Meet Lesa Wilburn | Wedding Planner and Coordinator

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

Hi Lesa, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Simply Eventful Wedding Planning was not a vision that I dreamed about as a child, young adult or even in my 30’s. Upon graduation from college in 1996, I followed my degree plan and became a teacher and taught 5th grade until 2020. Teaching is where I felt that I would retire from and then enjoy retirement. In 2017, my daughter was in a wedding that was literally a mess. Looking back, we all realize that and can laugh about it today. I am not one for chaos and disorder, so I stepped in at the rehearsal and organized the whole event. Word got out that I was organized and detailed and a friend asked if I would coordinate her daughters wedding, another friend asked for me to be the planner for their child’s wedding. I realized was putting in 15 hour days at the wedding and it was insane for me not to be organizing the brides sooner, rather than later. My goal for Simply Eventful has always been to give brides and their families the opportunity to enjoy their wedding and not WORK their wedding. I researched and gathered all of the information I could, spent DAYS on podcasts and websites learning everything possible about the wedding industry. My very first paying bride was actually a former 5th grade student of mine and we had the BEST time planning her wedding, which pushed us into a lifelong friendship and I will always be grateful that she took a chance on my business.
There have been times that I thought there would not be anyone willing to book with Simply Eventful and I keep reminding myself of a quote that was shared with me. “The same God who gave you the business idea will give you the clients.” In 2020, I left my teaching position to focus full time on weddings and couples having the best day of their lives.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Simply Eventful Wedding Planning is more than a business to me. I believe that service should be exceptional and the mother of the bride and groom should never work the wedding. It is a day meant to be pampered and enjoy loved ones. My brides become lifelong friends and I hope they consider me a life-cheerleader. I celebrate new jobs, new homes, new babies, and am there for all the ups and downs life throws them. I also feel the same for my staff and vendors. They are more than a coworker, they are family and I am not their “boss”. There isn’t one thing I would expect them to do that I would not do first or alongside them. We all pick up trash, clean spills, and support one another on wedding day. I contribute every part of the success of Simply Eventful to my amazing team of workers and vendors. They are what make my business a success and are what set us apart from other planners in the wedding industry.

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?
Sulphur Springs is my “hometown” and we are known for the giant cows in front of the high school and the glass bathrooms in our downtown area, so I would start there. We would for sure eat Mexican food at three of my favorites-Juan Pablos, Don Lalo’s, and ElCharro. Stopping in at Corner Grub House for a meal would be a must, as well as BBQ at Bodacious. Eating breakfast with the locals at Red Barn would be a daily trip for sure. I would certainly want any guest to visit my office and see the “planning place” for all things wedding related. There are several festivals in our town including my favorite, the Hopkins County Stew Cook-off where my husband has been a winner several times with his beef stew. The downtown area is always filled with activities including boutiques and antiques. I can not leave out our Civic Center which hosts a variety of events from youth market show animals (NETLA) to rodeos and events. Plus the manager of the Civic Center is one of my favorite DJs and has an amazing karaoke night!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The success of Simply Eventful would not be possible without my AMAZING vendor team including photographers, bakers, videographers, venue owners, caterers, DJs, etc. One group that comes to mind is the North Hopkins FCCLA High School catering group. This group is led by teacher, Lisa Sprague. They are a culinary class at North Hopkins High School. This group of students provide quality meals and service to couples and community members while keeping costs at a minimal. This group provides catering in efforts to earn money for their national trip each summer. Student workers prepare food, set up, serve, and clean up after the meal in a very professional manner.

Website: http://www.simplyeventful.net

Instagram: @simplyeventful

Facebook: @simply.eventful.planning

Image Credits
Womack Creative Laced In Grace Photography Cori Jones Photography