Why I Became a Wedding Planner

"Why did you become a wedding planner?"

I get asked this question a lot.  The truth is, I never really wanted to do anything else.  I have always been the girl who was mesmerized by fairy tales.  When I was a little girl, I was absolutely convinced that I was Pocahontas and my John Smith would come sweep me off my feet any minute.  Little did I know, that story didn't really go down the way Disney portrayed it.  Regardless, I was a hopeless romantic before I even knew what romance was.  

My mother has been in the wedding industry for as long as I could remember, and I always wanted to follow in her footsteps.  I, of course, had fleeting dreams of being a ballerina, an artist, a vet....but I think I always knew that I would spend my life planning weddings.  My love of all things romantic combined with my Type-A personality certainly didn't hurt.

My mom and I have been planning weddings and corporate events separately for years.  It is something we both love to do.  We are very close and even before we started working together we spoke every day.  We would discuss our projects which of course led to brainstorming and working out ideas together.  We made a great team, and that was clear.  Last year, we decided to officially combine our efforts and A&E Weddings & Events was born.  Being in business with my mother turned my dream job into an even better one.  Now I get to do what I love every day and be with my family at the same time.  I'd say I'm pretty lucky.

One of my favorite parts of being a wedding planner is meeting with new clients for the first time.  Sitting down with a newly engaged couple, learning their story, and seeing the love shared between them is better than any movie Disney ever made.  To see the excitement and joy in a bride's face while she describes the dream wedding she has always wanted never loses its luster.  When I get to know a couple, I usually get a very clear idea of the feeling their wedding day needs to portray.  Describing my visions and ideas to a couple and seeing their faces light up with excitement and happiness is a gift I get to enjoy over and over again.  There are many wonderful moments along the planning process, but that initial excitement always sticks with me.

So, why did I become a wedding planner?  I suppose because I never stopped believing in fairy tales.