Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Schmick. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I planned my own wedding which was 165 guests; 75% coming from out of state and didn’t hire a planner or coordinator to help. Although I was able to run my own show, I understood how valuable and necessary it was to having someone to be in charge of your wedding day. There is no better way to learn all of the challenges of executing a wedding than to actually put yourselves in the shoes of a bride on their wedding day. I learned from my mistakes; not having certain people in charge of certain things, not knowing how to bustle my dress, figuring out how to make a layout for the reception, guiding my own processional, executing the timeline by coordinating with all of the vendors, etc.

Ashley, 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?

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Operating an event planning business during a global pandemic had its challenges, but nothing compares to operating an event planning business during an unexpected, sudden loss of your mother. Losing my mom was a blessing in disguise because after years of micro-managing and making myself the only face of the company, I finally was forced to step back and allow my team to take the lead on all of our weddings in 2021. As wedding planners we have to remember that even though we face daily challenges in our lives, but when we are present on someone’s wedding day, we have to walk in the door and leave our emotions and personal lives at the door. We put on a smile and give our couples the best version of ourselves, despite the background noise of our life. Grieving through the loss of my mother was the hardest time of my entire life, but because we have a strong team, I took the necessary time to grieve and our planners advanced to full-time positions. We’ve only grown from this, which has been the light at the end of the tunnel.

How did you build your audience on social media?

We pride ourselves on our social media presence! We had the pleasure of planning a Hallowedding for a (former) local Instagram coach, Time of Dre. Not only did we successfully plan a Halloween themed wedding, but we learned a lot from our client and how our business is perceived from a different perspective. It is very important that you are constantly networking, putting yourself out there, and meeting vendors. Collaborating with your ‘competitors’ has been one of the most insightful parts about this industry. We know that there are enough weddings to go around for all of us, so we firmly stand by the ‘community over competition’ mindset. When building your brand, remember to audit your business and see how a client would perceive you. We always want to maintain a professional, but personable impression. Connect with your competition and befriend your competition. Ask questions and answer questions others ask of you. Find your target market and stay relevant with the fast-paced changes and trends. Being consistent across all platforms is key!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ashleynicoleaffair.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ashleynicoleaffair
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ashleynicoleaffair
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ashleynicoleaffair/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf8JKuarBSONbv3X8GD2yGA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleynicoleaffair

Image Credits
Tim Laielli Madison Katlin Yona Shaw Main Squeeze Photography Blue Elm Photography