Spotlight Interview with Courtney Wolf of Invision Events
This week’s blog post is very exciting because we have none other than Courtney Wolf of Invision Events joining us!
Courtney started with Invision Events, an award winning destination wedding design and planning firm, in 2012 and has taken the world by storm. Her innate love of people, planning and organizing led her to Invision. She serves as our Principal Wedding Planner and is a two-time graduate of Auburn University with a degree in Marketing as well as her MBA. Courtney has a unique background in the logistics and fine details of wedding planning and is thrilled to bring her newlywed perspective to our savvy, sophisticated brides. She truly does it all.
She also runs Educate | Empower | Encourage Community – a members-only community of high achieving wedding vendors, which is where we were first connected. To top it all off, she is an incredible wife and mother.
Andie: So Courtney, you’re not just an event planner. You’re an educator, leader, mom, wife… How do you find the time to do it all? Do you have any Courtney rituals? A fitness regime? A weekly spa day?
Courtney: I have found there is ample time available for what is important to us. But, I definitely don’t do it alone. I have a full-time in-home nanny who takes incredible care of William and while he naps she helps me around the house with laundry, vacuuming, and all that kinda stuff. Greg is also a wonderful partner and handles the dishwasher and trash most days as well as takes care of Murphy (our 7 year old goldendoodle). I also have an assistant who works in my multiple businesses alongside me. I have support and help but I also have a gameplan and am fairly regimented with to-do lists for my to-do lists as well as accountability, focus and follow up. I love a routine! And I keep the train on the tracks! Monday through Friday (so long as I’m not traveling) I workout at Orangetheory. I also get a blowout every Thursday and my nails done most Fridays. I consider this to be my sacred “me time.”
Andie: What’s your favorite cocktail?
Courtney: I love anything with Gin. I only recently discovered this in the last year or so. That being said, a French 75 is *chef’s kiss*. I’ll drink champagne any day of the week though, too. 😉
Andie: We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy or challenging for you? We know you are no stranger to the hustle, but you make it LOOK so easy by how you handle everything with grace and humor.
Courtney: Gosh, it’s nice to know I make it look easy! I think everything is what you make of it. If I want it to be easy, it’s easy. If I think it’s hard, then it’s hard. For me, it’s been both – easy and challenging. But, I love a challenge! So, it’s been fun.
Andie: Where do you draw inspiration for your weddings? Do clients usually come to you with a clear vision or is it always off to the drawing board?
Courtney: One word: interiors. And ya know, clients are kind of a mixed bag. Some come with a distinct vision they’d like to achieve while others are a bit more open and flexible. Each comes with its own set of unique challenges. 🙂
Andie: What is your favorite thing to do outside of your business?
Courtney: I love to travel with Greg and William. In the past year we’ve been (as a family) to Mexico twice, France, Park City, Sea Island, Lake Toxaway, Austin and Cape Cod. I enjoy a busy and full life, but also love to nap. I’m actually working toward incorporating a daily nap into my day to day schedule for 2023.
Andie: What is your favorite wedding trend from 2022 and what do you think will be popular in 2023?
Courtney: My favorite 2022 trend is probably the continued interest in heightened experiential elements – whether it be through curated food & beverage, entertainment or aesthetics such as custom built structures and apparatuses. For 2023, I hope to see more of the same. I think we’ll also see couples continue to move into full weekend hospitality to include hosting welcome parties, activities and outings, rehearsal dinners and post toasts, the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception along with send-off brunches and other ancillary events.
Andie: What do you think of this year’s pantone color? It’s been quite polarizing – people either love it or are bored with it already.
Courtney: Most trends are polarizing, which is why they’re trendy anyways. I do enjoy the debut of the color of the year, but it never really means much to me. I appreciate that it can be a source of inspiration or a muse of sorts, if someone is looking to dabble.
Andie: I know you love to decorate and you have recently completed your new home – where do you love to shop for home decor? How would you describe your style?
Courtney: I’ll buy whatever Sarah Catherine Designs is selling. Ha! She’s outfitted our home from top to bottom and has an impeccable eye. Her interpretation of my style has been spot on…I asked her for elevated, casual, comfortable, cozy and effortless with a hint of masculinity. She delivered and then some! I’m excited to debut our finished basement later this spring. She has sourced a lot of our furniture, decor, art and lighting that are “to the trade” (meaning, not available at retail) but when she is pulling from mainstream Restoration Hardware seems to be a favorite.
Andie: E3 has been one of the best educational resources that I have come across in a way that is also like feeling like a safe space – a home, if you will. What’s the best education you’ve gotten?
Courtney: I consider myself a lifelong student and I love learning. A perspective shift is the best gift to be given and so I love it when someone opens up a new world for me that I’ve never considered before. Throughout my life I’ve been a part of impeccable formal education (Auburn University – both my Bachelor’s in Marketing as well as my MBA), on the job training, (both inside and outside sales for two Fortune 500 companies) mentorship in our industry (Valerie Gernhauser, Maria Bayer, Sean Low) and mentorship outside of our industry (Stephanie Ann Hughson, Taylor Lee, Amanda Frances). I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to learn, grow, expand and make an impact.
Want to see more of Courtney? I don’t blame you. Follow her on Instagram at @courtney_invision
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