We recently connected with Allison Schmitz and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Allison, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
I began my wedding coordination business in late 2018. I started doing some photography on the side as well for some extra money. I knew pretty quickly that I loved the pacing and the work of what many call “Month-of Wedding Coordination” and I sought out to perfect the process. I loved coming into the couple’s wedding planning towards the end, tying up all of the loose ends, and making sure the day they planned went smoothly. While this vision for wedding coordination developed, you could hear me being vocal about the fact that I would never photograph weddings. I would say my coordination company, Veil + Vine Coordination, is already different than the industry standard. I feel as if we have modernized the planning process for couples looking for extra help in the final months of the engagement. From my experience, there aren’t many wedding planners that do not offer full or even partial planning as an option. Month-of Coordination is our bread and butter, and I would not have it any other way.
Going into mid-2019, I began photographing weddings and have loved every moment since. I felt like it was possible I was taking on too much, or clients would be too confused that Veil + Vine had photography as well as coordination. We are often updating and taking steps to make these two services more autonomous, while also having the option of utilizing both services on a wedding day. So often a wedding coordinator and a photographer work in tandem on the wedding day — my idea was that these two wedding vendors could be on the same team.
In mid-2021, my husband and I opened Studio V + V, a small event space and a space for creative projects in Addison, TX. I have loved how what I do has continued to expand, shift, and change over time and that my work looks different than many in the industry while also getting to collaborate with so many in the industry as well day to day. I would love to one day open a wedding venue, train more amazing Month-of Coordinators, and continue to pursue photography.
Allison, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Of course! A little about me: My name is Allison Schmitz. I’m 27 years old. My five year anniversary with my husband, Robert, is on August 17th. We live in Richardson, TX in our new home with our two cats and our baby boy due in early September! A few fun facts: I may have dark brown, red or blonde hair when you meet me, I am an Enneagram 4w3 if you’re into that sort of thing, and I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2001!
The formation of my business was not something that occured overnight with a single idea, but a slow development of my passions over time. I graduated from Baylor University in 2017 with a degree in Corporate Communications. I went on to pursue my masters in clinical mental health counseling. With frustration that I was not contributing to my husband and I’s income while being in school, I looked into what I could do to make some extra money on my own. I googled and searched on youtube about wedding planning. With no prior training whatsoever, I began Veil + Vine Weddings. Over the next year, I began to niche down into what we call Month-of Wedding Coordination – a service for couples who would like a wedding planner starting at around 60 days out from the wedding day. I sought out to perfect this service and it slowly became all that we did, and then slowly became all that we advertised! We like to say that we are Month-of Coordination for the Modern Bride. Veil + Vine Coordination offers a hands-on approach to Month-of Wedding Coordination — email support from the time you sign your contract, vendor referrals as needed, and full attention starting a month prior to your wedding day (this includes ceremony rehearsal coordination too)! Okay…we’ll be honest, we’re a little more type B than the average wedding vendor (guilty) but we deeply care about your wedding day and your experience of it. We’ve even been jokingly called “the doula of the wedding day.” We’re not just there to place a bomb-looking place setting or organize a timeline (although we totally do that too!!), we are there to create moments and details so you can be FULLY present on your day.
Around the same time I started Veil + Vine Photography where I specialize in shooting weddings, portraits and couples. I love contrast and bold colors as well as helping my photography clients see the beauty in themselves.
I also own Studio V + V located in Addison Circle. Studio V + V hosts small events like baby and bridal showers, small birthday parties and more!
I aspire to work on things that grow with time and fit with people that are not afraid of a little adventure and love to laugh; who appreciate thoughtful details and thrive on an overall feeling of originality; and who are in an active stage of life, full of exploration and openness.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
I would say this is a two part answer: Instagram and word of mouth. Instagram is HUGE in the wedding space. I would say 75% of our couples come from Instagram. Our other source of new clients would be referrals from other clients. It is the biggest compliment when one of our previous client’s refers someone to us!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I graduated with my masters in clinical mental health counseling in May of 2021 after taking four stubborn years to do both weddings and counseling work full time. As I entered the summer, I passed my National Counselor Exam and began doing work on my LPC Associate license. It was then that I entered a crossroads. I loved being a therapist, I also loved my businesses that I had grown from the ground up. I also had the desire to be a mom in the near future. I slowly came to the realization that I could not do it all, or that if I did, that I would not be able to enjoy my life and be fully present with what mattered. I made the difficult decision to step away from therapy and pursue Veil + Vine full time. Being fully self-employed is intimidating, but I can say now with confidence coming up on a year from that decision, that it is one of the best pivots I have ever had to make. I am so thankful for a career that I got to form with my own two hands and I get to take ownership of every single day. My husband and I are also expecting our first baby boy in early September and I am also thankful to have a career that allows me the flexibility to be home the majority of the time and autonomy over my schedule. I do not know what the future holds, but as I type this I cannot help but become emotional over creating so many avenues of purpose and creativity in my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.veilandvineweddings.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/veilandvinecoordination www.instagram.com/veilandvinephoto www.instagram.com/studiovandv
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veilandvinellc https://www.facebook.com/veilandvinephoto https://www.facebook.com/thestudiovandv
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/studio-v-v-addison
Image Credits
Moth and Moonlite Brady Lewis Photo Veil and Vine Photo Photography by SC