We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Britt Brashear a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Britt, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
I’ve been so happy as a business owner and wedding planner – most days. For 11 years I had a regular job as an elementary school teacher. There have been a lot of ups and downs as I’ve transitioned to becoming a business owner and I’ve questioned whether it was the right thing to do many times. Switching careers and having so much to learn was daunting. It was also difficult not having a consistent paycheck even though I was working all the time.
I went from having a community of teachers to feeling like I had to do everything on my own, but the encouragement and help of my husband and family really helped. Once I connected with the wedding vendor community and kept getting better at what I was doing, I became more confident that I was on the right path. Now, 3 years fully in and I can’t imagine not being a wedding planner and business owner. I love what I do, who I work with, and can’t wait to see how the business will evolve. It’s been an amazing journey and I’m proud of the little business I started.
Britt, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m Britt, a wedding planner in Southwest Colorado. Planning my mountain wedding in 2019 inspired me to get into the wedding industry. After teaching elementary school for 11 years, I decided to take the leap and start my own wedding planning business. During my last year of teaching, I started taking business, wedding design/planning classes, and assisted wedding vendors on the side. I was able to officially launch my business in 2021.
Wedding planning allows me to bring together a few of my favorite things – interior design and the outdoors. I also love working with wedding vendor community and couples from around the country. It’s fun bringing people to our little corner of the state!
The past few years, I’ve worked with some amazing couples and have been able to travel to some stunning locations around Durango, Crested Butte, Ridgway, Ouray, Moab, and Silverton. From mountaintops to the desert to the forest, the Southwest has so much to offer.
In addition to wedding planning and design services, we have recently launched event rentals too. We offer tabletop, lounge, and decor rentals for events. Our collection is a combination of vintage and modern items. Designing tablescapes is my favorite part of wedding design, so I’m excited to be able to use our unique inventory to design custom tablescapes for clients.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
When I first thought about starting a wedding planning business, I went to the venue my husband and I got married at and asked if they thought it was a good idea. They said, “Yes, there’s so many weddings around the Southwest!” Then I ended up helping the venue that summer as I was launching my business. That was such a great way to learn how to be a wedding coordinator and meet a lot of local wedding vendors.
Being a part of the Durango wedding community has been amazing! It’s such a positive encouraging community where everyone wants to help each other and work together. As I was starting, I really wanted to be a planner that vendors liked to work with and we all really do have fun working together on wedding days. Other local wedding planners and vendors have also been some of my best referrals.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
Having great communication is so important during wedding planning. There are a lot of moving pieces and people involved, so communication is one of the best ways to help with stress levels and get things checked off the lists. My goal is to be a planning partner so I can work with couples to create their best day.
I love systems and having a process that breaks big projects down into smaller pieces. I do that for myself, but also to help couples so they enjoy wedding planning as much as I do. On a wedding day, my clipboard, hat and fanny pack makes me easy to spot – so if anyone needs anything, I’m ready to help!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mountainarrowevents.com
- Instagram: @mountainarrowevents
- Facebook: @mountainarrowevents
Image Credits
Kara Cavalca Photo + Film Dawn Louise Photography Brashear Photo Carissa Marie Photography Jessie Lyn Photography