David C. McKnight, the creative force behind Emerald City Designs, was captivated as a child by the accolades and medals bestowed by the Wizard in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. That inspiration is evident in David’s aptly-named studio, where he brings clients' event visions to life—or as David says, "where we make the magic happen."
I ask David how he got into event design and planning.
“I knew I had a creative edge,” David says. “During my career at Electronic Data Systems, I helped two colleagues, one with a birthday party and one with a ceremony and reception. Once I had the experience, I knew I’d found my direction: to ‘decorate’ events on a high-end level.”
That clarity led David to create Emerald City Designs. His first client wanted her wedding to be “everything sunflowers.”
“Because it was my first wedding,” David recalls, “I really concentrated on the details, making the details perfect. Back then, I was developing creatively, so I collaborated with other professional floral designers who cared about ‘the deets’ as much as I did.”
The wedding was a success, and that first client became a longtime friend.
“Executing designs is where my passion lies,” David says. He gets inspired by each client’s style and personality.
“We dive into the relationship,” David explains. “Meaningful numbers and words, a client’s talent, their favorite hobby, their travel, their pets at home. It’s all about building relationships.”
David rejects the phrase “overthinking things” when it comes to his work.
“Overthinking is ok,” David explains. “You want everything to be as perfect as it can be. I make sure to align myself with services that complement the personality and the overall vision. Otherwise the overthinking gets worse.”
Emerald City Designs has created unforgettable events for every kind of occasion and in every imaginable location, from oversized floral covered chuppahs to equestrian stables.
I ask David what he’s learned along the way. His answers: first, follow your intuition, and second, “if in doubt, make a change.”
David created KIDSgala, a David C. McKnight Foundation, as a philanthropic outlet for giving back.
“Nicole, the daughter of my longtime friend Shelly, had a long fight with leukemia, and we wanted to give her some joy with family and friends,” David reveals. "We started to plan a celebration for Nicole, but she relapsed and passed away. Sadly, what was to be her gifted celebration turned into her memorial luncheon.”
David created KIDSgala, a David C. McKnight Foundation, in Nicole’s memory. Its goal: to gift celebrations to children who have or are battling a life-altering event. They’ve helped dozens of children change their focus from struggling to partying.
“Gifting parties to children going through unfortunate times gives hope,” David says. “It’s all about the kiddos.”
David’s received multiple international awards; he’s manifested those accolades he used to thrill to watching The Wizard of Oz. And given the over-the-rainbow magic it adds to every event, it’s fair to say there’s no place like Emerald City Designs.