In conversation with Karen Mauge

The Origin

How was the idea of wedding planning born for you? Can you share the story behind the creation of your company and the personal experiences that shaped its foundation?

My first memory of the idea of wedding planning actually came when my brother-in-law to be, was getting engaged. It was completely impromptu, and I decided to create something special using what I had at home — some Hershey’s Kisses and a few candles. When I finished, I felt so fulfilled and excited. That feeling stayed with me.

Before that, I didn’t even know event planning was a career. I was working in accounts while studying ACCA, but somehow, I became involved in planning employee-motivation events at the hospitality institute where I worked. I fell in love with it and eventually asked to be transferred to the marketing department.

That’s where my real exposure came — assisting with career days, fundraisers, award ceremonies and even our local Iron Chef competition. The employee-motivation events were always my favourite. I truly believed that happy employees made a happy company — so much so that I even considered studying human resources.

Along the way, I had a friend and a colleague who taught me a lot about what to look for as an event planner. Another colleague had her own wedding planning business, and I went along with her to a few weddings. That was when I truly fell in love with wedding planning.

Then one day, my sister’s friend asked me to plan her wedding — my first one on my own. It was a garden wedding; we had to bring in everything… and it poured. It was chaotic, but it was also exhilarating. That was about twenty years ago, and I’ve been in love with this work ever since.

The name of my flagship company, Time of My Life Events, actually came from a wedding I did a few years later. When everything was over and I finally had a moment to breathe, the emotions hit me and I remember thinking, I really had the time of my life. That’s where the name came from.

The bride’s father, who was a senior project manager, hadn’t even wanted to hire a planner at first. But in the end, he was so pleased with how well everything was executed that he gave me a $500 tip.

That moment shaped everything for me.

The foundation of my company has always been service with excellence and a smile — and the belief that nothing is ever too hard. I was also fortunate to work with people, especially my marketing manager at the time, who truly lived that standard of service. That had a lasting impact on how I show up in my own business today.

Building with Intention

Every brand faces defining challenges in its early days. What obstacles shaped your values and helped elevate your approach to wedding planning?

I didn’t start out thinking about business or branding. I started out doing what I loved. For about seventeen years, wedding and event planning was my hobby — something I poured my heart into on the side, just for the joy of it.

Everything shifted in 2016. After I left the hospitality institute, I worked for a non profit organization for eight years. It was fulfilling but eventually, I began feeling that I was created for more — that my purpose was in events.

I had been part of my church praise team, and in 2016, during a self-development session studying A Purpose Driven Life, it hit me: I can sing, but I could never be number one at singing. But I knew I could be the number one event planner.

That clarity changed everything.

My life became unsettled after that, pushing me toward my purpose. I eventually left my job, took another one for financial stability, and gave myself a year to see if I could launch fully. For a while, I still ran my business like a hobby — offering discounts, sometimes working for free, and doing it purely for the love of it.

By mid-2023, I realised I had to fully step into it, operate like a business, and turn my gift into an income that could support a comfortable life. I sacrificed, invested in coaching, and put in the work — and that’s when growth really came.

I wasn’t just a planner with seventeen years of experience anymore. I became an entrepreneur learning how to build a business.

The obstacles of those years shaped my values deeply. I learned that nobody is going to hand you anything — you have to put in the work. For a long time, I found myself wondering why things seemed easy for some people while I struggled, only to realise that I was standing in the way of my own breakthrough.

That lesson changed not just my work, but how I mentor and support others. I am just as passionate about helping entrepreneurs today, because what I wanted for myself, I now want to help others achieve it too.

Distinct Identity

a. When couples search for wedding planners in Trinidad and Tobago, Karen Maugé consistently stands out. What do you believe your work is most recognised for — thoughtful execution, emotional sensitivity, or a deep understanding of each couple’s personality?

I honestly think it’s all three — and for me, they all come back to one thing: relationship.

The key to how I work is building a real relationship with my couples. That’s what allows me to execute thoughtfully, to be emotionally sensitive, and to truly understand who they are as individuals and as a couple.

I often describe myself as the honorary bridesmaid — the person who didn’t get asked to be in the bridal party but really should have been. I’m there to support, guide, calm nerves, problem-solve quietly and protect the couple’s experience throughout the entire journey.

That closeness is what allows me to design and deliver weddings that feel personal, not scripted — and to make sure every detail and every moment reflects who the couple truly are.

b. How did you cultivate the visual language and philosophy behind your brand?

It didn’t start with a brand exercise. It started with people.

My visual style and my approach to design were shaped by years of working very closely with couples and learning what actually matters to them — emotionally and culturally. Because I come from a service- and relationship-first background, the way I design always begins with the couple’s story, their families and their personalities — not a trend or a template.

Over time, I became very intentional about creating experiences that feel warm, thoughtful and refined, but never cold or overly styled. I love beautiful design, but I care even more about how a space feels when people walk into it — and how the couple feels standing in it.

My brand philosophy grew out of that same mindset. I believe weddings should feel personal, culturally respectful and emotionally meaningful. The visual language of my brand is simply an extension of that belief — clean and elevated, but still full of heart, personality and human connection.

It evolved naturally through experience, not overnight — and it continues to grow as I grow as a planner and as a woman.

Female Leadership

As a woman leading a creative yet high-pressure industry, how do you define leadership?

Leadership, to me, is service. It is also mentorship, and it is treating people the way you would want to be treated — even when that same courtesy is not always extended to you.

Some people may think I am too soft in how I lead. But it is a conscious choice. I work in an industry where I often hear suppliers say they almost cringe when they hear the words, “I have a wedding planner,” because of the attitudes they have experienced in the past. I never want to be that person.

That doesn’t mean I am not firm. I am absolutely tough when I need to be to get things done — but I believe you can be tough with respect.

As a female leader, my perspective shows up most in how I operate my business day to day. Whether I am on site, in a client meeting, in a consultation with a potential couple, or even speaking to someone who simply calls to ask for information, I show up to serve first.

Everything else flows from that.

That service-led approach has shaped how I build relationships with clients and suppliers, how I grow my team, and how I grow the company itself. I truly believe that when people feel seen, supported and respected, they show up better — and that is how sustainable, meaningful businesses are built.

Alternate Dreams

If you weren’t a wedding planner, what did you dream of becoming as a child?

A professional dancer. Even now, when I see a dance movie, I feel excited — and a little wishful.

I also wanted to be a flight attendant… but maybe that was never meant to be. I can’t swim, and I get motion sick.

An Industry in Transformation

What advice would you offer women building their own creative businesses today?

You really have to find your own footing first. Find you. Know you.

Change will always happen. The industry will keep evolving, trends will keep coming, technology will keep moving fast — and you will evolve too. But in every season, if you are grounded in who you are and what you stand for, you don’t get as overwhelmed by everything that is changing around you.

It becomes less about trying to keep up with every new trend, platform or tool, and more about choosing what actually fits your business, your clients and your values.

When you know yourself, you stop building from pressure — and you start building from purpose. That is what gives you confidence, consistency and longevity in a creative industry that is constantly shifting.

The Creative Method

From the very first conversation to the final celebration, what defines your planning process?

Service. That is what defines my entire planning process. My job is to serve — truly serve — and everything else flows from that.

The other key part of my method is relationship. I genuinely believe that I have a gift for understanding my clients from the very first conversation. Once that relationship is built, it becomes easier to read what they really need, even when they cannot fully articulate it yet.

From there, my role is to translate their vision and their personality to every supplier involved. I make sure everyone understands what the client wants — not what we personally prefer to execute. That clarity is essential to creating a seamless experience.

Because I know my couples so well, I’m also able to expand on their ideas, guide them gently, and present options that feel completely aligned — almost as if I’ve known them for years.

That is how an idea becomes a real celebration for me. It starts with service, grows through relationship, and is carried through clear communication.

And honestly — it’s beautiful to watch it all come together.

Vision: Then & Now

a. When you first imagined opening your own company, what did success look like to you?

When I first started, success was very simple. It meant doing what I love and making my clients happy. Punto final.

That was my definition of success for about eleven years.

Then in 2016, when I officially registered the company as Time of My Life Events, my thinking shifted. I started to imagine it as a real business, and success suddenly looked much bigger — honestly, it looked like becoming the number one event planner in the world.

Now, success feels different again. Success is seeing the testimonials from past clients on my Google profile… and yes, actually making money too. The feedback tells me I’m doing meaningful work, and the income tells me I’ve built something real and sustainable.

b. If you were to reimagine the brand today, what new creative direction would inspire you?

I think I’m actually living that new direction already.

Time of My Life Events and Karen Maugé Weddings now exist side by side. They are both me — just expressed in different ways. Together, they represent my growth into the fullness of who I was created to be, and how that growth now shows up in my work.

Guiding Principles

Is there a belief or philosophy that consistently guides your decisions — both creatively and professionally?

Professionally, I am guided by integrity and service. Those are non-negotiables.

Creatively… that’s a bit trickier. We creatives are spontaneous by nature. Very often I follow what feels exciting or inspiring in the moment and later think, “Why on earth did I come up with this idea?”

But that’s part of the process — trusting intuition, trusting my creative instinct, and then shaping it into something meaningful for the couple.

For me, the key is combining that creative freedom with professionalism. That is what turns ideas into seamless, meaningful celebrations.

Defining Moments

Was there a particular wedding or project that marked a turning point in the evolution of Karen Maugé?

Yes — one major turning point was Live At Lunch with Time of My Life Events, a live Instagram programme I conceptualised and ran for a year.

I visited different venues and interviewed caterers, cake artists, florists, lighting specialists, decorators and other event service providers. It wasn’t just a standard interview. Each episode had something fun and interactive — a live food tasting, a venue walkthrough, or another creative twist — while sharing tips and insights for both consumers and industry colleagues.

People even started calling me just for information, and that was perfectly fine with me. I genuinely love sharing knowledge and I have never believed in gatekeeping.

Through that experience, I realised just how much Trinidad has to offer as an event destination — far beyond Carnival. I also began reflecting on my past clients and their needs, and I saw a market I could serve more intentionally.

That insight led directly to the creation of the Karen Maugé Weddings brand.

Most importantly, this project confirmed my voice in the industry. It showed me that the energy, perspective and approach I naturally bring — approachable, passionate and service-led — truly resonated with both clients and peers.

Elegance Meets Precision

Luxury weddings require both emotional depth and impeccable execution. How do you balance creativity with structure, logistics and strategic planning?

For me, planning a luxury wedding is about creating a synergy between creativity and structure — not simply balancing the two, but allowing each to strengthen the other.

The creative part is what I love most: connecting with my couples, understanding their story, dreaming up ideas and sharing in their excitement. The structured side — timelines, budgets, coordination and logistics — is what allows that vision to actually come to life, properly and professionally.

When those two work together, the result is stronger than either on its own. My clients get someone who feels deeply connected to their story, and someone who ensures every detail is executed with care and precision.

The Art of Connection

How do you build trust with your couples and translate their story into an elevated, meaningful experience?

Trust starts from the very first email — how quickly I respond, showing up on time for the consultation, and genuinely expressing my appreciation that they are even considering me as their planner.

It is also about giving them room to make their own choices, especially when it comes to vendors, rather than insisting on someone because it is “best for my brand.” I listen carefully to what they want, offer guidance when needed, and give every idea fair consideration before weighing in.

Keeping them in the loop, responding in a timely way, making them a priority, and staying on top of both their responsibilities and mine — all of that builds trust.

When that foundation is in place, translating their story into a meaningful, elevated experience becomes very natural. The experience does not start on the wedding day — it starts long before that. By the time the day arrives, everything falls beautifully into place.

Sensitivity as Strength

How do intuition, empathy and emotional awareness shape your approach to storytelling and celebration design?

Intuition, empathy and emotional awareness play a big role in how I design and tell each couple’s story.

I’m very good at picking up a client’s vibe from the very first interaction. Most times I understand them quite quickly — sometimes even before they are able to fully explain what they want. That allows me to start shaping the experience early and suggest ideas that genuinely feel like them, rather than something generic.

As the process continues, that connection grows. They feel comfortable opening up, and I feel comfortable guiding them. That trust shapes how their story comes to life.

This is especially important for destination and cross-cultural weddings, where there are often different expectations, emotions and family dynamics to navigate.

Emotional awareness also guides how I recommend service providers and build the team around each couple. It is not about my preferred vendor or who is considered the best in the market. It is about who is genuinely the right fit for them and their personality.

For me, storytelling is not just about how the wedding looks. It is about how the couple feels throughout the journey — and how the day itself is experienced. That is what shapes the celebration design and makes it truly personal.

Lessons in Growth

What has been one of the most transformative lessons in your journey so far?

One of the most transformative lessons in my journey has been learning to truly accept myself.

As I grew Time of My Life Events and began building Karen Maugé Weddings for an international audience, I realised that accepting who I already am, has made me a better leader.

I began to recognise and appreciate my real strengths — especially how passionate and emotionally invested I am in my clients. That part of me allows me to genuinely connect, to show up for them and to care deeply about their experience, not just their wedding day.

At the same time, accepting myself also meant learning to acknowledge my weaknesses without being overly critical or falling apart when they show up. Instead of seeing them as failures, I now see them as areas I can improve through support, systems and growth.

That shift has refined both my leadership and my creative vision. I lead with more confidence, more clarity and far less self-doubt — and I now trust my instincts, my experience and my own way of working.

Composure Under Pressure

How do you preserve calm, clarity and creativity under pressure?

I stay true to who I am.

The moment I start trying to impress or show up as who I think people expect me to be, the anxiety creeps in — and when that happens, the creativity goes straight out the door.

So, I focus on my client and trust my process. That is what gives me clarity under pressure, allows me to stay creative, and still execute at a high level.

The Future of Celebrations

How do you envision the future of weddings and events in Trinidad and Tobago?

Trinidad and Tobago has enormous potential for destination weddings and events. We truly have so much to offer — beautiful venues, incredible local artisans, unique experiences and an incredible pool of creative talent.

At the same time, I do believe we still have work to do as a country when it comes to customer service. And that is where I believe that I make my biggest contribution.

Every time I serve my clients with care, communicate clearly, respond promptly and refuse to let messages go unanswered for days, I am helping to shape how Trinidad and Tobago is experienced by people from outside our borders.

For me, customer service is not just about my brand. It is about the nation I represent, and the standard I want to help set for Trinidad and Tobago on the global stage.

Destination Trinidad

Do you see an opportunity for international couples to discover Trinidad as a wedding destination?

Yes, I absolutely see that opportunity.

While much of my current work focuses on Trinidadians in the diaspora returning home to get married, that has always been with the wider goal in mind — that couples with no personal ties to Trinidad and Tobago will one day choose to say “I do” here simply because of what the destination offers.

I truly believe Trinidad and Tobago can become a desirable wedding and event destination. But it will take more than individual planners and vendors. We need national support, proper investment and a clear commitment to developing our event tourism industry — from infrastructure and service standards to how we promote our creative and hospitality talent internationally.

This is very much part of my long-term vision. My work with destination and cross-border couples is not only about serving the diaspora, but about helping to build the systems, experiences and reputation that allow international couples to confidently choose Trinidad and Tobago.

Redefining Success

How has your definition of success evolved since the early days of your company?

In the early days, I didn’t really have a definition of success. I had a full-time job, and I didn’t truly see myself as running a company. I was simply doing what I loved.

Success only became something I had to think about when this became my only source of income. I began to realise how much time, energy and emotional investment I was putting into my work, and how little financial return I was seeing in comparison.

That moment — after about sixteen years in the industry — forced me to stop and admit that something had to change.

I also had to confront the pressure of what success looks like on social media. For a while, I allowed those images and stories to try to define success for me. Eventually, I had to pause and define it for myself.

Today, I believe the way God wires us and the gifts He places in us are meant to be used to earn, grow and prosper. For me, success is being a good steward of that gift — building a business that honours it, sustains me, and allows me to grow through the work I was created to do.

What Lies Ahead

What’s next for you?

Honestly, I feel like I still have so much more to do. I really do feel like I have only just begun.

I came into this as a business quite late, and sometimes I struggle with the feeling of being behind. But I also truly believe that nothing happens before its time, and I am genuinely grateful for where I am right now.

I do want to leave a legacy through my work. I don’t have a rigid picture of what that has to look like, but I am open to whatever form it takes — whether through collaborations, new destinations, new projects or creative ideas that stretch me.

I am always open to learning, developing and pushing myself into the next challenge.

I also want to mentor young entrepreneurs — not only in my industry. I want to be the support for others that I didn’t always have, so they can start earlier, grow with more confidence and find their footing sooner than I did.

Local Roots, Global Perspective

How does cultural identity influence your work?

Cultural identity is always at the top of my mind when I am designing a wedding — especially for destination couples.

Right now, most of my clients are Trinbagonians in the diaspora who want to come home to get married. So yes, the Trini vibe matters — through food, music and small cultural touches — but above all through the energy and atmosphere of the celebration.

At the same time, I am very intentional about ensuring the other partner’s culture is represented too, especially when one person is not from Trinidad and Tobago. The wedding belongs to both people — not just one side.

It gives local guests a beautiful opportunity to experience another culture and to better understand the couple as a unit. For me, strong destination wedding design reflects real relationships — two backgrounds, two families and two stories becoming one.

Authenticity in High-End Events

What does authenticity mean to you?

Authenticity is everything. I had to learn that very quickly over the past three years, or I honestly don’t think I would have survived.

I had to become completely comfortable with being myself — the passionate, excited, sometimes silly Karen who shares her story openly, who cries when it matters, but who also carries an elegant and refined side that is simply part of who I am.

When I launched Karen Maugé Weddings in 2024, I wanted it to feel different from Time of My Life Events — a little more elevated, a little more “bougie”. At first, I struggled with feeling like I had to show up differently.

That was when I realised that authenticity is not about changing who you are. It is about allowing all parts of who you are to show up in the way you want your brand to be experienced.

The same applies to my team. I want my assistants and mentees to represent the brand’s values — but not to become me. They bring their own personalities, while embracing the work ethic and standards I model.

For me, true authenticity in this industry is about honouring who you are as a person while creating an exceptional experience for your clients — and helping others do the same, so that every celebration feels real, personal and genuinely unique.