Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Ashford.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hello out there! I’m Jen Ashford and I founded Altar Ego Weddings in 2007 to help brides have a stress-free wedding planning process. I’m blessed the business has grown so much in the past 14 years! Austin is a top destination wedding location in the United States, and brides from all over come here to get married! As a bride, you should actually get to experience your wedding day. That doesn’t include worrying about which vendors have arrived, whether or not you’re on time or who’s supposed to be where. I will do that for you while you focus on getting married! Nothing makes me happier than a worry-free bride having a blast on her wedding day! I’m often asked what kind of wedding I specialize in. My only answer is, “all of them.” Weddings can be big or small, any and every color of the rainbow, modern, classic, rustic, whimsical or even off-the-wall! Every couple is unique and has their own ideas! I’m here to make it happen! I got started wedding planning when I just naturally picked up tasks at friends’ weddings. After my husband and I got married and started thinking about a family, the idea of having my own wedding planning business was born. It’s a flexible career that allows me to be in the professional world and also be a mom. I hold an undergraduate degree and an MBA, so I enjoy both the design and planning and organization sides of the business. I have earned the designation of CWP, Certified Wedding Planner, through AACWP. In the organization, I have served as an instructor, facilitator for the AACWP training course, mentor and Board of Directors as Education Chair.
I just completed my term on the Board of Directors of the Associated Wedding Planners of Austin. I had the privilege of being one of the group’s founders and remain an active member. It will be my honor to use my experience, expertise and vendor relationships to make your wedding day what you want it to be! Let me take the stress off you so you can relish planning your wedding! I have been trained by the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners (AACWP) and adhere to a strict code of ethics and agree to a high level of conduct personally and professionally. I enjoy being a part of a highly qualified network of wedding planners!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been a mostly smooth road with the exception or relocating to Austin 6.5 years ago. Moving into a new market as an experienced wedding planner but with no network was a challenge. I was up for it, though! My first year in Austin was spent driving back and forth between Dallas and Austin, fulfilling my DFW contracts, but booking new Austin weddings. I spent a lot of time visiting Austin wedding venues and meeting their owners. I invested in Brides of Austin, a local wedding magazine that had just launched, and was able to work with some amazingly talented, established Austin vendors. From there, I became a founder of the Associated Wedding Planners of Austin and served on the board from 2017-2020.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Altar Ego Weddings, our goal is to allow our clients to experience wedding planning in the most stress-free way possible. On their wedding days, their job is to enjoy everything as a guest would. They get to float through the day without any concern, enjoy making their marriage commitment and celebrating with family and friends. We don’t focus on any particular style of wedding as we believe the focus is on the couple and their style. Whatever they like, we can do. We guide our clients through their planning and wedding day in a relatable, approachable way. We want them to feel comfortable asking ANY question without fear of judgment. They haven’t planned a wedding before, so they don’t know everything. That’s OK! We do weddings all the time and we want to help them.
What makes you happy?
In my business, what makes me the happiest is when I see my lovely clients happily enjoying their wedding day without a care in the world. They get to be in the moment without thinking about anything other than celebrating. It truly still makes me tear up even after 14 years.
Pricing:
- Month-of Coordination AKA Wedding Management begins at $2,000
- Full-service wedding planning begins at $6,500
- Hourly consultations available for $100/hour
- New proposal planning service starts at $500
Contact Info:
- Email: consultant@altaregoweddings.com
- Website: www.altaregoweddings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altaregoweddings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/altaregoweddings
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/altaregowedding
- Other: www.weddingwire.com/altaregoweddings
Image Credits
Mercedes Morgan Photography Brittany Jean Photography
