve spent the past 15 years or so in and around the local tourism industry is a bonus for my clients, and I believe it adds value to the local economy.

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
Nice suits.

If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
I’m a supporter of the direction that Kelowna is going in and don’t think there’s anything in particular I would change. There have been numerous positive steps forward over the past few years. I love what’s happening in downtown Kelowna – the revitalization, new restaurants, new offices and new downtown housing.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
Besides the obvious (hello sun, sand, snow, wine, water, cuisine, etc.) I would say what makes Kelowna great are the entrepreneurial spirit of the business community, the unerring optimism of the people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with over the last two decades I’ve lived here, and especially the close friends I’ve made who make this city a community for me.

My choice for the Kelowna In Focus spotlight is:
Meadow Gilbert of Associated Property Management

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