Conversations with Jaime Weinfeld Zeltzer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaime Weinfeld Zeltzer.  

Jaime, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I was just 6 years old, my family purchased a home that happened to also have a banquet hall on the property. Without hesitation, my family jumped into the wedding industry, and so did I. By the time I was 10, I was helping manage weddings, going to trade shows, and was fully immersed in the industry. At the time, social media wasn’t the primary resource for couples, so they depended on us to guide them through the entire wedding planning process. I learned how to make dream days happen through trial and error and years of hard work. 

As a college student, my passion was theatre design and management, but the wedding industry was not far behind. So, I decided to start my own wedding planning, design, and photography company on the side of my theatre career. They worked seamlessly together. Producing a theatrical production is not much different than producing a wedding. The only major difference is a theatrical production has a month or more of rehearsals, and a wedding has only a single rehearsal before “show time.” As my theatre career took me on new adventures, so did my own business, and they both contributed to each other in ways I could have never imagined. The goal of both being to produce exceptional experiences and tell authentic stories that leave audiences and guests touched in ways that last a lifetime. 

I continued to balance a career in theatre and the wedding industry for many years, but life told me it was time for a change when Covid-19 shut down the theatre industry. 2 unexpected moves later, and my business is now my full-time job, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think anything in life is supposed to be a smooth road, as the bumps and curves and twists are what give life character and encourage creativity. As a small business owner, there have been challenges, but none that I wish didn’t happen. I have grown as an artist, professional and human because of each challenge and am a better person for my couples because of it. 

Now those bumps are stories that comfort or encourage my couples or give me strength when I am struggling with a problem. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
JW Designs is a planning, photography, and design company focused on telling unique love stories through design and detailed planning and capturing authentic moments in true-to-life color. My focus is always my couple’s story, what makes them unique and what gets them excited about each other, and how we can share that with their friends and family. As a planner, that means educating each couple so they can make an informed decision at every step of the planning process and giving them space and confidence to explore what their love means and how they want to celebrate it without having to worry about the details or logistics of the day or what Instagram is telling them they need to do. And as always to have fun during the planning process. This is a time to celebrate not stress about if you are doing it right or wrong. As a designer, my goal is the same; it is just executed through physical design. I look at my couple’s day holistically and create a unified vision across all details of the day and encourage my couples to think outside the box (or current trend) and create an experience that authentically represents their uniqueness and love. As a photographer, I get the honor of capturing these special moments for my couples. My style is true to life, and the unexpected moments and unassuming details are what I love. Those are the moments that tell a story and will be remembered for years to come. 

Being able to provide these different services to my couples and 20 years of experience in all aspects of this wedding industry gives me the ability to work with my couples along absolutely every step of the process and seamlessly connect every element of their day. So, when their wedding day arrives, they can feel connected to every detail, present for all the emotions, and know their day is uniquely theirs. 

Who else deserves credit in your story?
There isn’t one single person that has had a greater or lesser role in my success. There is, however, credit to be given to every vendor, couple, or wedding professional I have worked with. Each relationship I have had, a vendor I have met, or a company I have worked with has taught me something new about this industry, how to tell a genuine story, how to be a small business owner, and how to think or problem solve in a more creative or different way. I am constantly learning and growing with every connection I make, and I appreciate everyone I have had the honor of working with. 

Pricing:

• Planning Packages start around $950
• Photographer Packages start around $2,000
• Design Packages are based on scope of project

Contact Info:

• Website: jaimewdesigns.com
• Instagram: @jaimewdesigns
• Facebook: @jaimewdesigns

Image Credits
Three Driveway Media
JW Designs