Meet Natalie Durham | Wedding Planner and Master Floral Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie Durham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
The most valuable principle that matters most to me is trust. In a business where it’s already hard to trust someone you don’t know, I make a concerted effort to build trust from the beginning. By spending time getting to know my clients, they can see my commitment to their big day. Planning a wedding involves many different levels of sharing details about sometimes very private matters and giving a client a safe, trusting environment is of upmost importance to me. It’s also important to build trust so that my guidance becomes something they rely on instead of question. Trusting my years of experience and what I know is best just adds another layer of value to my clients experience with me.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My company was created from seeing a need during my own wedding planning. Not only did I want to design a company where we worked from the heart, but I wanted to give clients an experience of feeling special during wedding planning. As crazy as it sounds, my parents threw a huge party when I decided to start my company and it was all about spreading the news of my new venture. Now 14 years later I am beyond blown away at my journey. To put it in the simplest terms, I still smile when I do my job. No matter how tiring the days can be, I look at these couples and their joy just fills my cup.

The challenges I have faced have only made me stronger and wiser. Early on being told I wasn’t good enough or that someone could find cheaper only drove me to be the best I could be. Looking back, I am so thankful for all of the people who put those pot holes along the road. You become refined as a person and as a business owner you become more determined than ever to grow. Without those moments, I know I would not be where I am today.

My business surviving a pandemic was very much a learning curve because we had to pivot and rethink ways to do business. I am so grateful to be on the other side and back to normal but I will say it tests your skills as a business owner.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A week with me at my favorite spot would involve packing hiking shoes, pinto beans and bug spray. Vogel state park has become a place that I simply cannot get enough of. We would book a campsite along the river at one of my favorite spots. Of course building a campfire and setting up is one of my favorite things. Gathering sticks sounds boring to most but it has always been something I love to do because it forces you to slow down, look around and get back to basics. My favorite meal I would prepare would be haystacks then finished off with none other than smores. The next morning we would start at the local trail head and hike for a few miles and then return to kick back by a warm fire. Heading into Blairsville or Young Harris for dinner is always fun and usually ends with a stuffed tummy. Vogel has awesome bands that come up for concerts so I always try to make it to those. The next morning we might head to waffle house, come back to fish at the lake or river, hoping to catch a trout for dinner and then more hanging out by the fire.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to thank God first and foremost for his blessings. And second I would like to thank the sweet team of girls I have currently working and those that have worked in the past with me. I am only who I am because of the strong women who show up and give 110%. To work with a team who you consider family and love deeply is one of the greatest gifts I have received by owning this company.

Website: www.nataliedurhamevents.com

Instagram: @natalie_durham_events