Today we’d like to introduce you to Willa Via.
Hi Willa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Before I was a wedding planner, I was a second-grade teacher. Before I was a second-grade teacher, I planned my own wedding in Yosemite, California, from New York. I had the best time and found myself wondering why there wasn’t more for me to do because I loved the logistics of all of it.
On the day of the wedding, I carved out enough time to help set up my tables. Rather than get the hair and makeup I had paid for, I decided to continue perfecting my tablescapes. I had the most magical morning, one that filled my soul in a way I didn’t know was possible.
Well, that was a high. A low was watching half of our flowers freeze in a refrigerator that had turned into a freezer overnight. Rather than see this as the end of our big day, I called all of my gal pals over. We tossed the dead flowers and reworked what we had so that it was even better than before. We turned an accident into something joyful and serendipitous, and I remember thinking, “If I can get through the trials and tribulations of my own wedding with a smile on my face, I could bring this to other people.”
Flash forward through eight years of keeping the calm in classrooms of 30 children, sometimes classrooms of 30 boys, and I learned that the person in charge sets the tone for the day. I can be the storm or the sun peeking through the clouds, and I choose sunshine every time. Toward the end of my teaching career, I began coordinating weddings for friends. Teaching and wedding planning are remarkably similar. Great teachers create a lesson plan, anticipate what could go wrong, and work backward to create a successful outcome. Great planners do the same. Both require flexibility, organization, empathy, and the ability to stay calm when things inevitably shift.
When I pivoted to wedding planning full time, my mission was, and still is, to bring peace and ease into the wedding space. I want wedding planning to feel like chatting with a friend, and on the day of the wedding, I want my couples to simply show up to a party that is somehow exactly how they imagined it would be. I get to know my couples so well that I don’t need to ask them to make choices on the day. I already know what they would choose.
What began as a side hustle has grown into a full-time career. It’s a job I look forward to doing every day and the perfect career to pursue while enjoying all that Bend has to offer with my family. We started in the woods of Yosemite and at outdoor venues throughout Northern California, moved into the luxury space at private estates and historic venues in San Francisco, and now plan weddings everywhere from Portland to the Bay Area.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I recently had a friend who was looking to get into the wedding planning world ask me what the hardest and most important part of being a wedding planner is. My answer may be different from most people’s, and it may be surprising, but it’s this: I go into every wedding knowing that I will do absolutely anything in my power to ensure my couple has their perfect day.
Whether that means strategically hiding a stain with a floral arrangement or fixing a problem with my own money, I have done it all. In the beginning, it was a trial by fire. Now, I confidently walk into every wedding day knowing with 100% certainty that it is going to be perfect if I have anything to say about it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I think one of the biggest differences between me and many other planners is that I’m not trying to create a wedding you could pick out of a lineup as a Willa Via Wedding Co. wedding. My goal is for your friends to walk into your wedding and feel as though they’ve stumbled into the world the two of you have created.
While we certainly have our own preferences (er, the more color the better) and create the designs for our clients, each design is 100% based on who the couple is and what we learn during our design calls. Yes, we ask about their wedding color palette preferences, but we also talk about where their favorite piece of furniture came from. We talk about the homes they grew up in, what they loved about them, what they want to replicate, and what they want to avoid. We leave our egos completely at the door and remain flexible enough to move with the couple throughout the process.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
As a wedding planner, I use Aisle Planner to communicate with my couples and track every piece of the planning process. When it comes to productivity and AI, I use an app called Wispr. It’s voice-dictation software, and it has increased my productivity tenfold.
Beyond that, when you’re in a career you love, it can be very hard to stop working at the end of the day. The number one thing that helps me maintain a healthy work-life balance is having a wonderful community of friends and family whom I see regularly. I prioritize time with my family and friends during the week, and weekends are for my two kiddos and my husband.
If I could give one TED Talk offering my number one piece of advice for a woman’s happiness, it would be this: Start a book club with a diverse group of people who read a wide variety of things. Meet monthly and make it a priority. I’ve been in a book club for the past eight years, and it has brought me more joy, reflection, introspection, and personal growth than I ever thought possible. I recommend it to everyone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://willaviaweddingco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willaviaweddingco/
