We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Char Whatley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Char, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I have a bit of an unusual background for someone in the Charleston wedding industry – I did not graduate with a hospitality degree or spend any time working in restaurants growing up! Out of college, I began working for a manufacturing company in the HR department, eventually expanding to executive assistance and then obtaining my paralegal certificate. Having a legal background has certainly helped me with a lot of aspects of wedding planning – reading + negotiating contracts, but also paying attention to the small details. Working in the corporate world for nearly 8 years also gave me a great perspective on business and running the administrative side of my company. While I do wish I had been able to jump into the world of weddings + events sooner than I did, having this background has been invaluable in working with all kinds of people – larger companies, independent business owners, and couples alike!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m Char, owner and lead designer of Whatley Wedding Design. While I primarily focus on weddings, our team has also executed a number of rehearsal dinners, welcome parties, brunches, and corporate events. I offer partial and full planning services, and love when couples reach out to me early in their planning process! I like to focus on every aspect of the planning process – sometime even including the venue search. Where possible, an emphasis on sustainability and reducing consumption and waste has been a hallmark of mine. In my personal life, I try to be as eco-friendly as possible! As I only plan 30-35 weddings per year, I like to learn about my clients beyond their wedding, and stay in touch afterwards. My upbeat and calming personality puts couples and families at ease, making sure every detail goes off without a hitch!
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Yes!! While I loved working in the corporate world and had an amazing boss, I still felt myself drawn to being my own boss! Back in 2017, I started my own cupcake company – selling generally at farmer’s markets and holiday events. While it was a great experience, I learned a lot about running a business – especially one with perishable products! I also found I was getting burnt out quite quickly. After taking a break from entrepreneurship, I helped coordinate my best friend’s wedding in 2019, and got the ball rolling from there! I worked with another fabulous local planner, assisting on weddings and providing day-of coordination for her clients. When I initially set up the company, I always thought it would be something I could do for fun on the weekends, but really dove into the entire planning process and loved it so much that I went full time in 2022. Working a 9-5 and running my own company in the evenings and on weekends was tricky and often exhausting, but so worth it! Everyday is something new, which I absolutely adore!
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
I have found that building great relationships with other wedding vendors has been my best asset to gaining new clients and delving deeper into the wedding world! It has been wonderful turning great co-workers into friends, and spending time outside of weddings learning more about their business goals and aspirations – and how we can all help each other. I love the phrase “community over competition” and embrace it to the fullest – if I’m not available for a couple’s wedding, I always share some other creative professionals who might be – and it’s great to get referrals from other wedding vendors as well!
Contact Info:
- Website: whatleyweddingdesign.com
- Instagram: @whatleyweddingdesign
- Facebook: @whatleyweddingdesign
- Other: TikTok: @whatleyweddingdesign
Image Credits
@sarahwestmorelandphotography @allblissphoto_marylou @taylorjordanphoto @renphoto_sc @leighhaywardphotography