Annie Lee is the principal planner of Daughter of Design, a leading wedding and event planning business, and founder of PLANNIE, a platform where you can hire event planners and day-of producers on an hourly basis. With over 20 years of experience, Annie has been recognized as “The Wedding Doctor” by Refinery29 and “The Party Planner” by New York Magazine. In the spirit of of AAPI Heritage Month, we reached out to Annie to pick her brain as a fellow Asian-owned business in the wedding industry.
How did you get your start in wedding planning? How long have you been doing it?
I started working in events in 2000 with the San Francisco Opera and part-timed with a Bay Area planner. When I moved to NYC, I started my own wedding planning side business, and here I am! So I guess I’m at year 25 in events!
What would you say differentiates Daughter of Design from other wedding planners?
A couple main things. I approach events from an interior design and boutique hotel vibe, which you’ll see in a lot of our designs. Also, we are very different because we bill hourly, which has been a really refreshing offering to our clients who don’t want to get a one-size-fits-all flat rate package or be penalized for a big budget with a percentage model.
Tell us a bit about your platform, PLANNIE. Have you found that clients have utilized it for wedding events?
PLANNIE is a platform where you can hire event planners and day-of producers on an hourly basis. So it’s great for anyone looking for some help but by no means needs a full service planner. I call it “event planning a la carte.” 40% of users are working on wedding-related events from proposals, showers, rehearsal dinners to the wedding itself. The rest of our users are planning anything from corporate dinners and editors events to birthday parties, and even funerals.
As a fellow AAPI-owned business, we’d love to know how you think your own culture and upbringing influenced the way you approach wedding planning (if at all).
I definitely think there are some general influences such as high work ethic, but also as a minority with a strong sense of culture, I pay particular attention to accurate representation of ethnic backgrounds, history, religion, arts & design, etc.—something as simple as a tablecloth that is Moroccan print, not Indian.
Can you describe your ideal clients to work with?
Design lovers who don’t sweat the small stuff. Someone who wants to do something different but understands that I have to stay within the laws of time, space, and gravity, so are realistic!
What do you need from clients to help you do your best work?
Their confidence in me.
Do you have any advice for couples who want to incorporate cultural traditions in their wedding? What about tips for those who want to merge or balance elements of two or more distinct cultures?
Don’t be Captain Obvious. Something as subtle as a font or line motif can give the essence of a particular culture—no need to hit it on the nose!
Can you describe a wedding you’re most proud of? We’d love to see photos!
We planned a wedding on a 290 ft mega yacht and sailed around from Sicily, Amalfi Coast to Ischia.
What are the most popular wedding trends you’re seeing in 2025? What do you expect to see a lot of in 2026?
There is a big draw to maximalism. More is more, and print on print.
Do you offer your services outside of NYC, LA, SF, and MIA or travel for any destination weddings?
Yes and yes!
Best way for people to contact you about planning a wedding?
Send us an email at info@daughterofdesign.com!
To learn more about Annie Lee, check out her website or follow her on Instagram. Photographer Credits: PS Photography, Daniel Colvin Photography, Liz Andolina Photography, Sarah Falugo, Dave Robbins Photography
Questions? Give us a shout at help@hiholden.com or a ring (pun intended) at 646.722.6817.