You'll love getting to know this beautiful woman with a plan, let's jump right into it!
Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Larissa but everyone calls me Lara, a passionate Wedding Planner, mother of 2 handsome boys and an HR Professional..Ohh and a Natural Hair Advocate.
What’s something that’s exciting/motivating you these days?
I would say my kids, I work hard every day to be able to provide for them and being their positive role model.
What gave you the idea to start Cheerful Knots. Do you remember that moment?
Well, I can’t quite remember the exact moment but I’ve always loved weddings. I always enjoy planning a wedding. Knowing that I am helping in making someone’s wedding day the happiest of their life gives me great satisfaction. So when I realized that almost all of my close friends and family members are married, I started wondering when I was going to feel that excitement again and came up with the idea, voilà!
I know our wedding wouldn’t have been the same without you, how do you keep track of “all the things”?
Haha, I thank your hubby by the way, he was one of the first people who saw that in me, who believed I could be of help.
To keep track of everything, I always have a checklist with me. As soon as I start planning a wedding, I work on a tasks list and not just big tasks, even the small small tasks and everything has a deadline.
How do you keep calm when things don’t go according to plan, or navigate different opinions and temperaments in the wedding party?
First, I already know that it never goes as planned so I hire the best team (creative and dedicated) that will help me come up with quick alternatives. Making sure that whatever challenges I face on the wedding day don’t get to the couple. They hire me to have a stress-free wedding, I have to deliver.
How do you remain or get inspired? Any tips you could share?
I am always on Pinterest and follow as many wedding related pages as possible. Every time I get a client, I try my best to understand their taste for me to be able to suggest relevant ideas
How do you manage work, play, and family life?
Prioritizing!! Knowing when to do what and using my weekends productively. And I have a supportive husband who helps me with the kids when it becomes unmanageable.
Let’s talk about hair, you have a glorious crown, have you always been proud to rock the curls, or was that a journey?
Thank you! What I know is that I’ve never been proud of my relaxed hair as I am with my natural hair. It was so thin and honestly, I didn’t know natural hair was an option until my cousin started the journey and I got inspired but back then finding natural hair products was a struggle, we had to wait for people coming from abroad. But now we have products around and even natural hair dedicated salons, AMAZING, right? And I love to see many Rwandan ladies rocking their natural hair.
What are your favorite hairstyles for…
- Everyday: Wash n Go and High Bun
- Special occasions: Bantu knots out
Do you work with brides on planning their hairdos? Bridal hair can play a big role in the final look, any tips you can share with future brides?
I only advise and recommend the best hair stylists. Tips? Just know the hairstyle that suits your face shape
What’s your current routine?
LCO
Is there something you know now, that you wish you knew sooner?
I wish I knew how important it was to keep my hair hydrated
Switching gears a bit, what are your thoughts on social media/today's media landscape?
For a business, social media is very helpful. I haven’t yet invested in promoting my business page but still I get clients from Social media. Yes, I have supportive friends and of course they also use social media to support. It has its cons mainly a lot of bullying and lack of privacy (for personal accounts) but business wise, marketing is less expensive now due to social media.
Anything else?
I just hope Covid will end soon and we go back to normal life. I miss weddings and I look forward to serving anyone who’s planning to have a wedding in Rwanda.
And thank you for IRABA, the best products by far. Everyone noticed the difference ever since I started using them.
Where could people find you?
For now, they can find me on my Instagram page @cheerfulknots or Whatsapp/call +250788418807
Thanks so much for doing this. We like to remind our people how incomparable they are. It’s inspiring to speak to someone who is living their creativity!