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 photos to info@plannerslounge.com. We are excited to feature New Jersey wedding planner Yetunde Oso today!

Name: Yetunde Oso

Business Name & Location: The UpperRoom Events, located in New Jersey

Years Working in the Event Industry: 5

Years Owning Your Event Planning Business: 5

Website: www.theupperroomevents.com

Business Facebook Page: UpperRoom Events

Instagram: @upperroomevents

What is your typical day like?

Every morning at 7 AM. the first thing I do is pray, get my kids ready for school, and reply to emails. I also work as an Infection Control Practitioner (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) so my day can be pretty busy as I juggle multiple tasks. I save lives as a practitioner and then I save people money and time as an event planner!

In the evenings, after I’ve spent quality time with my family, I spend a lot of hours on the computer and phone with vendors and clients, hammering out contracts, production schedules, floor plans, and other details. I respond to numerous emails received from vendors who want to work with my company or be on my preferred list.

My out of office work also includes meetings with venues and vendors such as photographers, caterers, and florists to foster true business relationships. I also may have scheduled “meeting days” to consult with clients. I leave about an hour each day to search for decor, planning ideas, and new trends. My day usually ends at 1-2 AM. It’s a busy schedule, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

How did you get started in the industry?

I consider myself blessed because the magnetic pull of entrepreneurship and the encouragement from my friends and family led me to start The UpperRoom Events. I have always had a desire to be an entrepreneur. As a youth, I started many small business ventures, from selling products to having my fashion designs sold at stores, but I never thought that I would start an event planning business.

Looking back, I was always called upon to organize an event or show and after the planning of my mother’s grand birthday celebration. I was encouraged to turn my talent from planning extraordinary affairs into a lucrative business. It was a calling that I could not resist. I never took an event planning course, but I constantly keep myself abreast with trends and I affiliate my company with organizations that keep me knowledgeable in the field.

What inspires you?

I get inspiration from anything and everything! My husband gets really surprised when I come up with the next best event planning idea from just watching a movie (I’m a movie buff). I also love to read blogs from websites such as Martha Stewart, Brides.com, Wedding Wire, Style Me Pretty, but most importantly as a Christian, I ask God for guidance with forming my own ideas. There’s nothing like coming up with your very own original idea that gets turned into a major trend!

What are your favorite online resources for your business?

My favorite online resources are Planners Lounge and Event Planners Association. Both sites have helped me stay on track with growing a lucrative business!

Aside from wedding and event planning, how do you spend your time?

Not only am I a business owner, but I am a wife to an awesome man (who is the COO of our company) and a mother to two beautiful children! I absolutely love spending time with my family. I cherish every second and moment with them. I also enjoy traveling with my family. Our last family vacation, in 2016, we traveled to Ocho Rios in Jamaica and we had the time of our lives just enjoying one another and relaxing as we soaked up the sun. We travel every year and each year gets better.

One of my favorite things to do is to watch new and old movies. To be able to turn my mind off while watching a movie and still be inspired is absolutely amazing. I volunteer my time and give back to the community through my church and my business, whether it’s feeding the hungry to empowering people, giving back is important to me. I am a part of the spiritual care team at my church where it is my duty to pray for church members who are in need of prayer. Finally, I take care of myself by scheduling “ME DAYS” to unwind and relax because if I don’t, there would be no strength for me to do all that I do.

Yetunde, 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.