We are thrilled to have recently interviewed Percy Sales, the Creative Director and Principal Planner of Percy Sales Events. Percy established his international wedding planning and event design company based in Santa Barbara back in 2000 after leaving the tech world. Since then, you might have seen him on the small screen on shows like Fox’s MasterChef, TLC’s Battle of the Wedding Designers and WeTV’s Platinum Weddings or written up in Vogue and TheKnot. His signature style, modern and romantic with a bit of quirk, has become a mainstay over the last couple of decades at events in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and beyond.
Fun Fact: Percy planned a whimsical dinner party at the Santa Ynez Inn and we got to cater the dinner. A snapshot of the stunning round tablescape became one of our most-liked Instagram posts of all-time! See a photo below.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
Open my eyes? This is a really funny question because it pretty much is the same thing for me and maybe most people. Besides the usual hygiene stuff that most people do, the first thing I do is check my calendar and see what the day looks like followed by checking my emails, text and What’s App messages first thing in the morning. After that’s all done, I scroll through my social media pages.
What’s your all-time favorite movie?
This is a hard question because I have so many all-time favorite movies depending on how I am feeling. But if I had to choose one, I would probably say To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. The movie has all the elements I love and it always puts me in a good mood. Plus seeing Patrick Swazye, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo in drag is priceless.
What’s one thing you love about the event industry?
The one thing I love about the event industry is the passion people have for creating events. Seriously, if you don’t have passion for what you do in this industry, you won’t last. It’s a feel-good industry and we are about giving people an experience that they will remember.
Tell us about your pet(s).
Oh, I love our dog, Otto! We rescued him about 10 years ago from the Long Beach kill shelter. He is a Scottish Terrier, Cairn Terrier mix and we adore him! Besides Otto we have had a myriad of pets come through our home as our kid has grown: goldfishes (Mary, Kate and Ashley), hamsters (Frida, French Fry and Mocha Chocolata Yaya) and currently, our Chinese Water Dragon, Stewie. We have a revolving door of smaller pets coming through Casa Beardsley-Sales.
What’s your day-to-day look like right now?
My day-to-day right now is so random. Seriously, I feel some days it’s like groundhog day – maybe because I am wearing the same outfit (not really but feels like it). A lot of it revolves around zoom calls, phone calls and doing stuff around the house. I miss being able to venture out and visit with people in person, but I’m also trying to do my part. So, yeah, as my son would say, “Dad, can we get outside so we can see something different than the inside of our house?”
What’s your favorite quote to live by?
I have two that I love and they are interchangeable throughout the day:
- Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames. – Rumi
- Good luck and don’t fuck it up. – Ru Paul
Describe your favorite meal.
I love food as much as I love to travel so this is a loaded question. But when I think of my favorite meal I always think of my mom’s cooking and my Filipino heritage. It always brings a smile to my face. A good pork adobo with pancit is my fave. But when all else fails and I can’t get that, a good eggplant parmesan does the trick, too.
Where do you look for inspiration?
I look for inspiration in my travels. People, architecture and cultures are always inspiring.
Name three things you can’t live without.
My Apple iPhone (currently the iPhone 11 Pro Max)
Kiehl’s Age Defender Cream Moisturizer
Vicks Vapo Rub (haha, but seriously, it’s a cure-all)
Where can we find you?
Email: percy@percysales.com
Read our interview with Deborah James of Bella Vita Events.
Read our interview with Jessica Whitney of ZOē Productions.
Read our interview with Liese Gardner of Liese Gardner Communications.
Read our interview with Nicole Gillis of Nicole Alexandra Designs.
