Name: Amanda Freeman
Location: Southeast Michigan
Company Name: Bliss Weddings
Number of Years in Business: 5
Website: yourblissweddings.com
Blog: blissweddings.wordpress
How did you get started in wedding planning?
My passion for planning started when I was very young. Every time my mom would throw my sisters a birthday party, I would insist on being involved. I would hang the banners, serve the cake and pass out the gifts. When I hit high school and college, I was very involved in planning student activities and other school related events. When I graduated from college, my aunt asked me to help plan her wedding and be responsible for the vendors, the setup and keeping everything running on time. I fell in love with it right away. I then started planning weddings and parties for friends and other family members and hosting monthly dinner parties and activities. After a friend asked me why I wasn't doing this as a profession, I was at a loss. Why didn't I think of that? I found an internship with a local company (which would end up being MY company!) and worked really hard for free until the owner decided to hire me on as an assistant and eventually a coordinator. I began taking my own brides and within a couple years of starting, I purchased the company. It was such an easy decision to follow this path and I am so thankful that I have been given the chance to do what I love.
If you had to start over what one thing would you do differently?
If I had it to do differently, I don't know that I would change much. While I have experienced a few snags and hard times, everything has worked out and has led to a really great experience.
What's your favorite item in your emergency kit?
Shout wipes, safety pins and scissors . . . I can't pick just one. I would be lost without all three!
What is the best piece of business advice you've ever received?
Honestly, it would have to be "Take a day each week or every other week to turn off the cell phone and computer, put away your portfolios and client lists and just take some time for yourself." I think that as a wedding planner, you fall into a consistently busy and fast-paced lifestyle and can easily get burnt out. I am an admitted workaholic, so these words of advice are something I have to force myself to remember sometimes, but they are always worth it.
What two people (past or present) would you have as guests at a dinner party and why?
This is a tough one. There are so many people who have been an inspiration to me. The first would be my grandma Phyllis. She passed away when I was only five, but I still remember bits and pieces about the time I spent with her. She had seven kids, lived on a farm where they lived off the land, had three square meals on the table each day and somehow always seemed composed and calm. I want to know how she did it and would love to hear stories about my dad and his crazy antics when he was young.
The second guest would be Ernest Hemingway. I have a mild obsession with his literature and would love to pick his brain. There is such a crazy story behind his life and it would be amazing to hear every little detail.
What are your three favorite blogs besides thesmartplanner.com?
I can only pick three? I guess they would be Snippet and Ink because I LOVE their ideas and inspiration boards, Style Me Pretty, and Ritzy Bee because there is always something fresh and interesting about the posts.
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