Following in their footsteps

When people ask me how I ended up in the wedding industry, they usually expect me to tell them that I’ve always loved weddings—and that’s certainly true. I love the beauty, the emotion, the celebration, and the incredible privilege of being trusted with one of the most important days in a couple’s life.

But the truth is, I think this journey started long before I ever realized it.

When I was a teenager, my grandma was a wedding coordinator… long before “wedding coordinator” was a common profession. Back then, she truly did it all. She designed wedding cakes, created the floral arrangements, decorated ceremony and reception spaces, and somehow pulled every detail together beautifully. She even owned a storefront where brides could rent candelabras, arches, and all the décor that was so popular in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

I spent years watching her create beauty from boxes of ribbon, silk flowers, candles, and a whole lot of hard work. At the time, I don’t think either of us realized she was quietly teaching me what it meant to serve others through weddings.

She didn’t live long enough to see me become a wedding coordinator myself, and I wish more than anything she could have. I would have loved to sit down with her, compare stories, laugh about wedding day surprises, and tell her how much of an impact she unknowingly had on my life.

Every wedding I coordinate feels like I’m carrying on a little piece of what she started.

The legacy doesn’t stop there.

My other grandparents owned a beloved steakhouse in the small town where I grew up. Hospitality wasn’t just their business—it was who they were. They welcomed people in, remembered names, celebrated milestones, comforted families during difficult times, and believed that gathering around a table mattered.

They served people.

Looking back now, I realize that’s exactly what I do too.

No, I don’t serve steaks, and I don’t decorate with brass candelabras anymore. But I do serve people. I welcome families into one of the biggest days of their lives. I calm nervous brides. I reassure moms. I laugh with wedding parties, solve problems before anyone knows they exist, and quietly make sure every detail comes together so couples can simply be present with the people they love.

At its heart, hospitality has never really been about food, flowers, or decorations.

It’s about making people feel cared for.

It’s about creating an environment where memories are made.

It’s about serving with your whole heart.

When I think about the generations before me, I realize that Carrie Anne Events isn’t just my business. It’s a continuation of a family legacy built on hard work, creativity, kindness, and genuine hospitality.

I may be coordinating weddings instead of arranging silk flowers in a storefront or serving dinners in a family restaurant, but the heart behind it is exactly the same.

And I like to think they’d both be proud.

— Carrie Anne Events