People often assume I started Howie Mae because I fell in love with weddings.

The truth is…I fell in love with making people feel seen and cared for.

Today, I am the founder and creative wedding planner behind Howie Mae, serving couples throughout Central Kentucky, including Lexington and Louisville.

Looking back, I don’t think there was one defining moment that started Howie Mae. Instead, there were dozens of little moments quietly shaping the person I would become. At the time, none of them seemed connected. Now, I can see they were all teaching me the same lesson.

They were teaching me how much it matters to help people feel seen, cared for, and remembered.

My First Lesson in Hospitality

My first job was at Disneyland.

Straight out of high school, shy and unsure of where life was headed, I became a Cast Member at what many people call the Happiest Place on Earth.

Most people think Disney is famous because of the rides or the characters. But what stayed with me most were the little moments that happened between people.

(And yes…the famous Disney point. If you’ve ever worked for Disney, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Somehow it becomes permanently ingrained in you, and years later you’ll still catch yourself doing it without even thinking.)

I remember squatting down to speak to a little girl in a wheelchair, calling her “Princess” as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

I’ll never forget looking up and seeing her father quietly mouth, “Thank you.”

He had this look on his face that I’ll probably never forget.

It wasn’t just that I had made her smile.

It was that I had made both of them feel seen.

Disney taught me that people rarely remember every detail of an experience.

They remember how you made them feel.

At the time, I had no idea how deeply that lesson would follow me into every career I had after Disney.

Healthcare Looked Different…

Years later, my career took me into healthcare administration.

On paper, my days looked nothing like the work I now do as a wedding planner. I can completely understand why someone might have trouble finding the connection.

I checked people in, managed schedules, processed referrals, organized records, and spent countless hours creating systems that made information easier for coworkers to find.

But beneath all of that, I found myself caring about something completely different.

I cared about the person standing in front of me.

If someone came in frustrated because their lab order hadn’t been placed, I didn’t want to simply tell them to call their doctor and come back another day if there was something I could do to help.

If I could make one phone call that saved them another trip, another day of waiting, or even just one less thing to worry about…

I wanted to make that call.

Not because it was required.

Because it was how I hoped someone would care for me.

As time went on, I found myself volunteering for projects that had nothing to do with my job description.

I loved redesigning training guides so float employees wouldn’t feel lost.

I loved organizing birthday celebrations so coworkers who often went unnoticed would feel remembered. (Give me a theme, a few balloons, and access to the group chat, and apparently I was unstoppable.)

I loved watching someone’s face light up when they realized another person had taken the time to think about them.

Looking back now, I realize those projects weren’t distractions from my work.

They were the work I loved most.

Then Life Changed

Then life reminded me how fragile tomorrow really is.

Losing my best friend, Jenny, changed the way I looked at time.

She was also the first person who invited me into the world of wedding planning. Not as a planner, but as a friend helping choose colors, touring venues, meeting florists, and dreaming about what her wedding day could become.

After she passed away, I found myself thinking about how quickly life changes.

How often we wait for “someday.”

How tomorrow is never promised.

It made me ask myself a difficult question.

If I’m not happy where I am today…what am I waiting for?

Looking Back…

Looking back now, I don’t think I started Howie Mae simply because I loved weddings.

I started Howie Mae because every chapter of my life taught me something about caring for people.

Disney taught me hospitality.

Healthcare taught me organization and compassion.

Friendship taught me that moments are precious.

And weddings…

Weddings became the place where all of those parts of me finally belonged and where my creativity could flourish.

For the first time, my love of hospitality, organization, creativity, and caring for people no longer felt like separate parts of me.

They finally had a home.

What Howie Mae Was Built Around

Today, as I help couples throughout Central Kentucky create thoughtful wedding experiences, those same lessons continue to guide every timeline I build, every detail I consider, and every decision I help carry.

When I think about how I want every Howie Mae couple to feel after working with me, it isn’t simply about perfection. Something unexpected almost always happens.

(Although I am a perfectionist…don’t let me fool you.)

It isn’t only about luxury.

It isn’t only about beautiful décor.

It isn’t only about a flawless timeline.

I want them to feel cared for.

I want them to feel understood.

I want them to know that someone has thought about the little things before they ever had to ask.

Because I’ve come to believe that some of the most meaningful moments in life aren’t created by grand gestures.

They’re created by thoughtful people.

And that is what Howie Mae was built around.

Learn more about Howie Mae’s Services here.