We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maddie Garris a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Maddie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

Originally it was just me and my husband helping me with moving things around! I never would have dreamed of gaining a staff but I now have a 7 person team of wonderful women who work weddings for me! It is impossible to do alone so once I had children and needed someone to stay home with the kids I had to hire people on! I was originally just leaning on friends and family to work weddings with me but it became clear that I needed people who would be as passionate about the day as I was so I created a google form and sent it out on some community facebook pages! I have been figuring this whole thing out from the ground up so I had absolutely no idea how to hire people. I did some interviews and didnt feel like they were right for the positions. A few of the people on my staff I met through my other job or are friends of mine but then there are the few that were actual hires from my interviewing process. It has been so amazing to build a dedicated team who are passionate and actually really good at the event planning and coordinating business. It is really fun having a real team but it was definitely hard to navigate at first!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

As a mom to two little boys and a school counselor by day, I never imagined that I would end up running a wedding planning business. DMV Weddings began almost by accident—what started as helping a friend or two evolved into a true passion and, eventually, a thriving business. I built DMV Weddings from the ground up, balancing my family and work commitments with the joy of planning and coordinating weddings. It’s now a space where I get to combine my love for organization with the privilege of supporting couples on one of the most important days of their lives.

At DMV Weddings, we offer full planning and coordination services, meaning that we’re there to ensure everything runs smoothly on the big day. We like to think of ourselves as the “team captains” for the vendor team, managing every detail and handling the unexpected so that our clients and their families can focus on what truly matters: celebrating. Our approach is all about creating a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere. Rather than a rigid, structured experience, we focus on making every part of the process stress-free, so couples can actually enjoy their wedding day without feeling overwhelmed by logistics or last-minute surprises.

One unique aspect of DMV Weddings is our “hand-holding” planning packages, where I see myself as a knowledgeable friend, guiding couples through each step in a personal, supportive way. It’s not about transactions or checklists; it’s about truly understanding each couple’s vision and being there for them from start to finish. We pride ourselves on embracing diverse styles, supporting unique vibes, and bringing every couple’s vision to life, no matter their background or preferences. We are proudly LGBTQ+ friendly and wholeheartedly believe that love is love.

Ultimately, what sets us apart is our dedication to creating a genuinely enjoyable experience. We’re passionate about making sure every couple feels supported, cared for, and empowered to savor every moment of their day. We take great pride in our work, and it’s an honor to be a part of such meaningful celebrations.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

While my wedding planning business, DMV Weddings, hasn’t fully replaced my main job, I’m really managing two full-time roles at this point. Balancing both requires a lot of dedication and planning, and my best advice for anyone doing the same is to carve out purposeful time each week to focus on each role individually. My day job, fortunately, doesn’t require extra hours outside of work, which allows me to be fully committed to DMV Weddings during my off-hours, especially during the busy season.

I’m getting closer to the possibility of going full-time with DMV Weddings, but wedding planning is incredibly physical work, and I’m not ready to give up the stability of my 9-to-5 just yet. One major milestone for me was realizing that to scale the business, I’d need to delegate. Bringing on lead coordinators and training them to deliver the same high-quality experience has been essential in growing DMV Weddings. I was lucky to find a fantastic team, and it’s been so rewarding to see the business thrive with their help. This journey has taught me the importance of support and trust in scaling a business, and I’m excited to see where we go from here!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe my reputation in the wedding industry has grown due to a strong commitment to high-quality service, kindness, and a team-focused mindset. The industry is generally very supportive, and I’ve learned that genuinely caring for clients and colleagues alike goes a long way in building meaningful connections. I remind my team that our priority is always the bride’s vision, so if we need to address any challenges with other vendors, we handle it calmly and respectfully. We see wedding planning as a team sport, where every vendor plays a crucial role in making the day exceptional for our clients. By supporting our team and fostering positive relationships, we create an experience that clients appreciate and other vendors remember. Since referrals drive this industry, these strong connections have been key to our success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dmvweddingsandevents.com
• Instagram: Dmvweddingsandevents
• Facebook: Dmvweddingsandevents

Image Credits

Taylor Webster photography
Darling and Dear Photography
Katie Reif Photography
Laura Patrick Photography