S7E7: Theme Weddings and How to Celebrate Your Passions Your Way
Are you two big Renaissance Faire attendees?
Maybe you're a fan of Star Wars or The Goonies, and you want to include that in your wedding day.
Regardless of your passion, if you're thinking about celebrating with a theme at your wedding, this episode is for you!
Guest: Jen, Weirdo Weddings
This week, we’re dishing about…
making your day, your way and questions to ask yourself
how dealing with family expectations is part of the planning process
making your event the most "you" (thematic, creative, simple elopement, or extravagant celebration)
building a wedding pro team for your day that works with you and not against you
… and more!
Jen is a passionate artist & photographer that welcomes the weird, celebrates imagination and creates safe spaces of inclusivity. Jen has a passion to encourage others in their craft & voice and bring a spirit of love & creativity wherever & whenever possible! She is the Lead Wedding Photographer for Weirdo Weddings and Conceptual Portrait artist with Pink Light Images.
How long have you been in business? 15+ years
What areas do you serve?
I'm currently serving the world with art, portraits and wedding photography.
Why did you decide to start your own business?
After working endless full-time jobs and traveling to many cities & spaces - I settled in Dallas long enough to see what I was truly passionate about. Starting a business seemed like the best step to truly DO what I love and explore endless ways to be creative, meet people and serve them with my creative gifts & inspirations. I never knew it was possible, it was never presented to me as an option growing up - so I figured it out as I went!
What's the coolest thing about owning your own business?
The coolest thing is I truly get to be myself. No major requirements (besides the usual kindness & business etiquette). I set my hours as needed and get to show my daughter about what it takes to run and maintain a business while also being a mom and wife(partner) to my husband. I have met the most amazing clients over the last 15 years and I keep meeting MORE and MORE and it makes life so fun!
What is daily life like in your household?
Me taking my daughter to her preschool a lot while sharing my house office with my husband since covid haha! in between those times, I'm working on marketing, editing images, and delivering during the heavy seasons - then also dreaming up things to do in the off-season. when my daughter gets home we go through a menu list of items for her to eat...while she negotiates most of them...haha! yesterday we played harry potter legos and did virtual calls with her gammy.
Are there any challenges or obstacles that you've had to overcome?
One of the hardest things to swallow is not having family close by for extra childcare options. No one in our family lives here in our area - so if we want to plan anything majorly fun - we have to drive 4+ hours. We are still recovering our babysitting list from 2020 knocking everything away. in December 2021, my husband got very sick and I had to take him to the ER - we came out of this with a diabetes type 2 diagnosis and he has been on the mend ever since - but the oddest thing was, I had the BEST WEEKEND of my life business-wise up in Seattle doing a destination wedding and he had the worst weekend of his life for a wake-up call on his health.
What advice would you offer to other business owners in a similar situation?
Take many things a day at a time, work on your family goals together and any issues that arise - don't ignore them. Face them head-on even if it hurts. If any potential flags come up like guilt, shame, neglect, and more - stop long enough to take note of what those feelings are, where they are coming from and what (if anything) you can do about it. Take the time to listen to yourself, ask questions, and then also with your partner/family.
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