Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Rhyne
Hi Taylor, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve had a very diverse background that landed me where I am today – a degree in Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management with a concentration in program planning from NC State, work experience in human resources, corporate events, catering and hospitality. Every experience I’ve had and job I’ve taken before starting my business – Lemons & Willow Event Management – was a stepping stone that the Lord put in my path to gain insight and knowledge to be able to share with others. I started my company in 2019 and our first ful year in business was doing backyard, rescheduled weddings during a pandemic and since then, I’ve grown my team, started the Charlotte are wedding planner networking group ‘Planners Together’, planned 3 bridal shows, helped so many couples through their wedding planning journeys and started the Dazed & Engaged Wedding Planning Advice Podcast. Everything I do is because I love helping others and showing them Jesus’ love through my business.
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?
Oh absolutely not. When I started my business, I was still working full time in a corporate job 60 hours a week and doing wedding planning at night and on the weekends. And when I was 20 weeks pregnant with our first child, I lost my corporate job due to the pandemic and launched into full time wedding planning at a time when large gatherings were technically not supposed to be happening. There have been doors shut in my face over and over but I’ve tried to remind myself each time that whatever doors open are the ones that God has put in front of me to walk through and that’s where I’ve gone. It’s been really hard, but I wouldn’t change a thing because every struggle has taught me something and enabled me to help others.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a full service wedding planning firm that services the Charlotte, Asheville and Boone areas. I think we are best known for being the bridge – a connector between couples and vendors but also a connector between wedding vendors and others in the industry. I am so proud to be a Christian business owner and being able to share my faith and my love for events with others. We offer everything from Month of Coordination to Guided Planning to Full Service Planning. Our main goal for our couples is that they enjoy the wedding planning process and then on wedding day, we want the couple, their friends and their family to simply show up and enjoy. It’s a big day for everyone involved and we want to make sure they enjoy it. With the Dazed & Engaged Podcast, I noticed that there weren’t a lot of reliable online free resources for couples who didn’t have a planner and I wanted to be that for them. So I bring on some of the smartest and best wedding professionals in the industry and we answer questions from couples on the show. Everyone should feel heard in their planning journey and everyone deserves to have someone in their corner and I pride myself in being that person for them.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m always turning to my Bible first when I need guidance both in work and in my personal life. And I’m so thankful for Megan Gilikin’s podcast Weddings for Real – she taught me so much in the early years of running a business, so did Christy Wright in her book (and podcast at the time) The Business Boutique. And Amber Anderson’s Refine Portal has changed the game for my business and given me a way to offer my clients the best, most comprehensive planning portal to help them throughout their wedding planning journey. I hope people listen to my podcast – the Dazed and Engaged Wedding Planning Advice Podcast – and learn as much from me and my guests as I’ve learned from these other ladies.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lemonsandwillowevents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lemonsandwillowevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lemonsandwillowevents
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/dazedandengagedpodcast/
