Named one of the “best of” planners by Brides Magazine and Martha Stewart Weddings, Anna Lucia Richardson brings a ceaseless love and passion to planning and designing for any event imaginable. Outside of work, the married mother of two sits on the Board of Directors for The Above and Beyond Foundation, The Engage! Foundation and is involved in several initiatives within the arts community in and around Tampa Bay.
I started my career in the retail industry as an assistant buyer before moving back into construction and real estate development. During that time, I was asked to help plan a lot of the company’s events and found it to be my creative outlet. In 2007, I decided to start my own company and the rest is history.
My company curates milestone events, from weddings to social events to corporate events and beyond, and it has become a multifaceted global brand that defines boutique excellence and smart curation across the event, art, lifestyle and design spheres.
I don’t think people realize how many hours can go into planning and designing high-end, custom, one-of-a-kind events. A 150-person guest list event can take well over 350 people to make that event happen—from the catering team to the photo and video teams, to the entertainers and all the people behind the scenes.
I never let my failures knock me down for good. Each and every time I have pulled myself back up and started all over again, no matter how hard or impossible it may have seemed. Don’t fear failure. “Fear kills more dreams, than failure ever will.” – Suzy Kassem.
One of my goals is to change the narrative for women entrepreneurs and business leaders. To help make it the norm for the next generation of male counterparts to show their support, instead of making any woman feel guilty or inferior for excelling in a field that might have originally been dominated by men.
I look up to almost every woman I know, along with many I personally don’t know: those who have paved the path before me, those going on this journey in life beside me and those who are just getting started. There’s just so much talent out there, it is beyond inspiring.
Of all of the places I’ve ever lived, Tampa feels the most like home to me. The growth I’ve seen since making the move back in 2009 to now is just astonishing and exciting. When our out-of-state clients ask what Tampa is like, I always say it’s the best biggest little city in Florida. It’s just big enough without it being overwhelming. It’s family-oriented but also has a draw for those without families. I think that’s what I loved most about it and what made it so easy to transition from single to married to having a family, because there’s something for everyone. It personally gave me a new beginning and I will be forever grateful for that.
I am a cowgirl at heart. If I didn’t live in Tampa and love it so much, I’d move out west in a heartbeat, live on a ranch and literally ride off into the sunset.
I grew up around animals, showing and riding horses and always thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. Clearly, I followed a very different path.
I’m most proud of my two beautiful children. I still cannot believe I’m lucky enough to be their mom.
The biggest item on my bucket list is to hike Kilimanjaro before I turn 50.
If I could wake up tomorrow with a new quality or skill it would be the ability to draw. We have a number of really talented artists in my family, my mother included, and while I definitely have a creative gene in me, drawing/sketching/painting wasn’t one that was passed on to me.
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