Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Simmons.
Hi Brooke, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I took my leap of faith in the summer of 2022 with my event planning business. Event planning and creative design have always been a passion of mine, but at that time, I had yet to pursue the idea. The idea of wanting to start a family is what got my idea in motion to make it a reality! I wanted to be able to manage my hours that would allow me to be a stay-at-home mom, all while still having something to call my own without that ‘something’ being a 9-5p office job.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I have been incredibly blessed over the past few years, nearly tripling my sales and clientele since starting. Of course, like any new business, there are bumps, and I continue to work through those bumps. Even when I am 10+ years into this business, I will still have struggles and obstacles to overcome. Thinking glass half full, I take those obstacles as learning opportunities to grow and continue to make my business unique compared to others in this industry! I crave the challenge!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the Founder & CEO of ‘Forever & Always Event Planning,” an event planning business based out of Kalamazoo, MI, serving surrounding areas and beyond! Our most common package purchased by clients is day of coordination, where my team and I come in towards the end of the planning process to ‘tidy up’ the loose ends and connect the dots to allow for an easy and seamless event day! Most of our clients are wedding clients, but we occasionally get to sprinkle in a corporate gala or baby shower here or there!
Recently, my most significant achievement as a business owner, which took my company to the next level, was a rebranding launch. With the help of a third party (Honeywave Creative – bless her soul), I was able to achieve exactly what I wanted in my brand. Branding is everything when it comes to marketing yourself to your clients. I enjoy standing out from the crowd, and you have to stand out in my over-saturated industry! Hence why rebranding was crucial to continuous success. With the rebrand, we redesigned the logo, gave the website a fresh appeal that was more interactive and user friendly (even has a quiz you can take to see what coordinator coverage package would fit best for you based on your needs), and even gave the social media platforms fresh branding icons. This move was huge for my 2024 season.
That being said, if you want to know more about my business, check out my website! It tells you exactly who you are getting when you book with me, how the process works step by step, and interactive options to help guide you to what package may be best! My goal is to make your event as stress-free as possible! Especially when most of my clients are wedding clients, it’s important not to get caught up in the stress of planning and to remember the valid reasons you’re getting married in the first place. People can lose sight of that quickly. From full planning, day of coordination, décor set up/tear down, or just décor rentals, I have all the options, no matter your budget or vision! To sum up our process, I’ve put it in simple steps below:
Pick your package
- After you submit an inquiry, we hop on a call with you to help break down what package option is the best pick for your event.
- Outline your planning goals with us on a consultation call.
Yahoo! You picked a package that best suits you based on our recommendations and you are officially booked!Next, we schedule our first meeting to discuss the timeline, decor, budget, etc. - Login to your client portal weekly to check for any assigned tasks.
After our first meeting, you can familiarize yourself with your personalized client portal, where you can create an account to accessyour planning folder to see upcoming tasks, update documents, schedule future touch-base meetings, and so much more! - Pick up a hobby
You have extra time now with a trusted team planning your big day! - Wedding day
Walk down the aisle & marry your best friend!
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
You’re preachin’ to the choir, trust me! The stress you feel behind every detail, overthinking each decor item, worrying that you forgot something amidst planning. You name it, I’ve thought the exact thing myself when in your shoes. Planning an event, let alone trying to do it all yourself, takes work. The process can make you feel lonely or have you second-guessing your decisions based on outside opinions. But I am here to tell you that you can pull it off and have it your way by tagging in a coordinator to be that advocate and help you achieve those longtime dreams! Never settle when it comes to your big day.
Pricing:
- Full Planning Package: $3,500
- Day of Coordination Package(s): *Starting at* $1,000
- Decorating & Set Up Services: $400
- Decor Rentals: $600 investment gives you access to the entire decor inventory listed on my website
Contact Info:
- Website: https://foreverandalwaysplan.com/
- Instagram: @foreverandalwayseventplanning
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foreverandalwaysplan
Image Credits
Kalamazoo Wedding Co., VanderVeen Media, Mista Marie Photography, John T. Morgan Photography, Jennifer Alter Photography, Rachel Gabrielse Photography, Katie Kendrick Photography
