It’s impossible to pinpoint just one experience that led me to start de Vasco’s Daughters. Frankly, there are so many to choose from.

I believe all of your life experiences take you to where you’re meant to be. I never sought to create a wedding planning and design business when I was younger, yet here I am—soaking in every sweet memory shared with my couples.

Every couple is so special to me. Like their uniquely beautiful weddings, each couple’s legacy of love is set apart and worth cherishing for a lifetime. I’m honored to partner with them to visualize and craft their dream wedding day.

While there are so many layers to my story, let’s start at what I consider to be the beginning.

A beloved heritage of artisans

I come from a long line of artisans. My grandmother Shirley Maree Vasconsuelos was the artist matriarch of our large Portuguese family. I deeply admired and loved her. 

Nothing was as important to her as family. A wonderfully talented painter, my grandma created a collection of delicate artwork over many decades.

The women who followed in Shirley’s footsteps are equally talented, interesting, and passionate. They’ve become photographers, artists, poets, and makers—all with unique voices and stories to share. I’m blessed to be among them.

Unleashing my inner artist

Throughout my life, I’ve been encouraged to explore my passions. No matter if it was hand-creating Christmas cards, learning (and re-learning) how to knit, or hand-painting murals, I felt most at home when I was creating art.

This passion led me to pursue a BA in communications at the University of Minnesota. From there, I worked on and off in the service industry for 35 years but always found a way to pursue my art. 

I was a personal stylist for Anthropologie for almost nine years. I was a guest designer on an HGTV show, Decorating Cents with Joan Steffend, for around eight seasons. I also worked as a freelance designer for homeowners who wanted to beautifully renovate their homes.  

While teaching art masterpiece classes at the Minneapolis Art Institute, I raised my daughters to explore their artistic gifts at a young age. As they became older, I volunteered at different organizations and became the president of the cheerleading booster club for seven years.

As you can see, there were many experiences that led me to a whole new endeavor. 

The start of something new 

For years, I was known as someone who loved to entertain guests in my home. By hosting gatherings, I had a delightful excuse to experiment with new design concepts and create unique events that left a lasting impression.

One of these gatherings was a beautiful outdoor engagement party for my daughter Alexa. I planned and executed every detail, from the catering and floral design to the invitations and party favors. 

For the dinner party, I had a majestic oak tree wrapped in twinkling lights with a vintage chandelier hanging from a tree branch that draped over our deck. I also burned their initials and wedding date on small slices of wood that were placed where everyone sat. I hired a photographer to capture photos of the whole night and then posted them on Facebook. 

To my surprise, I received an overwhelming response from friends who said, “Krista, you’re so good at this. You need to be doing more of this.” After designing my daughter’s wedding later that year and enjoying every minute of it, I thought my friends might be onto something.

While I had decades of experience in designing, styling, communications, and customer service, I had never worked in the wedding industry before. How would I even get started?

My inner critic had never been louder. To succeed, I knew I had to stop listening to the voices in my head trying to convince me I couldn’t do it. Instead, I believed and invested in myself by jumping into this new business idea.

Honoring my family’s legacy with our name

When I decided to take the leap and start my business, I didn’t have any idea of what it would entail—let alone what I wanted to name it. I was originally thinking of incorporating my own name, but logo concepts with the Krista Hess Crawford branding never felt quite right.

I wanted the name to feel personal, meaningful, and significant while also honoring where I’d come from. While brainstorming, I was reminded of how my grandma Shirley signed all of her paintings with a “de Vasco” signature.

By incorporating “de Vasco” into the name, I created a business that honored my family’s legacy while carving the path for future generations of artists. When my daughters expressed interest in working alongside me, it inspired the perfect business name: de Vasco’s Daughters.

Selecting the right brand name helped so many of the other puzzle pieces fall into place. In the first few years, I learned so much about the importance of finding your ideal client, creating a cohesive brand voice, and building a community of supportive wedding vendors. All these experiences helped me get to where I am today.

The story continues

And the rest, as they say, is history. I’ve found my passion in creating high-touch, intentional designs for modern, style-led couples. 

Seeing the tears in their eyes when they exchange vows or the joy on their faces during the room reveal gives me a deep sense of meaning and worth in my job.

Each couple inspires us to stretch beyond trends and limitations to create timeless, elegant weddings, enriched with delicate details. My team and I work with a selective number of clients every year so we can give them the best of our attention. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Now, you’ve heard some of my stories. I’d love to hear more of yours. 

To see if de Vasco’s Daughters is the perfect fit for you, schedule a call so we can discuss more. I would be honored to be part of your love story!