Setting aside part of your budget for a wedding planner might not be the first thing on the top of your newly engaged to-do list. We get it. There are dates to be set, venues to be toured, and hours to be spent scrolling through Pinterest images. The list goes on and on, and on... But that's exactly why we're here, and why we are so stinking excited that you are too!

It's no secret, wedding planners, like the rest of our amazing industry professionals, are not free. But wedding planners are not just for celebrities and couples who have mortgage-sized budgets.

Have you heard? We’ve got something pretty cool going on here in Green Bay, and it’s making waves. The second Tuesday of every month, a group of creative business owners gathers together at a local business in the Green Bay area and talks about different topics that relate to running a business and living a well-balanced life. What is this magical, mystery group? Why, the Rising Tide Society of course! The Rising Tide Society is a community for creative business owners with chapters all across the country. It began in 2015 in only 12 cities (Green Bay was one of the first!) as a way for local creatives to learn from one another, network, and grow themselves and their businesses.

To My House on Division Street:

I’m not sure that there are enough words and emotions to encompass everything I want to convey. You, my sweet little colonial home, were simply magical. When I started looking for a home, I was young and didn’t know what to expect. I fell in love with you as soon as I walked through your stained glass front door and saw your warm hardwood floors, enchanting fireplace,  and arched doorways. Your stairs creaked with each step, telling stories of the people who had lived here before. In your 92 years of life, I’m sure you had seen and heard some pretty incredible things.

Friends, in case you don’t know the fantastic woman that I’m featuring today, allow me to introduce you to Jess Hopp, founder of The Planner Collective. Jess is a bubbly, ambitious, and successful entrepreneur who grew The Planner Collective with a mission to inspire event planners to build a strong career and profitable business without the hustle. She fully supports her clients and takes their vision to a higher level, beyond what they even thought possible. Jess is committed to teaching her clients how to live in alignment with their values and internal desires, and helping her clients be a catalyst for change through the power of events.

I was first drawn to Jenna Kast’s work when I saw her witty mugs and tumblers at the Green Bay Farmers’ Market. The clever, bold sayings made me laugh out loud (I’m a personal fan of her “Kick Today In the Dick” coffee mugs!). Allow me to introduce you to Jenna, the artist behind Jenna Kast Studio. She’s a calligrapher, artist and graphic designer, and she use those skills to provide a wide variety of services to wedding clients.