Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Bond.
Sarah, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have known since I was a little girl I wanted to be apart of events. I remember going to my aunt’s house and blown away how she could do these beautiful dinners and how her guests loved when she entertained!
As I got older, I was able to help her set up for these parties and she taught so much. She taught me how to set a table, cook hor dourves, greet guests, and how to handle situations when they didn’t go our way in the kitchen.
As I got older, I began working for a catering company where they specialized in weddings, it was hear I feel in love with the idea of weddings and wanted to learn every detail I could.
As a junior in College, I took an internship with Disney in Anaheim, California. On the weekdays, I was a storyteller on the ride Storybook Land but on the weekends is where I learned all I could about Disney Weddings! It didn’t take long to realize, my heart is with weddings and when I graduated, I would be moving to California to fulfill my dream of being a wedding planner.
In 2012 I moved back to California, where I worked in Beverly Hills but also assisted a wedding planner in LA. After working with her for a couple of years, my husband and I moved to San Diego where I opened my company Grace and Gold Events and haven’t looked back since! I am truly living my dream!
Great, 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?
As much as I want to say it’s always been a smooth road, it hasn’t. I have had my ups and downs and learned from mistakes just like anyone else. What I can truly say though is I have learned from those past mistakes and have grown into a strong woman because of them.
Some struggles I would say I faced learning an entire new wedding industry that is night in day from the wedding industry I grew up with. Growing up in Kentucky, I came to California only knowing how Christian weddings worked. I moved here and now I can proudly say I have been apart of so many cultural weddings and learned so much more than I could of ever learned in my home state.
Another struggle is getting clients. Yes, marketing helps but starting a new business can be hard. I learned that some months are great while others feel very slow. At the end of the day, I am so grateful to be my own boss and be the best person for my clients!
Before I got married and had a baby, I loved the opportunity to go to every industry event I could to meet new people. Now a few years later those events have become slim but I always try to find other ways to meet new people and catch up with old friends when I can!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Grace and Gold Events – what should we know?
I started Grace and Gold in 2017 with the idea that I wanted my clients to be extremely comfortable in the planning process and answering any questions they may have while planning the biggest day of their life. I didn’t want to just show up on day of coordinate then never chat with them again, I wanted to be apart of their journey and stay in touch even after their big day! Not only did I want my clients to become friends, I wanted them to feel like family.
My company specializes in Full Planning, Partial Planning and Event Management and we have had the opportunity to work all over Southern California from Malibu to Palm Springs.
As a business owner, I am most proud of not giving up on myself. Starting a new business in a new area isn’t easy in fact some days I wondered if I would even make it. But I never gave up and before I knew it I was on preferred list and inquiries started coming in. I am also proud of the goals I have set for myself and I have reached over the last three years. From hitting my wedding goals to getting published in some amazing publications!
I would say what sets me apart of others is I truly am here from you when the wedding planning gets hard. I always tell my consults that as much as I want to tell you wedding planning is easy… it’s not. I want to be there for my clients when the times are hard but also when times are joyful! I am also a wedding planner who doesn’t sugarcoat the details which I have learned over the years my client’s love!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I would say the characteristic I feel is most important to my success is passion.
Over the years, I feel like my passion for weddings has only grown larger as I learn more and more.
Pricing:
- Event Management starts at $2000
- Partial Planning starts at $5000
- Full Planning starts at $8000
Contact Info:
- Website: www.graceandgoldevents.com
- Phone: 714.356.3445
- Email: Sarah@graceandgoldevents
- Instagram: graceandgoldevents
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/graceandgoldevents/
Image Credit:
Stefani Walsh Photography
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