A Conversation With Lady of Luxury Tori Williams, Co-Star of VH1’s My Celebrity Dream Wedding

World-Renowned Celebrity Planner, and Designer, Tori Williams is the owner of Tori Williams Events which is a full-service luxury event planning and design company, focused on social and corporate affairs.

Tori’s trendsetting themes and elaborate decor have been seen on major television networks such as Lifetime, Bravo, The Food Network, TV One’s Sister Circle, and NBC’s Atlanta and Company, just to name a few. Tori was also named one of Atlanta’s 25 Most Powerful and Influential Women by Modern Luxury’s Atlantan Magazine.

Williams has produced events for several celebrity clients such as City of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Olympic Gold Medalist and Activist Tommie Smith, T.I., K. Michelle, Trina, Mimi Faust, Michael Blackson, Will Packer, Celebrity Photographer Robert Ector, several NFL & NBA Athletes, Notable Doctors, and High-Powered Attorneys & Judges.

The TW brand is built on the principles of integrity, gratitude, and compassion for others. Her spirit allows her to connect with clients on a genuine, personal level to understand their vision and curate customized events that are truly authentic and unforgettable.

She believes that to whom much is given, much is required, and constantly uses her platform for a greater purpose. She works to help inspire women and children, all the while finding time to balance a healthy marriage and family life. Having weathered major storms since stepping into the industry, her biggest challenge was losing her mother in 2018. It was only by the grace of God that she was able to push through and honor her commitment to excellence for her clients in the midst of adversity.

Williams is the epitome of elegance, class, innovation, and creativity. She has grown her brand by taking her core principles and her passion for creating fabulous events and turning them into lasting memories for her clients. Already one of the most sought-after event planners and designers in the industry, Tori’s goal is to continue building her legacy while creating opportunities for others. Tori Williams and Tori Williams Events are names the world will remember, adding signature style one event at a time.

You can catch Tori as the Co-Star of VH1’s ‘My Celebrity Dream Wedding” which recently joined the popular Monday night line-up at 9 pm/8c. Stemming from the popular celebrity dream wedding special that aired earlier this year, the competition returns to welcome back three elite wedding planners, Courtney Ajinca, Lance Devereux, and Tori Williams, as they pitch their extravagant bridal visions and throw celebrity-inspired weddings for engaged couples on a budget. This 20-episode series also provides DIY tips and hacks to plan a fairytale million-dollar wedding for a fraction of the price.

We Empower Magazine got an exclusive interview with Tori.

Tori Williams

What sparked your interest to begin Tori Williams Events?

Tori: I was doing hair and make-up for brides and learned a lot about the business on the back end. I have always been one of those people very into events. Not like parties, but I love the exclusivity of a private event.

I’ve always put events together for my family or my friends and within doing that I realized that it was my passion. So I began to dive headfirst into it.

When you got your first celebrity client, what was the experience like for you?

Tori: When I got my first celebrity client I was definitely nervous because I wanted to do a great job. I was very cautious making sure I was double-checking everything I was doing and making sure that I was doing it right. I wanted to make sure they were comfortable with me. After a while, I realized we are all people and want to feel comfortable and I can’t be a fan. I had to be the person that they hired to do the job.

Who are some notable people that you worked with that meant a lot to you?

Tori: When it comes to celebrities or anyone that I worked with, they all are an inspiration to me. I love to see people in general just doing their thing, regardless of me not being a fan, I am always inspired first. Some of the people that I worked with and admire are people like Olympic Gold Medalist Tommie Smith. I do events for him and his wife once a year. Another client would be Will Packer. I had the honor to do an event for him and his mother at his home, it was her Birthday party. I was nervous as hell, but I did my job. Also, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta’s Mayor. I admire her so much for the work she has done in the community and that she is a woman of color that has worked so hard to get in the position that she’s in. That was very special to me. I did a Superbowl event with her and also her 50th birthday party before the pandemic hit. I was under pressure to pull it off because that was a milestone for her, but I was very honored.

As a Co-Star of My Celebrity Dream Wedding, one of the quotes from the show that stuck out to us was when you stated that you don’t throw weddings, you throw experiences. How has the experience been on the show so far?

Tori: The experience on the show has been great. I love working with Lance and Courtney, I love them both. They often challenge me, and I learn a lot from them. It’s been a good experience to come to work and live out my passion, do these events, be creative and pull it all off for some deserving brides.

On the flip side, I have to keep it all the way 100. With anything comes some challenges. Some of those challenges for me have been the long hours because I am still a venue owner and I have events outside of the show. Juggling both sometimes can get a little challenging. It’s alot of sleepless nights or having no days off. I have been able to push through because I look at the goal in the end.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Tori: When I am not filming or doing an event, my husband and I are quick to run out of town. We will book a flight in a minute and we are out of here. As much time as I can when I have some time off I try to spend as much of it with my husband and my family.

What’s a super fun fact about yourself?

Tori: I love to eat. I am a foodie. I love to go to different restaurants and try different food and cuisines. I also love to travel whenever I can. I don’t like the club. I am not a club person. I like events. When me and my friends hang out we will go to a restaurant and eat or have a few drinks. I prefer getting people together in an intimate setting and just having events there. Parties and clubs though, that’s not me. I am a homebody. I like being at home in my PJs, my SKIMS cozy collection snuggled up on the couch watching the HDTV channel.

What do you hope for yourself in 2022?

Tori: Wealth and Health!

Making time for myself because self-care is very high on my list this year. Creating multiple streams of passive income is big on my list this year too and just being at peace and being happy. Not to say that I am not happy now. I am very much happy but me taking the time to laugh more, smile more, or just do some of the things we allow stress and work to distract us from. When it comes to work I am very serious. I am a no-nonsense type of person. This year I will make sure I have more fun and not take myself too serious all the time. I want to learn more and keep moving forward!