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 Nashville wedding planner Sarah Willard today!

Name: Sarah Willard

Business Name & Location: Music City Events, Nashville, TN

Years Working in the Event Industry: 10

Years Owning Your Event Planning Business: 10

Website: www.amusiccityevent.com

Business Facebook Page: Facebook.com/aMusicCityEvent

Instagram: musiccityevents

What is your typical day like?

I start my day at 6am with a glass of Perrier and espresso with my fabulous Nespresso machine. Quiet time is an important part of setting the tone for my day and so is routine! After 45 minutes of reading and catching up on the news, I scan my email for emergencies only and then rouse my 6th grader to get ready for the day.

After school drop off, I go to the office unless I have an early morning meeting. The first 90 minutes are dedicated to business strategy, followed by working on anything my planners need to better perform their jobs. Only after I’ve accomplished these mini goals will I check emails. Responding to email first thing in the morning lets others set your schedule for the day and ends up creating a reactive day instead of a proactive one!

Following lunch (usually prepped the night before), I have meetings and conference calls with my planners, clients, and other business owners. I am the Vice President for a local nonprofit, young professionals organization, and usually work on that in the early afternoon along with a tennis match or gym session in the evening. We try to eat dinner as family, but that doesn’t always happen!

After dinner, I spend time with my significant other. Sometimes, I check in on upcoming projects and spend some time drafting emails for the next day. I try to be in bed by midnight so I’m refreshed for the following day. Burn out isn’t good for me, my family, or my clients!  

How did you get started in the industry?

I had a moment while planning for a friend of a friend – it was very much the “aha!” that you often hear about. I realized that if I could work full time, have a newborn, and spend this much time planning, I had found something I cared about deeply.

I earned a certification in planning, ordered business cards, created a website, and started networking several times a week. 2006 was a very different world and I was young and ambitious. It never occurred to me not to start my own business!

Where do you find design inspiration?

Pinterest is fun, and it’s helpful for communicating with couples, but what I really love to do is get to the couple and find out what makes them tick. Where do they eat? Shop? Play? I can glean inspiration from the things that make them laugh and my own internal desire to create something unique. I turn to sources outside the industry – such as Architectural Digest, Vogue, and UK blogs – for inspiration, too. I love to bring new things to Nashville!

What are your favorite online resources for your business?

Nashville’s Bride Guide is a great local resource, Huffington Post Weddings is fabulous, and the Empty Vase is a great coastal favorite. I get a surge of energy in talking business with Ginny Kraus and Kristin Kaplan of Wedding Business Bosses.

Sarah, 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.