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

Hi Melena, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

Honestly, we’re in a really interesting moment in the wedding industry. Couples are being more intentional than ever with their budgets, and that’s leading to a surge in DIY weddings, creative cost-cutting, and month-of coordination over full planning packages. People still want a beautiful, memorable celebration—but they don’t want to go into debt for it. That shift is reshaping everything.

I’m seeing more backyard weddings, nontraditional venues, secondhand décor, and couples leaning into crafting things themselves or sourcing from local vendors and Facebook Marketplace. There’s also this amazing trend toward personalization—handwritten signage, curated playlists, custom cocktails named after pets—you name it. Couples want their wedding to feel like “them,” not a carbon copy of something they saw on Pinterest.

That said, the DIY route can be deceptively tricky. It *sounds* empowering—and it is—but it can also lead to a lot of last-minute stress if you’re not organized or don’t have a clear plan in place. I’ve seen couples take on too much and burn out weeks before their wedding. And it gets even harder if you’re working without a planner, which 40% of couples do in the US.

If you’re going the DIY route, my advice is: hire a planner. First and foremost, even without DIY-ing a wedding, hiring a planner can save you time, money and sanity in the long run. Don’t forget to factor in your time when figuring costs for a project. Be realistic about your time and energy, and choose your DIY projects wisely. Not everything needs to be DIYed, in fact most things like food, bar and music shouldn’t be. Prioritize the things that will make the biggest visual or emotional impact, and then get a pro on board to help pull it all together at the end. You’ll thank yourself later.

There is a real opportunity for couples to take advantage of the intimacy and casualness most weddings are about these days. Lower guest counts, less fancy food and skipping the things that don’t matter are what’s going to stretch your budget further. The future of weddings isn’t about how much you spend—it’s about how well you tell the story of your love. And I love being part of that.

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 started Sage & Slate Weddings (formerly Melena Guevara Design) in 2020, after I was laid off from my corporate event planning job. It was not an easy time to make money, but it allowed me to really focus in on what I wanted to offer my clients, who those clients were, and how we’d best work together. Of course, over the years things have changed and I have done my best to evolve and to meet those potential clients wherever they are!

At Sage & Slate Weddings, we offer everything from month-of coordination to full service planning. We have a heart for DIY couples and budget-conscious celebrations because we know not everyone can afford (or want) a 6 figure wedding Our goal is simple: to bring calm, clarity, and confidence to the wedding planning experience, no matter where you’re starting from. I often tell people I’m more of a “Plan B” planner—not because things are going wrong, but because my approach is much more calm and laid back than most planners. My goal (and job) is not to add more stress to my couple’s plates, but to alleviate it. And often, that’s how they find me. They’ve done so much of the work themselves, and now they just need someone they can trust to bring it all together.

We pride ourselves on being quietly in control, always prepared, and never rattled. My team and I live by a simple philosophy: the job gets done, no matter what. Even with the most careful planning, things can slip through the cracks—it happens. What matters most is not who dropped the ball, but that someone picked it up, fixed it, and kept the day moving seamlessly. That’s our role. That’s our responsibility. Because when our couples look back years from now, we want them to remember joy, not stress.

Sage & Slate is not just a boutique wedding planning company—it’s a mindset. It’s about balance, resourcefulness, and staying grounded, even amid the chaos. We try to be personable, approachable, supportive and grounded. We approach wedding planning from a holistic approach–whether our client books month-of coordination or full-service planning, we try to form genuine bonds with our couples to ensure we’re with them every step of the way. We work hard to educate and empower our couples so they can make informed decisions and feel confident every step of the way. Whether it’s talking through logistics, refining a floor plan, building their timeline or troubleshooting vendor miscommunication, we’re here to be the calm in the storm.

I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built and the trust our clients place in us. Because telling a couple’s love story is a unique privilege that I take seriously. I want potential clients and followers to know that we’re not about perfection—we’re about presence. We’re about showing up, solving problems, and creating a space where joy can thrive. We’re about weaving our couple’s unique love story into the fabric of their wedding day. We love love and all are welcome here.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media was never the plan—it was the lifeline. When I started Sage & Slate Weddings, even though I majored in marketing, I didn’t have a huge budget to do what I wanted to do. What I did have was time, experience, and a deep desire to help couples feel less overwhelmed. So I turned to TikTok.

Almost overnight, I built a following of over 5,000 on TikTok (@sageandslateweddings) by doing one simple thing: sharing what I knew. I started putting out quick, honest, no-fluff educational content for couples planning their weddings—things like how to build a timeline, what not to forget in your contracts, or how to avoid day-of chaos. The goal was never to go viral—it was to be useful. And I think people connected with that.

I didn’t show up with a curated aesthetic or fancy production. I showed up as myself—a wedding planner who’s seen it all and just wants to help people have a better, less stressful experience. And that authenticity resonated.

If you’re just starting to build your presence, my biggest piece of advice is: don’t overthink it. Don’t wait until everything is perfect. START NOW and provide real value. Share what you know. Speak directly to the people you’re trying to help. People want to hear from the brands they’re buying. Be confident in your brand and your content. Be generous, consistent, and real—and the right audience will find you.

Social media can feel overwhelming, but if you use it as a tool to serve, rather than just promote, you’ll be surprised by how quickly trust—and community—can grow.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn is that success in this industry only comes from doing all the things—networking constantly, publishing in major blogs, investing in styled shoots, curating the perfect feed, or pouring money into ads. For a long time, I thought if I wasn’t doing those things, I was doing it wrong. But the truth is, none of that has really been the engine behind my growth.

I’m not the planner who’s out at every networking mixer or submitting to every publication. Styled shoots? I literally don’t have the time. I’m a mom and I’ve had to learn to pour my energy into the things that matter. And while I appreciate a big, beautiful feed, I’ve never prioritized being perfectly curated or hyper-polished on social media. I’ve never had a big ad spend behind me, either.

What has worked? Showing up consistently, being honest, and focusing on my clients. Putting my time and energy into th needle-movers. Sharing real advice. Building trust. Leaving people and places better than we found it. And, doing the job well, every single time. That’s it.

Once I let go of the idea that I had to play the industry game in a very specific way, things actually got easier—and more aligned. I stopped chasing validation and started leaning into what makes me valuable: my ability to connect, to stay calm under pressure, to educate couples, and to solve problems before they even know they exist.

So the lesson? Find what works for you. Lead with your heart, stay true to your mission, and the rest (money included!) will follow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sageandslateweddings.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sageandslateweddings

Image Credits

Morgan Payne, Emma Hopp