Grace Beason
We’re excited to kick off a new feature in our newsletter—Meet the Planners—our inaugural member profile series that introduces the people working behind the proverbial curtain to keep campus events running smoothly. This is just the beginning of a series highlighting the different voices, roles, and stories across our campus community, giving you a closer look at the people making it all happen. First up is Grace Beason, a talented event planner whose creativity and attention to detail bring Duke Gardens events to life in ways both big and small.
We recently caught up with Grace to hear about her journey, her approach to event planning, and what she’s learned along the way.
What first drew you to event planning?
“From as long as I can remember, I’ve always been drawn to weddings. Before moving to Durham, I worked for a celebrity wedding planner in New York City, which really cemented this passion. Eventually, I decided to start my own business, Grace Leisure Events, in 2006. I focused on large-scale weddings, social events and fundraisers, and branched out to food festivals as well. The big, complex events really shaped my love for creating innovative and memorable experiences.”
What brought you to Duke? How do you like it?
“I actually stepped away from event planning for a while. I was feeling pretty burned out and wanted to spend more time with my family. After the pandemic, I found my way to Duke, where I worked as an event planner at Pratt, and really enjoyed my work and colleagues. After a layoff in August, I moved to Duke Gardens, where I’ve been for the past six months, now focusing more on weddings again. I’ve loved being in this beautiful environment and getting back to my wedding roots—it feels like I’ve come full circle. Overall, my time at Duke has been incredibly fulfilling. There’s something special about planning events here, and I love the sense of community and the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with faculty, students, and community clients. It gives me a real sense of pride.”
What does success look like when planning an event, and do you have any tips or tricks to share?
“For me, success is when everything looks and feels seamless to the client and guests, even if there are minor issues behind the scenes. If I can stay calm, troubleshoot in the moment, and no one ever knows something went wrong, that’s a win. I’m a big believer in having multiple backup plans, because something will come up, and you have to be ready to pivot. One thing I’d recommend is keeping an eye on how tech is transforming the event space and experimenting to see what works best for you. When it comes to planning, I’m a pen-and-paper person at heart, but I’ve also been learning new programs to stay current and keep things running as smoothly as possible.”
A big thank you to Grace for sharing her journey and perspective. We’re excited to continue Meet the Planners and introduce more of the talented individuals who bring our campus events to life.
