Welcome to our “Day in the Life” series! We feature wedding and event planners from around the world with many different levels of experience. If you would like to be featured, download our questionnaire here and email your responses and photo to info@plannerslounge.com. We are excited to feature Julie Lockhart from Locked Hearts Weddings and Events today!  

Name:  Julie Lockhart

Business Name & Location: Locked Hearts Wedding and Events, Princeton, West Virginia

Years Working in the Event Industry: 5 years

Years Owning Your Event Planning Business: 5 years

Website:  www.lockedhearts2009.com

Facebook: Locked Hearts

Twitter: @JulieKLockhart

What is your typical day like?

My typical day starts at 7am, checking emails, answering text messages from clients and then off to start answering 911 emergency calls at 8am. I am a veteran 911 emergency dispatcher and call taker between 8am-4pm, Monday-Friday. As soon as 4pm comes around, my wedding planner day is in full swing. From meetings, venue walk- throughs and cake tastings to décor designing; my duties as a wedding planner do not even stop when I walk through the door at home, which is normally about 8pm each evening.  Once I hit the door at home, now my wife and mother duties kick in along with finishing up meeting notes to send out to that day’s clients/vendors, etc.  My day officially ends when I hit the bed, which sometimes can be midnight or later.  So many people ask, how do you do it all? Well, I am blessed with a great support system at home, but mainly I live off of Starbucks.  As a business owner and having another full time job, people may consider that I work only “part time” as a wedding coordinator/planner, but I can tell you that there is nothing part time in how I handle by wedding planning business. My hours of operation just differ from others.

How did you get started in the industry?

I had the pleasure of working in the hospitality business at a very young age, as a travel agent, and assisted in coordinating and planning events for the travel agency.  It naturally fueled my passion and after years of planning parties, events, conferences and even weddings on the side, it was only natural to start my own business.

Where do you find design inspiration?

The question should be, where do you NOT find design inspiration?  Inspiration is everywhere, it isn’t just a “look” but can also be a “feeling” that you want to convey in your events.  

What are your favorite online resources for your business?

I love Diane Valentine.  Her work is inspirational and is always “outside the box” when it comes to weddings, she is a trend setter.

Julie, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story and a day in your life. If you are an event planner and would like to be featured, download our questionnaire today and email it to us along with a photo. If you aren’t sure about being featured, take a few minutes to read how it can help your business.