Talena Companion: Keeping the Hills Alive with Music … and Lighting and Photo Booth
Everyone thinks weddings are all about the cake, right? Let’s be honest. After the rose petals have been swept up, people talk about the party. (No offense to all the amazing bakers and frosters out there.) Talena Companion and her team at Premier Entertainment take that party seriously with music, lighting and photo booth tailored to each wedding or event. Her goal? To keep the dance floor jumping till the last cocktail frank gets whisked away.
Tell me about your background.
Well, I grew up in Wheelock, in the Northeast Kingdom. I spent one year at Lyndon State then decided to move to New York City in 2005 to study gemology. I found a place to live in Spanish Harlem and started taking classes full-time at the Gemological Institute of America.
That’s a pretty huge shift, Northeast Kingdom to the heart of Manhattan.
Yeah, I had visited New York with a friend in high school. My jaw just dropped, my eyes opened, and I knew I had to live there at some point. I had worked part-time at a jewelry store in high school and saw ads for the Gemological Institute of America and thought, that’s my ticket.
So how did you get from gemology to running a high-end entertainment company?
I found a job on Craigslist. An event space near NYU needed a host, so I dove in headfirst. We did celebrity gigs, corporate events, bar mitzvahs, premieres for HBO. It seems like quite the shift but really it happened naturally. I had a lot of experience with events and worked at a hotel in the Northeast Kingdom. I was taking classes from 9 to 4 all week and then working the event space 40-plus hours on nights and weekends. Talk about the city never sleeping!
What came next?
I worked for a year or so in the Diamond District but decided to go back to Vermont and finish my degree. The jewelry industry had taken a hit after 2008, and I always knew I would start my own company one day. So I re-enrolled at Lyndon State and earned three degrees in a year and a half: Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship, Finance and Accounting & Business Administration with a minor in Marketing. Then I got a job as banquet captain at the Windjammer in Burlington and also worked banquets at the Essex Resort and Spa, because one job is never enough! After that, I decided to give the corporate world a try and worked jobs in communications, health care at GE, and at Dealer.com.
What’s the origin story of Premier Entertainment?
It all started on a car ride to a basketball game! I had met my husband, Jim Companion, through a mutual friend in 2012. We were carpooling with a friend one day and he suggested we start our own company. We laughed a little and then took it into serious consideration. That night we made our decision: We were going to start our very own entertainment company! We didn’t want to work 9 to 5 so we jumped in with both feet. Jim quit his accounting job late in 2013 and I followed in May 2014. We did 40 weddings that first year from June to October. We couldn’t have asked for a better or busier first year. We had a huge learning curve but loved it.
Premier Entertainment is just the two of you?
No, it’s actually a family business. My two brothers, Stephen and Liam, work with us. My husband, Jim, had years of experience as a DJ, and Stephen has been an entertainer his whole life. He’s a professional break-dancer and has traveled the world. He learned to DJ just from immersion—wherever there’s dancing, there’s music! We also have a handful of part-time employees who help with the photo booth.
So what does your company provide, and whom do you serve?
We provide DJ, lighting and photo booth services. We love to travel and have served clients throughout New England. Most events are in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York. Seventy-five percent of our business is wedding-based but we also perform community events, charity gatherings, corporate events, anniversaries and birthday parties, especially milestones. We also do karaoke and trivia nights in the off-season, from December through April. That’s a fun way for us to change things up and keep fresh on the microphone.
What are a few points to consider when planning an event?
Up-lighting has become extremely popular as a way to create ambience, as part of the decor or just to warm the space. Lighting can be elegant during cocktails and the meal but then become a party motivator as we program them to change colors to the beat of the music.
Why is Vermont such a wedding magnet?
Seventy percent of our couples have chosen Vermont as a destination for their wedding because they have some connection here. Vermont is the perfect backdrop for any wedding, spring, summer, fall or winter, with so much to offer, including recreation, farm-to-table food, incredible vistas and a sense of community rarely found elsewhere. Couples who choose to get married in Vermont tend to be genuine, fun, family-oriented and less interested in the spotlight. They usually lead impactful, grounded lives. With our global culture, weddings and events have become opportunities to bring family and friends from afar together in a beautiful place.
How does a typical year roll?
The wedding season runs from late April through early November, and bookings come in from November through March. We perform at 120 weddings and about 40 other events each year. The winter months give us a chance to regroup, review the previous season, look to the future and buy new equipment. That’s when we have all our wedding shows, and I spend most winter evenings on Skype meeting prospective clients. I handle sales and marketing while Jim focuses on the accounting and manages the DJ aspect.
Challenges?
The physicality of the job, the long days and really long nights.
Pleasures?
I love getting to know the couples. They share their lives with us, and we eventually get to meet their near and dear. Sometimes I have to stop myself from crying during the father-daughter dance or a meaningful toast. It’s also great working with Jim and my two brothers. We trust each other completely. We’re all problem solvers and can handle it when things sometimes go sideways. Jim and I also get to spend so much time together since we’re running this business together. After an event, we come home on an adrenaline rush, order in a pizza and do a download. Then we crash.
What keeps you going?
When I ask a couple what’s important about their wedding, nine times out of 10 they say, “We just want a great party for our friends and family.” Jim and I have a whatever-it-takes mentality, 100% focused on providing the best experience for the people involved. The days and nights are long but when we get heartfelt appreciation from the clients at the end of the event, that makes it all worthwhile. It’s invigorating to hear that our services are impactful.
Five Rapid Fire
Breakfast today?
Three-egg omelet. I eat eggs every day.
Favorite childhood meal?
My dad’s spaghetti and meatballs made from scratch. A weekly staple in our house.
Cake, pie or cookies?
I’m not really a sweets person … except when I was pregnant!
Guilty pleasure in food or drink?
The pear martini at Leunig’s Bistro.
Late-night snack?
Hot pizza delivered to our door right as we get back from an event.
Advice to Couples Planning an Event
Plan early.
Ideally, start nine to 18 months ahead of time.
Delegate.
Most of our couples are type A and enjoy high-powered careers with a lot of control. Working with trusted vendors and tapping reliable family and friends allows them to let go and enjoy their big day.
Enjoy the planning process.
Take it one step at a time.
Don’t waste energy on details that don’t interest you.
Napkin color? Floral design? Parking? Leave those decisions to someone else.
Add personal touches.
Dogs, special craft beers or ciders (easy in Vermont!), name tables based on personal connections—ski mountains, towns, etcetera.
Find vendors with whom you feel a rapport.
It has to work on both sides to create a fun, rewarding experience for everyone.
Premier Entertainment
Gemological Institute of America
Lyndon State | @lyndon_state
Windjammer
Essex Resort and Spa
Leunig’s Bistro | @leunigs
