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

Michelle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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.

When I was a bride-to-be in 2016, I was shocked and frustrated with the options for our wedding ceremony — the reason for the party! As a non-religious couple, we had two options: hire a stranger or ask a loved one.

My fiancé’s uncle agreed to do the honors, and we were so excited — until a Google search revealed that without some serious time and effort, our ceremony could easily fall short of what we wanted.

We wanted a ceremony that wasn’t “done to death,” overly religious, or so brief it would be offensive. While everything else related to wedding planning is “easy” to customize, ceremony services that actually offered a deeply personalized experience simply didn’t exist. It was a huge gap in the wedding industry.

So, I made planning our ceremony my passion project. I poured my soul into it. The result? A personalized wedding ceremony that allowed us to be present, feel happy and relaxed, and so “us” that our guests are still talking about years later.

When I inevitably found myself in wedding-planning hell, creating our ceremony invited connection and conversation with my partner and soon-to-be-spouse. It was a breath of fresh air and a beautiful and important reminder of why we were doing all of this in the first place. And I wanted others to have the same experience.

After our wedding, I found myself newly married in a new corner of the country — I’d recently moved to Maine from Seattle as an act of love.

I was unemployed and, frankly, sad, when I called my friend (and newly minted MBA) Loree from a grocery store parking lot.

I was looking for moral support and got so much more: She encouraged me to pursue a “wedding ceremony only” company, planting the seed for Swoon Union.

I’m a “people person.” I’ve always been drawn to people and am innately curious about interpersonal relationships. After chatting with other newly engaged couples, I realized I wasn’t alone in my search for more personalized, meaningful, and heartfelt ceremony options.

In 2017, Swoon Union grew from that seed into a full-fledged business.

We’ve become the go-to ceremony solution for couples who need a wedding officiant or have asked a loved one to perform their wedding ceremony – a trend that’s here to stay!

Michelle, 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 Michelle LaBuwi, the founder of Swoon Union, I’m the hype girl for couples who don’t do generic.

Much of the wedding planning is about superficial details (flowers, forks, etc.) that you can easily lose sight of why you’re going through all of this
stress in the first place. Our collaborative process offers couples who are in the throes of wedding planning opportunities to connect, reflect, and learn — to honor where they’ve been and celebrate where they’re going so they can truly experience their moment.

Your wedding ceremony should bring you unparalleled bliss. And you want to be fully present for that — or, as many clients have described it, “totally
love drunk.”

Focusing on your wedding ceremony reintroduces intimacy and romance into the wedding planning process — the antidote to the stress and burnout of all those other details. Swoon Union clients get a one-of-a-kind wedding ceremony that’s rooted in their personal beliefs, values, and intentions — completely true to their unique love story.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

2020 obviously presented new challenges — as well as some silver linings I never expected.

With so many restrictions in place for gatherings, I went from officiating wedding ceremonies to simply writing a script for a loved one to perform. It confirmed what I suspected: having a loved one officiate your wedding ceremony adds depth and meaning to your memory and experience

Plus, my biggest takeaway as a bride was you shouldn’t have to choose between the comfort of a loved one and the ease of a professional for your wedding ceremony, which is why I now offer services to meet you exactly where you are.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

From the minute I meet a couple, I treat them with the respect of a professional and the warmth and kindness of a friend.

I strive to be open, so my clients feel instantly comfortable speaking about their most personal memories and explore their dreams. I believe my genuine joy and appreciation for my clients (as well as my industry peers) have helped build my reputation.

I’ve been a bride before. And I know there are a million reasons to lose sleep — but planning the ceremony itself shouldn’t be one of them. Couples who work with Swoon Union never lose sight of why they’re throwing a wedding in the first place.

Contact Info:

• Website: swoonunion.com
• Instagram: swoon__union
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swoonunion/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-labuwi-68869a8/
• Youtube: @michellelabuwi

Image Credits
Emily Delamater