My story

Would you believe I came into college as a CHEMISTRY major?! Yep, that’s right! If you would have told me 3 years ago that I would have my own wedding planning business, I would have told you that you’re crazy!!

As I was looking for colleges, I didn’t know what I wanted to study. Honestly, I choose James Madison University for two things: the people and the football. I started my freshmen year a chemistry major (scary, I know)! I found myself unhappy with this decision and felt completely lost. This led me to change my major not once but FOUR times my freshmen year! I finally landed on business and think it’s the perfect fit! Despite my indecisiveness, I’m proud to say that I will still graduate on time!

In the midst of changing my major FOUR times, I had what I like to call my “ah ha” moment! I was spending time with my mom one weekend and we were watching one of my favorite shows: Say Yes to the Dress (naturally). During a commercial break, I looked at my mom and half jokingly told her that if I could do anything in the world and not have to worry about money, I’d be a wedding planner.

I was shocked when she told me that I should actually look into it. I had convinced myself that wedding planners were only real jobs in big cities like New York. I am a suburb girl. I knew I wasn’t willing to move somewhere like that. I had zero knowledge about the wedding world. Where would I start?  

Ashley Powell is a dear friend of mine (and super talented photographer — shameless plug: go follow her if you don’t already)! I served as a senior representative model for her photography business in high school! If anyone would know where to start, it would be her! So, I reached out to see if she knew any wedding planners. A total God thing happened after she responded.

Ashley told me she had a really good friend in HARRISONBURG who was a wildly successful wedding planner! That planner was Kat Schmoyer. Ashley connected me to Kat and a few weeks later I met her at Starbucks for coffee. I remember walking up to the coffee shop feeling so nervous that my heart was beating out of my chest! However, Kat’s bubbly + hospitable personality made me feel right at home and like we had been friends for YEARS!

Kat was so generous at the end of our chat when she offered to let me shadow her at a few local weddings the upcoming season! The rest is history! Since then, I’ve worked numerous weddings with her business, Dear Sweetheart Events and fell in love with weddings during the process! 

The planner in me was TERRIFIED to start my own business. I was 20 years old and still a college student. Would people take me seriously? Do I know enough? What if I fail? 

All of these questions (and more) filled my brain as I contemplated officially starting my business. A reporter from The Breeze, our school newspaper, reached out to me on social media. She had heard my interest in wedding planning and thought it would be a unique story to run in the paper! I felt that if I was going to put myself out there for the world (or JMU) to see, I needed to jump in head first and pull the trigger to start my business. 

The next few weeks were consumed by website + social media design, logical planning around legal + accounting, and putting all of my ideas that have been in my head for years into reality! 

On February 26th, Boundless Love Events was officially born!! It’s been a period of learning and growth since starting but I am SO SO glad I actually did it! I have the sweetest clients in the whole wide world and I am so blessed to be a part of their wedding days!!