Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorna Marshall.
Lorna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey into event planning really started with my church, where I began helping with and organizing different events. I always enjoyed the process of bringing people together and seeing an event come to life, but I never initially thought of it as a career.
After I got married, I hired a wedding planner for my own wedding, and I absolutely loved working with her. I enjoyed seeing all the details come together and experiencing the planning process from a different perspective. After my wedding, I started helping her with events, and that’s when I really discovered how much joy I found in event planning.
At the time, I was also a stay at home mom with my toddler, so I was looking for something that would allow me to pursue my own interests while still being present for my son and daughter. Event planning felt like the perfect outlet because it gave me the flexibility to do something I was passionate about without requiring me to be away from my son. It also allowed me to pick my daughter up from school and participate in all of her school activities.
What started as helping out eventually turned into a business, and I’ve now been doing it for 17 years. It has definitely come with its share of stress. Event planning is often considered one of the top 10 most stressful professions, but for me, the joy I feel when an event comes together and seeing the happiness it brings people makes it all worthwhile.
Seventeen years later, I can honestly say I haven’t looked back. I’m grateful that something I initially discovered through my own wedding and a desire to stay connected to my family grew into a career that I truly love.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has been a bumpy road. In this business, you have to constantly be thinking about Plan B, and honestly, I do it so much that I find myself coming up with Plan B for my personal life and my family too.
Event planning can be stressful because a lot of people tend to dump their wedding stress on you. You become the liaison between the couple and their parents, and you are also the go to person between the couple and all of their vendors. And vendors are not always easy to communicate with. Sometimes they do not respond to emails or phone calls, or they may not always have the best relationship with planners, which means more work and more follow up on my end.
And then there is the emotional side of it. Sometimes I joke that I should have become a licensed therapist because you end up listening to so much and helping people work through a lot of emotions. You really have to love what you do to stay in this industry because there are definitely days when the stress can be overwhelming.
I will say that COVID was probably the most difficult period for me. It was so stressful and uncertain that it actually made me seriously contemplate leaving the industry. There were so many things happening that were completely out of our control, and as an event planner, you are still expected to have the answers and figure out what to do next.
But even with all of those challenges, I am still here 17 years later. I think that says a lot about how much I truly love what I do. The road has definitely been bumpy, but I have learned to expect the unexpected, always have a Plan B, and keep moving forward.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a full service event and wedding planner, so I help my clients take their vision and turn it into an actual event. There are so many details that go into planning an event, and my job is to make sure those details are handled while also making the process as stress free as possible for my clients.
I specialize in weddings and special events, and over the years I have worked with all different types of clients, families, venues, and vendors. No two events are ever the same, which is one of the things I love most about what I do.
I think what I am most known for is being the person who can figure things out. When something unexpected happens, my clients know they can come to me and I am going to find a solution. After 17 years in this industry, I have learned that things do not always go according to plan, so being able to stay calm, think quickly, and come up with a solution is extremely important.
What I am most proud of is the relationships I have built with my clients. I love when a client starts out feeling overwhelmed and by the time we get to the wedding or event, they can actually relax and enjoy it. At the end of the day, I want my clients to look back and remember how much they enjoyed their day, not how stressful it was to plan it.
I think what sets me apart is that I genuinely care. I do not want my clients to feel like they are just another wedding or another event on my calendar. I want to understand what is important to them and their families and make sure those things are reflected in their event. I am also very hands on, and I am not afraid to jump in and do whatever needs to be done to make sure everything comes together.
After 17 years, I have learned that event planning is about so much more than timelines, vendors, and decorations. It is about people. It is about being someone they can trust, especially when things do not go as planned, and making sure they can be present and enjoy the moments they worked so hard to create.
What are your plans for the future?
As I look toward the future, I am excited about continuing to grow my business, but I am also looking forward to growing in other areas of the industry. One thing I am especially excited about is mentoring and education through The Planning Exchange. I have learned so much through experience, including the things that went well and the things that did not go so well. I would love the opportunity to share that knowledge with other planners and help them navigate the industry.
I think there is so much value in having someone you can learn from, especially in an industry where so much of what we learn comes from actually being in the trenches and experiencing it for ourselves. Being able to mentor others, educate, and help someone else build their confidence and their business is something I am really looking forward to.
At the same time, I want to continue growing my own business and creating great experiences for my clients. I am also looking forward to finding a better balance between my business and my personal life.
I do not necessarily feel like I need to completely change direction. I really enjoy what I do. I am more interested in continuing to evolve, learning new things, sharing what I have learned, and hopefully making a positive impact on the next generation of event professionals.
I am looking forward to seeing where the next chapter takes me and being able to bring other people along with me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theplanningexchange.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplanningexchange/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theplanningexchange
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theplanningexchange
