Today we’d like to introduce you to Jihan Francois. She shared her story with us below:
Jihan was born and raised in Allentown, PA, and from a young age, she has loved planning. At the age of six, she started her first business with her friends, which was a friendship bracelet-making company. Jihan was in charge of planning and organizing everything, including creating order forms and business cards, giving everyone titles, planning weekly “business” meetings, and mapping out their growth strategy. Her passion for planning only grew stronger in college, where she worked with her classmates to plan and execute events.
Jihan holds an undergraduate degree in Entrepreneurship from Hampton University and an MBA in Marketing from Emory University, Goizueta Business School. She has worked in various marketing and communication roles for non-profit organizations and marketing agencies, and throughout her professional career, event planning has always been her favorite part. As a side hustle, she started working with a friend’s business, coordinating events throughout the country for corporate clients, entertainers, and professional athletes. She also started planning weddings for friends and family.
In 2016, Jihan officially launched Amani Affairs, naming it after her middle name and the essence of what she created her business to be – “faith, desires, aspirations, wishes, harmony, and peace.” She takes her clients’ expectations very seriously and is determined to make their dreams a reality by creating unforgettable moments.
Jihan is a certified wedding and event planner through the Lovegevity Institute and the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and the recipient of Lovegevity’s 2018 Dream Maker Award. She was chosen for this award based on her attention to detail, creativity, professionalism, and outstanding performance.
Thanks to the generosity of Lovegevity, Jihan received a scholarship to attend the David Tutera Event Planning Symposium in Santa Monica, CA, in 2018. At the end of the symposium, David chose two attendees to work on at least one event with him and his team over the next year. Jihan was fortunate to be one of the chosen two. She had the privilege of executing a wedding with him in New York in June 2018 and two episodes of his Lifetime show, “My Great Big Live Wedding,” in 2019.
Since then, Jihan has been focused on building Amani Affairs in Wilmington and is excited for her busiest wedding season yet in 2024. She is active in the local “friendor” community and enjoys meeting regularly with the Wilmington Wedding Planners group.
Jihan’s passion is weddings and events, and being organized makes her happy. It’s a dream come true for her to have a career that allows her to live her purpose, which is to help people experience the best times of their lives.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I came to Wilmington with no connections – just my parents & I. We didn’t have any relationships here, and it’s a small town where everybody knows everybody – you either have family here or you went to school here. Since I was neither, it was really difficult securing local weddings because I was a newbie. The first few years in business – all my weddings were out of town – secured through family & friends. However, I focused on networking and was able to build amazing relationships with fellow planners, venues, and other vendors. Still, in 2018, I had no weddings. So, I focused on working with David Tutera, attending as many bridal shows as possible, and building my online presence. 2019 was a good year, and 2020 was shaping up to be amazing…until COVID hit. But by late 2020, I had more weddings scheduled for 2021 than I had for 2020 and got my first publication from a micro-wedding I did in August of 2020. I added to my team in 2021 and continued to grow from there. 2023 was another tough year for weddings as the “COVID bubble” broke, but I stayed focused on the goal, and 2024 will be my best year ever. Life is full of ups & downs, and how you handle the downs tends to be more important than how you handle the ups!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am an event planner & designer focused primarily on weddings, but I also do family-focused events, like birthday parties, showers, anniversaries, etc. We are known for creating unique, one-of-a-kind events where our clients’ personalities and lives show through. You know it’s an Amani Affairs wedding because it looks different from most weddings you see, and the personal touches shine. I am most proud of the fact that we work with all kinds of couples. Everyone is welcome at Amani Affairs. And we make every event we touch BEAUTIFUL!
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I learned that you always need a backup plan and multiple income streams. Right before COVID hit, I took a real estate license class because I was interested in diversifying. I realized that wasn’t for me, but now I have a new wealth of information and something to fall back on if I need it. I also was looking for a full-time job to supplement my income. I was fortunate to get hired at a bank two weeks before the shutdowns and was gainfully employed throughout COVID while all my weddings were being canceled or postponed. I was able to leave that job in early 2021 because I had so many weddings scheduled. I learned always to be prepared and think outside the box to handle problems that arise.
Pricing:
- Pricing start at $3,200
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amaniaffairs.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/amaniaffairs
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/amaniaffairs
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Image Credits
Lightbloom Photography
Chris Zachary Photography
Atlanta Dahlia Photography
Jaxon Photo Group
Danielle Hutchinson Photography
In His Image Photography
Glyn Stanley Photography
