Student Spotlight - Jessica Taylor

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Students Spotlight

Student Spotlight – Jessica Taylor

by Lovegevity | Dec 15 | Blog, Student Spotlight | 0 comments

My confidence was low going into this project, but once I saw what I was able to accomplish, I was actually really proud of myself. So, my advice is to just start. It seems intimidating, but once you start, you’ll love it! I’ve learned you’ll never learn more than you will by actually doing. Volunteer. Inter. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Whatever you do, just get out there and get involved.

What 3 things would you like to share about yourself?

1. I have 3 dogs and they are my life!

2. Since my mom is a Special Event Director, I’ve been helping with events in some capacity for as long as I can remember.

3. My love of theater and how it allows people to escape the real world is what fuels my passion for events. I think a great event can allow people to put their phones down and forget their worries for a little bit.

Why did you enroll in the Certified Wedding and Event Planning and Design Programs?

I decided to become a wedding planner after my mom started our family owned and operated wedding and event planning company in 2012.

What was the inspiration for this project?

The inspiration for this project was a love for people. I’ve worked with a couple of lesbian couples through our company, and they have been some of the most interesting and creative weddings that I have ever been a part of.

I also feel like there should be more information out there about LBGT weddings and that we should be a little less gender specific in our conversations about weddings. I wanted to shine a spotlight on a unique couple and maybe even get a conversation about gay weddings and the need for information and inclusion started.

What did you find to be the most challenging?

I thought the most challenging part was not falling into a Pinterest and Google blackhole! Lol! I had this vision in my mind, but had to find all of the images and vendors to execute it.

That meant a lot of searching and searching and searching for the perfect pictures to really show my vision for this couple.

What was your favorite part?

My favorite part was pulling it all together. As I was building the website that is my project presentation, I got to see it all come to life. I kept thinking about how cool it was to see my vision come to life. I can’t wait to do this for real!

What was the biggest take-away you learned?

The biggest take-away for me was to set fear aside and just do it. I was terrified to start this project. I was so afraid of failure and of not being able to create something incredible that I literally ditched the course for weeks. I just put it on the back burner and tried to forget about it for a while.

When I finally decided that I had to get over myself and just do it, I found that it was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. It was easier than I thought because it was fun! I was actually enjoying myself. Because of that, my creativity was able to thrive and I was able to develop a really cool event.

What advice do you have for anyone planning to start a career in wedding and event planning?

My advice for someone trying to become a wedding planner is to do a course. Learn all of the ‘Ins-and-Outs’ of the business that you can via text and lectures and conversations.

Most importantly, get out there. You’ll never learn more than you will by actually doing. Volunteer. Intern. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Whatever you do, just get out there and get involved.