Meet the sweet and talented Austin wedding planner, Kelsie, owner of the Groovy Wedding Co. Anyone who has the pleasure of knowing or working with her instantly feels like they’ve met a longtime friend.
Originally from Kansas, she moved to Austin in June 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. “I visited Austin for the first time about five years ago and I immediately knew I had to live here one day. I just love the drive this city has. The weather/nature was also a huge part of moving here. When I’m not working, you can find me outdoors!”
With both of us being relatively new to the Austin area, we quickly connected. It’s been so nice being able to relate to someone who isn’t an Austin native, and who is trying to become familiar with the wedding industry! Not to mention, we both know the struggles of starting a business amidst a pandemic!
We started off chatting about business, but quickly got to seeing wedding venues together and planning a styled shoot. Because we are very similar in personalities, it has been such a fun partnership!
What made this Austin wedding planner take the big step in starting her own business? That credit goes to Jack, Kelsie’s boyfriend. “He has worked for himself since he graduated college. He was the one who really pushed me to go out on a limb and start this beautiful journey of becoming a business owner. I’ve had a long streak of horrible bosses that have made me never want to have another boss again. I also absolutely love the wedding industry and it was either get a job at a venue that was about an hour away or start The Groovy Wedding Co.“
And with her experience, she’s seen it all and still loves event planning. “I’ve been in the event industry for about five years now and have never looked back! My first job was as a wedding and event planner’s assistant. Second gig was an event planner at a small outdoor venue. And my last job before launching my business was working at a nationally recognized venue in Kansas City. This job gave me so much experience. It taught me skills and forced me to face the challenges that I needed in order to blossom in the wedding industry. Our venue was not like any other wedding or event venue. We had five different spaces within the building itself. This meant sometimes managing three weddings at once or having a wedding while Lana Del Ray was down in the Main Theater with over 1,400 attendees. Talk about multi-tasking!!”
What is Kelsie’s favorite part of being a planner? “There are a lot lol! If I had to narrow it down, it would be helping my clients. I LOVE taking stress off of their plates and making the wedding planning process as smoothly as possible for them.
What makes her stand out from other planners is that she’s laid-back. “I don’t think I am like a lot of other planners in the sense of the fun, laid-back approach I take. My company is built upon the foundation of accepting everyone is what I take most pride in. Love is such a beautiful bond to experience, we should not discriminate against those that are lucky enough to find it.”
And you already know my stance on hiring a wedding planner but why does Kelsie think a wedding planner is so important (aside from the fact that she is one, of course)? Because they’ll make a friend during the process! Yes, wedding planning can be stressful but it should be fun. After all, it is about celebrating the love two people share!!”
What do business cards, websites, and social media have in common? They’re all a representation of who you and your business are. You want to be seen as you are. Branding sessions are a great way to attract your ideal clients by making them fall in love with your authentic self and brand. Not to mention, your photos can impact your clients’ entire experience when they land on your site!
Because of the reasons above, branding is such a crucial part of any small business. So of course, we got to work on planning her branding session!
As part of this session, we wanted to show her close relationship with her boyfriend of two years and fur-babies, while also focusing on allowing her personality to shine! I might be a bit biased but I believe we succeeded! As you’ll see below, this Austin wedding planner is not only laidback, but she’s easy-going, fun, and always has a smile on her face (whether she’s hanging with her loves or drinking a cold cider and answering emails on her phone).