Why I Do This

I remember being in an introductory event logistics course in college and on the first day, the professor asked us to go around and say what we were hoping to do in the hospitality industry after we graduated. At the time, I hadn't thought too much about what I wanted to do in the hospitality industry, but I knew (at least I thought I knew) that I did not want to do anything related to weddings. So when it came to my turn, I made something up. I told the class that I wanted to go into the music industry. I said I wanted to work for a music venue to organize and coordinate concerts. I told my friends and family that is is what I was interested in doing, and even began to convince myself that this is what I wanted to do.  

Fast forward about two years when one of my best friends got engaged. She was planning a wedding on a small budget, and asked if I could help with ideas and some of the planning. She knew that I was in school for hospitality management, and though I wasn't working towards becoming a wedding planner, I at least had some experience in the industry and could lend a helping hand and some knowledge.

Nancy Ray Photography

Her wedding is what we would define as a "DIY wedding." We made everything. We picked up the linens, created the playlist, designed the centerpieces, decorated the ceremony space, and hand-wrote the escort cards. There was a lot for us to do, and I helped her every step of the way through the planning process. On the day of the wedding, I was in charge of making sure everything got done. My friend entrusted me to organize all the details and delegate tasks to the people there to help in order to make sure everything was done in time. 

The wedding went incredibly well, considering they did not have a professional vendor at the wedding other than the caterer. This wedding showed me how much goes into planning a wedding and made me realized that I wanted to be able to be part of other people's weddings in a way that allowed them to relax on the wedding day and not stress about the details. 

So looking back, I can point to this day as the day I realized that I wanted to be in the wedding industry. Since that day, I have had the opportunity to work with so many brides plan and coordinate their weddings, and it has been such an honor! The reason that I have continued in this career path is because I have learned how much of a privilege it is to be able to be even a small part in helping make someone's wedding day amazing.  

I absolutely love seeing things go from the beginning planning stages all the way through to the final exit. I love learning what is important to the couple and helping make that a part of their day. I love being able to watch two individuals become one couple united by love and see them as they take their first steps into marriage together. These reasons (and many more) are why I do this, and I can't imagine myself doing anything else! 

~ Kristin