Kimberly Richmond
About Me
Hometown: Born and raised in Mexico City.
When I was growing up, I wanted to: Own a hotel. I was so obsessed with the idea that I used to put proposals together for my dad to try to convince him to turn part of our house into a Bed & Breakfast and let me run it.
College: University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Celebrity crush: Tom Brady
What’s for dinner: If I’m cooking, most likely something simple and healthy. If my fiancé is cooking, it’s definitely something grilled.
Dog or cat: Both!
Green thumb: Not really, but shockingly I do have a houseplant that I’ve managed to keep alive for 17 years!
What do you drive: A Golf GTI. I’ve always been a VW girl.
Love of your life: I’m a hopeless romantic, but I have found the perfect match and I’m planning my walk down the aisle.
Likes: Yoga, hosting dinner parties, scary movies, traveling to new places, good wine, live music, thunderstorms.
Dislikes: Unloading the dishwasher, clowns, airport goodbyes, mashed potatoes.
Passionate about: Animals. I founded a pet-care company during COVID that partners with local rescue organizations to help homeless, abandoned, and abused animals get adopted.
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The Job
Why weddings: They are happy occasions and I love being surrounded by all the love. There is also something extraordinary about being such an instrumental part of one of the most special days in someone’s life.
Favorite ring setting: I’m an old fashioned, romantic at heart and a total sucker for antique rings with a story behind them. To me, an engagement ring that has been passed down from someone’s great grandmother is worth more than anything that Harry Winston has to offer.
Dream wedding destination: The Greek islands would be spectacular.
Dream honeymoon destination: Anywhere with a beach, overwater villas, and cocktails.
Best celebrity wedding: I'm not quite sure they're 'celebrities,' but I was obsessed with Will and Kate and then Harry and Meghan’s weddings.
Wedding crasher: I’ve been in 10 weddings, attended about 20 and planned well over 50.
Most fun wedding: It wasn’t one that I attended; it was one that I planned ironically enough. The bride was a Broadway actress, and half the guests were actors, singers and massively talented. The entire weekend was filled with musical performances by the guests (some were planned and some totally spontaneous). The icing on the cake was at the reception when the bride hopped up on stage and rocked out with the band (who also happened to be the band that performed at Billy Joel’s wedding).
Advice for the bride: Have a sense of humor, keep an open mind and be flexible. Some things are out of your control (like the weather) so always have a Plan B. Don’t worry about slight mishaps that are bound to happen. Focus on the reason you’re celebrating—getting married to the person you’ve chosen to spend happily ever after with.
Advice for the groom: Happy wife, happy life.
Advice for the wedding planner: One of my “superpowers” as a planner was the ability to always remain calm. Calm in front of my clients and calm in front of my team. I could be freaking out on the inside, but I realized that if I didn’t freak out on the outside, neither would my clients (or my team). My mother always told me that “everything has a solution” and it really does. It’s much easier to figure out the solution after taking a deep breath!
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My Career
Traveled everywhere from the Canary Islands to Morocco to Caribbean Islands with Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts as Director of International Sales and with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts as International Sales & Marketing Manager.
Started in event planning when recruited by Saks Fifth Avenue to be Director of Marketing & Special Events for their flagship store in Manhattan, planning and executing hundreds of lavish events for a host of international high-profile clients, and celebrities.
Launched “Runaway Bride Destination Weddings,” an international, destination wedding planning company, in 2011. Sold it in 2020.
Has been featured in major publications such as Brides, Shape Magazine, Travel Weekly, Grace Ormonde Weddings, Style Me Pretty and more.
Was a Romance Travel Correspondent for CBS New Travel Editor Peter Greenberg.
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Testimonials
"I cannot say enough wonderful things about working with ALHI Weddings, specifically Kimberly Richmond and Jessica Philip! They are the epitome of true hospitality professionals! As a third party meeting planner, it can take days to track down hotels sometimes when its super busy or peak season. Kimberly and Jessica never fail to get me offers quickly from the hotels they service, along with help with my questions, suggestions for clients and constant follow up to ensure my clients are well taken care of. I love working with these ladies, it is always a pleasure and I am so grateful for their top notch hospitality and amazing assistance!"
—Alexa Guadagno, Sales Manager, LM Media Worldwide, LLC/Kleinfeld Hotel Blocks
"Working with Kimberly and her team at ALHI Weddings has been more wonderful than I can effectively put into words! I truly view ALHI and ALHI Weddings as an extension of my own team. Our relationship over the past couple years has grown to become one of trust, respect, mutual passion and a sense of urgency for creating the very best weddings and social events for our clientele - from destination and resort recommendations and relationships, to enhanced incentives and greater value that we are able to present our clients with, it's a win-win for all parties involved and I look forward to partnering with the ALHI Weddings team more and more as I know that they have our very best interests in mind, always. The exposure to Luxury Destination Venues throughout the world and all that their partners can lend to my clients' guest experience is simply immeasurable and I am truly appreciative to have them as a reliable resource."
—Oniki Hardtman, Founder & Creative Director, Oh Niki Occasions
