Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Bradley
Hi Chelsea, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey to this business began the same way many peoples’ do: with a hobby. I’ve been a bridesmaid, day-of-coordinator, and maid of honor for countless friends over the past 10 years. At many of these events people would tell me, “You’re really good at this – why aren’t you doing it for a living?” After a while, I found myself asking the same question – why AREN’T I doing it for a living?
After a lot of research and encouragement from friends and family, I decided to take the leap into professional wedding coordinating in 2024. Since then, I’ve been learning a lot and building my database of vendors and clients.
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?
Honestly, starting a business has brought up a lot of emotions I didn’t expect. The idea of becoming a business owner is super intimidating to begin with, but it’s doubly intimidating as a young, single woman because it means you’re putting a LOT of faith in yourself, and that hasn’t always been my strong suit. I have a pretty intense fear of failure, so I’ve never really been a risk-taker. I like things to be clearly planned out from the start, and with something like this, there’s just no predicting the future. So I would say the biggest struggle for me has been simply believing in my own ability to do this.
When I first started my business, I didn’t even want to tell people. What if I announce this big life event, and then it doesn’t work out and everybody knows I couldn’t hack it? I was embarrassed to even call Dazzling Haze Events a “business”; I felt like a child playing dress-up. I don’t come from a family of entrepreneurs or business owners. I was a first-generation college graduate, and the only person in my entire family to earn a graduate degree. That meant I had no experience in what running a business looks like, and very few people to turn to for advice.
I’ve struggled with imposter syndrome my whole life, which I’ve had to work to overcome (thank you, therapy!) in everything from school, to my career as a college professor, and even in relationships. There’s a real feeling of inadequacy that hangs over your head when you don’t come from the same advantages as other people. My family was middle class, hard-working, and gave me a ton of encouragement and opportunity, but I had to figure the rest out on my own.
Thankfully, as I’ve gained clients and experience I’ve started to feel a lot more comfortable in my skin. There’s a huge network of support for small businesses, especially women-run businesses, so I’ve found a lot of encouragement and help from the women who started before me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I like to think of myself as a professional celebrator. Though I primarily work in wedding planning and day-of coordination, I really enjoy planning events of all kinds! I believe very strongly that the things (and people) we love are what define us, and that celebrating those things – in big ways and small – is the key to a truly joyful life.
I would say I’m most known among my clients for being an advocate for them. Planning a wedding is extremely stressful, and couples have to contend with their own needs AND the opinions, wants, and expectations of family and friends. I think my clients really value knowing that there’s someone in the room who is primarily interested in what *they* want. They can feel comfortable handing me the reigns because they know I’m looking out for them.
I’m also really intentional as a person, and it shows in how I work. I’m going to remind you to pause and take a breath before you start your walk down the aisle, because I want you to be able to look back and remember that moment. I’m going to make sure you sit down to eat the food you paid for. I’m going to keep track of the little things that other people might think are silly or unimportant, because *I* know that they matter to you, and *you* matter to *me.*
To me, that’s what separates a great wedding coordinator from the rest – do your clients really MATTER to you? Do you truly care about them, and understand that while this may be the 15th wedding you’ve worked this year, for them it’s one of the biggest days they will EVER have? That’s the coordinator I want to be. I want your day to matter as much to me as it does to you.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The wedding industry is always changing on a certain level, especially in terms of themes and aesthetics. Right now I’m seeing a lot of “disco cowgirl” bachelorette parties and sage green color schemes, but next year it will probably be “cavewoman aesthetic” bach trips and every wedding will be decked out in full garden-party florals. It’s really similar to the fashion industry in some ways.
However, I do think that social media, especially TikTok and Instagram, has really had a particularly massive influence on the industry in the past couple of years. You can find a DIY tutorial for just about anything, and now more than ever couples are sharing their stories for other couples to benefit from. Websites like Zola and bridal Facebook groups make it easier to find vendors, share recommendations, and seek advice on planning and navigating problems. I’m even seeing “wedding content creators” advertising for the first time – something we never could have dreamed of 5-10 years ago.
A lot of wedding planners seem to dread the “social media planning” trend, because they feel like it makes our job obsolete. Why would people pay for a planner when they can find templates, advice, and vendors for free online? I understand the concern, but in my opinion, the online wedding community can benefit vendors just as much as it benefits clients. A lot of people are foregoing big, traditional weddings in favor of small, intimate events or elopements, and the biggest factor in that is money. People just don’t want to spend $20,000 on a single day in this economy. But when couples can find help at the touch of a button, it empowers them to believe that they can have the wedding of their dreams without going into debt, which actually *increases* the number of potential clients I can work with.
Additionally, social media has made it easier than ever before to market and maintain a small business. I can be connected to 3000 brides in my service area with a single post, edit and share my portfolio with ease, create my own marketing materials, and even solicit feedback on venues or caterers before I recommend them to my clients. On top of that, clients can feel like they’re talking to an actual person because they can see my personality shine through my posts. In return, I get to follow *their* updates before and after the event, which keeps me in the loop and lets me get to know them even better. In an industry where personal connections are everything, that’s vital.
I’m excited to see what this field looks like in 5-10 years. I think we’re going to continue seeing industry after industry embrace social media and the sharing of information, which will help couples and vendors work together to create beautiful, affordable celebrations.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/dazzlinghazeevents
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559830792383&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: dazzlinghazeevents@gmail.com
Image Credits
Image credit for personal photo: Katie Hendricks Photography
All others taken by Chelsea Bradley, Dazzling Haze Events
