Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Johnson, Owner and Lead Planner at Astonishing Events, LLC.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a Florida native. Born and raised in Tampa. I started working in the hospitality industry while I attended college. What started as income to get me through graduation, ended up turning into a career. I went from waiting tables to full-service catered events. I had the pleasure of working for one of Tampa Bay’s top catering companies and quickly moved up to become their Sales Manager.
I loved being able to network with other vendors, attend bridal shows, tour venues, and most of all, meet couples and assist them with their catering and rental needs. This catering company offered day of coordinator services to their couples and that is where my passion to plan and execute weddings and events started. I love being able to bring visions to life, to make sure every detail is perfect and most of all experience the joy and happiness of seeing the couples enjoy their special day without having to stress about anything that could go wrong.
In 2020, I decided it was time for me to branch out on my own and that is when Astonishing Events began. Having already networked in the industry for over 17 years helped with growing my business. I had vendor referrals from the relationships I had established with them already. I was also familiar with a lot of the venues in the Tampa Bay Area. I now have the most amazing team of coordinators working by my side and am proud to be a preferred planner at some of Tampa Bay’s top venues!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting and managing a business can be tough. From creating a website that is user-friendly to learning how to market to the right audience and most of all making sure my couples are happy during the planning process through the execution of making their wedding day perfect!
I had to learn, and am still learning how to have a good work-life balance. Fortunately, I get to work from home, so I get to spend more time with my kids and husband. However, working from home means I get interrupted more which leads to me working later in the evening and on days off.
Overall, this journey has been more of a smooth road. And I am truly grateful to our couples who believed and trusted in our services for their special day! I have a great support system from my family and value the vendor relationships I had and have built along the way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Astonishing Events, we offer three wedding and event planning packages: Month of Coordinator, Partial Planning, and Full Planning.
We also offer a full inventory of rentals to bring our client’s vision to life and we are always adding things to make sure we keep up with all the new trends. All of our packages include a credit towards any rentals in our inventory. We work with our couple’s ideas to create a vision board so we can design everything from the ceremony to the grand exit, assuring no details are missed.
We take pride in every beautiful wedding we partake in. We provide exceptional wedding planning and coordination services by removing the stress out of planning so that our couples can enjoy their special day and create unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime. That is our mission!
What sets Astonishing Events apart from the other coordinators and planners is my versatility from being in the industry; working from a server, to banquet captain, to a catering sales manager. Having that experience helps tie together the event planning and venue coordination since food and venue are some of the most important details of the big day!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I have two little girls, Hailey who is 8 years old, and Taylor who is 6 years old. Not only are they the most amazing, smart, and loving kids, but they are amazing at surfing.
They surf for fun and competitively! They have already won 25 trophies between the two of them. When I am not in full planning mode and have free weekends, my time is spent being a surfer mom watching them do what they love!
Pricing:
- Month of Coordinator Package starting at $2,000
- Partial Planning Package starting at $3,500
- Full Planning Package starting at $5,000
- Design and Decor Package starting at $1,000 for 100 guests
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.astonishing-events.com
- Instagram: @astonishingeventsusa
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astonishingeventsusa/
Image Credits
Tampa Danielle Cram Photography, Wild Love Photography, 28 North Photography, Sublime Studios, Reagan Aleea Photo, and Cornelia Zaiss Photography
