Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan DeWard.
Hi Dan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My wife Andrea and I have been in the wedding industry for over 25 years, working with couples throughout Grand Rapids and West Michigan. We actually started small—I was a DJ, and Andrea focused on floral design for our couples.
Over time, we continued to grow, adding additional mobile wedding services including photography, video, photo booths, limousine, bridal dresses, tuxedos, hosting bridal shows, and eventually designing and opening three large wedding venues—Studio D2D—in downtown Grand Rapids. There, we worked closely with hundreds of couples coordinating their ceremony and reception, which gave us a deep understanding of how weddings truly function behind the scenes—not just how they look. That’s where we really learned what makes a wedding day run smoothly—and what can quickly throw it off.
After selling our three venues in 2019, we saw a growing need for more personalized, hands-on wedding services. Many couples were feeling overwhelmed trying to coordinate everything on their own or manage multiple vendors. That’s when we launched Full Circle Weddings, with a focus on creating a seamless, stress-free planning experience from start to finish at any location.
Today, we offer wedding planning, day-of coordination, photography, videography, DJ/MC, floral and décor, our podcast (Wedding Planning Experts), and more—all working together as one team. Andrea leads our floral and décor design alongside our daughter Erika, creating a unique, family-driven experience that our couples really connect with. Couples can reserve individual services or build a custom package that fits their specific wedding day.
We’ve now helped hundreds of couples across West Michigan plan their weddings stress-free and on budget. We were also excited to launch our Wedding Planning Experts podcast, where we share real wedding-day experiences, expert advice, and behind-the-scenes insights—something many couples turn to early in their planning journey to feel more confident and avoid common mistakes. This has become a great tool for brides and grooms.
At the end of the day, our goal is simple—to give couples a wedding day they can fully enjoy, knowing every detail is handled by a team they trust.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road—it takes years to build the experience level we have in the wedding industry and a few things we tried in our early years didn’t work as well as we expected but those experiences are exactly what shaped how we serve our couples today. Any lasting business needs to continually learn, shift and evolve.
Over the years, we’ve seen just about every type of wedding scenario—from last-minute timeline changes to vendor challenges and unexpected issues that can come up on the wedding day. Those experiences taught us how important it is to have strong systems, clear communication, and a team that can adapt quickly.
We’ve seen firsthand what can go wrong on a wedding day—and more importantly, how to make sure it doesn’t.
One of the biggest challenges has been helping couples navigate the overwhelming number of decisions that come with planning a wedding. Many couples start excited, but quickly feel stressed trying to manage everything on their own.
That’s what pushed us to refine our approach and build a team that handles those moving parts behind the scenes. It’s also one of the reasons we launched the Wedding Planning Experts podcast—to help couples feel more confident, informed, and supported throughout the planning process.
Looking back, those challenges weren’t setbacks—they were what allowed us to create a better experience for the couples we work with today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Full Circle Weddings is a West Michigan–based wedding company focused on helping couples plan and experience their wedding day stress-free and on budget.
We specialize in providing a seamless, all-in-one wedding experience by offering planning, day-of coordination, photography, videography, DJ/MC, floral and décor, and more—all working together as one team. This allows our couples to avoid the stress of managing multiple vendors and instead enjoy a wedding day that flows smoothly from start to finish.
What truly sets us apart is how everything works together behind the scenes. With over 25 years of real wedding-day experience, we’ve built our services around anticipating challenges, keeping timelines on track, and making sure every detail is handled without the couple ever having to think about it. Most couples don’t realize how much coordination happens behind the scenes—until they don’t have the right team in place.
We’re also proud to be a family-driven business creating a level of care and consistency that our couples genuinely connect with.
In addition to our services, we host the Wedding Planning Experts podcast, where we share honest, practical advice to help couples feel confident and informed as they plan their wedding.
What we’re most proud of is the experience we help create. Our couples aren’t worrying about logistics or managing vendors—they’re fully present, enjoying one of the most important days of their lives, knowing everything is taken care of.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
We define success by the experience our couples have—not just the end result, but how they feel throughout the entire process.
If a couple can go into their wedding day feeling confident, relaxed, and fully present—knowing every detail is handled—that’s success to us.
We’ve seen how quickly a wedding day can go by, and the biggest win is when couples are able to truly enjoy those moments instead of managing logistics or worrying about what’s happening behind the scenes.
We also measure success by the relationships we build. When couples trust us, refer us to their friends and family, and look back on their wedding day as one of the best experiences of their lives—that’s what tells us we’ve done our job well.
At the end of the day, success isn’t about how many weddings we do—it’s about how well we take care of each one.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fullcircleweddings.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FullCircleWeddingsGR
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FullCircleWeddingsTeam
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheWeddingPlanningExperts
- Other: https://weddingplanningexperts.com/
