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So my name is Courtney Cunningham. I am the owner of Wildflower Vine. It is a wedding planning and an event planning business in the DMV area. Beautiful. And I serve all couples that are looking for a wedding planner. So anybody that's looking to get married, that's who I serve. That's awesome. Okay, Courtney, and to start, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and what inspired you to start Wildfly- Wildflower Vine? Yeah. So I have been in the event industry for about seven-plus years now. I started when I was in undergrad, and then I've just continued from there. In my last role, I worked at Johns Hopkins in high-level event management and admissions, and I just wanted to do something different. I wanted to create an opportunity for people to feel like someone cared about them, they felt compassionate in their work they were intentional with what they were doing. And so thus starting my business, I prayed on it and I was like, "God, lead me to where you want me to go and what avenue you want me to be in." I had zero clue it was gonna take me into wedding planning. But it has brought me to a wonderful industry, and I'm so grateful to be here. I'm so grateful to be in the industry. I met a mentor who really really inspired me to just keep going and to keep pushing. I shadowed her for one event, and I fell in love, and I decided "Okay, I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna start my own business." And it's been great ever since. I love that. That's so exciting. Yeah, it's great. I love it. I'm just so grateful, so blessed. That's great. What was your career path like before becoming a wedding planner, and what led you into pursuing entrepreneur- entrepreneurship? Yeah. So I was in event management. I worked in a couple of different event management fields. One was in higher education, which is primarily working with college-aged students. Another was in still college-aged students, but just higher level event management in admissions office work. And I decided I wanted to branch out on my own and do my own thing. My family is rooted in entrepreneurship, so it's kinda like in my blood and my veins and they are all doing really great businesses. I know, shout out to them. They're amazing. And so I was like, "If they can do it, so can I," but I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to do. And I feel when you're starting a business, you have so many opinions and so many outputs, and you just are trying to figure out what path is gonna be your path. But I think for me, tapping into the skill set that I already had was really what propelled me. I was already an event planner. I already had the skills. I already had the connections. I already lived in the DMV, and so I just took that and ran with it, and everything else has been a blessing. That's amazing. Yeah. It really fell into place- It was very authentic and you were able to work with it. Yeah. But it took me two years to get there. I did not wake up one day and was like, "I know exactly what I wanna do. I'm gonna put this on the map." No, it took me a while. I was going through different things. I had another business that that failed, which not ashamed of at all. Everything is your journey. But it just, it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do, and I think when it literally fell from a feather out of the sky, I was like, "Okay, this is it. I'm gonna just take one foot and put it in front of the other and then keep going with the other," and then here we are today. So yeah it's beautiful. I love that. And starting your business from the ground up can be challenging, of course. Yes. What has that journey looked like for you, and what have you learned along the way? So honestly, it wasn't until one of my really good friends said to me, "Do you realize that you just started your business from ground up and that you're growing it from the bottom to where you are now?" And I was like, "No." And then I thought about it and I was-- 'cause I'm a, I'm an afterthought processor, and I was like, "Wait, yeah, I actually did do that. I actually did start my business from the ground up." It takes a lot of work. Sometimes I think o- from the outside people think "Oh, this is a hobby," or, "This is what you do part-time." No, this is another full-time job that I'm doing. I still work full-time but I also am doing this as well and you are giving up a lot of your personal time. You're giving your emotional, mental, physical wellbeing. You're giving your time. You're saying no to a lot of things that you wanna do. For me, I was taking my computer on vacations and really trying to hone in on what I want it to be and how I want it to look before I launched anything. I missed a lot of family and friend events and social outings. And so you are really trying to put your best foot forward but you wanna make it as pristine and as perfect as possible before you launch it out into the world and you get all this criticism. And I think the most important thing is that, in that, is that you are the only person who can tell yourself no. And I think as long as you are passionate about your work and what you're doing, put your foot out there and as Nike would say, "Just do it," and see what's gonna happen because at the end of the day you will be able to catch yourself but everything is a learning journey and a climb. And I think for me, I have learned, One, which is the inevitable, like you cannot compare yourself to other people and what they're doing. I think you can admire other in- people in the industry. I admire other wedding planners, and I admire what they do and the work that they produce, but yours is your own, and you are responsible for creating that. I would say I've also learned connection. Someone used to say to me, "It's not what you know, it's who you know," and I think that's really important as well because connections can propel you even more into the industry and get you into other places and in front of other people, exhibit A, where I am here today. And just trying, and it's okay to fail, and it's okay to make mistakes because nobody is perfect. But learning from that and realizing I'm not perfect and I can do better, but what does better look like for me? What does success look like for me? Because you are gonna be able to define that not based on what anybody else says. It's just based on your own definition for yourself. That's exactly right. Everybody's journey looks different. Everybody's looks different. That's right. And no one, no two are the same. That's exactly right. That's exactly right. So when you work with a couple, how do you get to know their personalities and their vision so you can create a wedding that feels uniquely theirs? So one of the first things I do when I sign, or before I even sign with a couple, we have a consultation call. And in that call, I really like an opportunity to get to know my couples by getting to know them past just, okay, they're getting married. I like to figure out like what they do, like how they met, their love story what made them what is something that they love about the person that they're marrying. Because I feel like, one, I'm gonna be spending at least four months with this person, depending on the package that you book, so I really do wanna get to know you past just I'm planning your wedding. Because that then also builds trust for you to trust me and for me to trust you to make sure that I execute your perfect day. I think, too, another thing that I do, and some, some people are different, if a couple invites me to go somewhere with them. For example, I had a couple that I've been working with since June, and they were like, "We're having a Friendsgiving, and we would love for you to come." I was like, "Wait, I don't know if I should go to this," because, you wanna keep it professional. And I was like, "No, I love them. I wanna go. I'm going to their Friendsgiving." And so I think me, it's giving my time. I also think, too, it's really showing that I do wanna get to know them, and I do wanna create a relationship that's past just the wedding planning because it, it will build a stronger connection between us both. And so that is how, for me, that's one of the pieces of intentionality in how I run my business is creating that relationship and creating that bond. One of my strengths is relationship building, and so I really try to integrate that in the work that I do so that they can feel comfortable. And sometimes when we have meetings, we're not even talking about their wedding. I'm like, "How are you doing?" And they're like, "I'm stressed." And I'm like, "Let's chat about it. Tell me how you're feeling," because I wanna, I care about them emotionally, mentally, and physically, not just as a client that I'm working with, that's incredible. It makes them- That's been a really great That shows that you are really connecting with them, and I feel like that brings it back to the meaning of what their wedding is going to be too. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. For sure. And then for couples who are newly engaged and just beginning to plan their wedding, where do you recommend that they start? This is gonna be a shameless plug, but hire a wedding planner. Before you even do that, I think you should celebrate. I think you should pop the champagne or mocktail, prosecco water, whatever is your jam. And I think you should celebrate because it's a real- it's a beautiful thing that you and your partner have found each other and you are wanting to stay connected from this journey until forevermore. So you should celebrate with your friends and your family and enjoy the moment that you're gonna be in. I think that one of your next steps is thinking about, "Do I want a wedding planner? Do I not want a wedding planner?" I even think before that is thinking about a venue. Where do you wanna get married? I think your venue is, it sets the tone and the precedent for everything else to follow, and I was just telling that to a couple that I'm working with. Your venue has your date, it has your capacity, it has your catering, it has all these other logistics and details that you need to even move forward. And so I think it's nice to shop around and figure out what you want. Pinterest is really good. I think a lot of times people don't take Pinterest too seriously, but put together your dream board if you haven't done so already. This is your day, girl. Relish in it. Do whatever you wanna do. Put all these dreams together that you have and then see what's out there. And then shameless plug again, hire a wedding planner. A wedding planner makes your day 10 times easier. It is the, as someone would say, it is the most stress- is the easiest way to have a stress-free day by hiring a wedding planner because they guide you along the process and whatever package or whatever option that you book with them and they make your experience just that much better. So that's what I would say. That's awesome. So what does a wedding planner handle behind the scenes that couples might not realize is necessary to make their wedding day run smoothly? Yeah. So depending on the package that you book, wedding planners handle A lot. So it can start with, if you do full service, it can be, like, budgeting and concept. If you do partial planning, it can be design. If you're looking for just wedding day management, you c- it can be logistics and execution. And so we handle, as I like to say, all the little details behind the scenes that make your day even that much more special by making it run as smoothly as it can possibly be. And also as a kindergarten teacher, we dot a lot of I's and we cross a lot of T's that no one ever sees, but we do it because we are at the service of the couple and we want them to have the most special day. And some of that we do communicate with the couple, but logistics and little n- nitty-gritty details about for example, the trash pickup we're not, communicating all of those things. But we dot the I's, we cross the T's, we make sure that you can celebrate from beginning to end and you're not stressful about it. We call your vendors, we confirm details, we do your design concepts we handle your budget to make sure you're within your budget. We talk with the catering team. We are your one-stop shop between the you and everybody else. And so that is why I say it's really important to hire a wedding planner because if you do have a concern or you do have a thought we're the ones that are usually gonna be handling it and communicating with everybody else and then bringing it back to you versus you doing all of those details and handle and put, having your hand in all the pots of everything. So that's a little bit. That's a little snapshot about what we do for sure. But I'm sure there's so many more things that I didn't even list that we do that they do not see, and some they do see. And some they're like, "Thank you so much. I really appreciate it." And others again, others they don't see, but hey, that's the power of being a wedding planner. That's incredible. With so much wedding inspiration available on Pinterest, Instagram, and even TikTok, how can couples turn their dream wedding into something realistic for their budget? Ooh. Okay. I think in one of the pieces that I previously didn't mention was it's really important to set a budget. In that first stage, like after you're celebrating and you're shopping around for your venue and you're looking at your Pinterest board, it's really important to think about a budget and think about who are gonna be some of the key players that are gonna be providing to that budget. So is it going to be you and your partner solely? Is it going to be mom and dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, family, whatever? Gathering all those details together and then figuring out what's gonna be your best next step. So for example, with a couple that I'm working with one of their first pieces was to figure out what is their budget line that they would be feel more comfortable in, but then also thinking about what is gonna be your contingency plan, 'cause you always have to have a miscellaneous fund or a backup fund or a, a rainy day fund, if whatever you wanna call it. And then our job as the planner, we come in and we take your budget and our job is to protect that. We then outsource, or we then w- we then create like a design deck or a vendor concept with all of your images, and then once you approve that, we'll then outsource and we'll find vendors that fit within your budget to be able to make your d- your vision and your dreams come to life. And some of that from a wedding planner perspective is being able to also say no. And some of that is being able to say we can't do it like this, but maybe let's consider it like this." I think a lot of times what I've seen, like we cannot be yes people and say, "Yes, we can make this happen," or, "Yes, this is possible," and, "Yes, it can fit within your budget." Because sometimes it may not fit within your budget, and that's when the contingency and the rainy day fund come in if you want to do that. But I think most importantly, our job as the wedding planner is to protect your budget. It's to make sure that you feel secure within that budget and that your design can be executed in that budget as well. So within that is also being realistic of this is what you can do versus this is what you may not be able to do, or let's figure out how you can do it, but then scale it back a little bit so you still are not reaching that top line. Wow. That's a lot. That's awesome. It is, yes. Flowers and elaborate floral installations can make a wedding look incredible. Yes. But I know they can also be ex- expensive. Yes. How can couples create a beautiful atmosphere while being mindful of their spending? Yes. It's actually ironic you asked me that 'cause I was just doing a venue walkthrough with a couple yesterday at a beautiful venue here in Leesburg, and we were talking about floral installations, and I was giving her like a- Somewhat of a rundown and a realistic this is how much things could cost based upon how luxurious or not you want your wedding. So I think if we're thinking in terms of, like, all decor, I think it's important to think about what are the necessities versus what are the desires. Do you want, florals or anything on your tables? Do you want tablescape? Is that important to you? Do you want your guests to come in and say, "Oh my gosh, this looks stunning"? Do you want a huge floral installation and then we, flip it and use it for the reception? And so I think it's figuring out these are the necessities versus these are the desires, but then also thinking too this is what is realistically going to fit within your budget. Because if I bring you a proposal, and I always start my proposals at the top of the line 'cause it's better to start high and then cut low. If I bring you a proposal and it has all these things on here, and then you're like, "Oh, this is more than I was expecting," that's the reality of it though. I want you to see this is how much things are gonna cost, and it'll vary from florist to florist, from city to city. But overall, the prices are still gonna remain the same depending on what you're looking for. And again, it goes back to protecting that budget of what you're looking for and how much you're realistically gonna be able to spend. A floral install is definitely gonna be more than a tablescape because a floral install, you have to think about someone coming to set it up, someone coming to take it down, someone coming to stay through so that they can repurpose it. You have to pay for labor. You have to pay for delivery. You have to pay for the vehicle to get there. You have to pay for the gas. There's all of these things that they do not see that we know, which is our job to then communicate that with them so that they can get an understanding of, something of that large of a magnitude versus maybe like a tablescape or your personals, which is like your bridal bouquets or anything like that. However, I always suggest real florals. I think real florals do look really nice and I have a couple of florists that I really enjoy working with. So when I'm working with couples, I do say "Yes, real florals may cost you more, but I promise you they're gonna look so beautiful. They're gonna look stunning." But then I have couples that, they choose to work with faux flowers and or they choose to get smaller details other than the larger ones, and you you take it and you make the best of what you can, from that. That's a huge detail that, again, a planner would be able to- Give them realistic expectations on. So- Yeah I didn't even realize that was a thing either. Yeah, no. A lot of it is realistic expectations. And a lo- that's honestly, I feel like one of the heavy lifts of being a wedding planner is being like, "Okay, this is what you have in mind, but this is the reality of what you're going to get with the budget that you have. Because you may not be able to get A, but I can give you B that will be just as good as A, but on a smaller scale." So that's where the cushy comes, the cushy fund, the rainy day, the miscellaneous, all of those things. And then also thinking too, how much do you wanna spend on decor? Do you wanna go big and fancy and luxurious, or do we wanna scale it back and be really intentional about the guest experience that we're gonna creating? And I have couples on both ends that are like, "I want the best of the best, and I'm going big and I'm going home, and I want the drapery and the production and the florals." And I have couples that are like, "Eh, I don't really care about that. I just want to have a good meal. I wanna dance the night away with my partner. I'll walk down the aisle with a real bouquet, and we'll call it a day." And I'm like, "Okay, great." Every couple's different. With that said, what are some common mistakes couples can avoid by working with a wedding planner or getting professional guidance early in the process? I would say the one thing or one of the things that comes to mind is, at least from full service, is you have somebody that's gonna... or just anything, you have somebody that's gonna guide you through. And I think you have somebody that will be able to take your hand and let you know that everything is gonna be okay, and they are gonna make sure that you have the most special day in whatever capacity it looks like, whether it's a big budget, a small budget, a medium-sized budget, you DIY your decor, you get it outsourced from a vendor, you have somebody that is gonna be there for you to help you feel like you're not alone in this process. Some of the like other like little things, I would say you have somebody there to read your contract and review all the details in your contract to make sure that like you're not missing anything. You have somebody there that's gonna be setting things up for you on the day of. I think sometimes a lot of couples underestimate yes, we do things on the back end as well, but think on the day of, like who's gonna be there setting it up if you don't have a wedding planner? Your mom, your aunt, your sister, or you, the bride, are gonna be there setting it up. Like you don't wanna do that to yourself. And so having that person there will alleviate that stress. And you don't have to worry about that. Your wedding planner will probably, 9 times out of 10, catch a lot of the little things that you may miss or you may not see or you didn't even think about, like that you could potentially need on your wedding day. So they are literally the one-stop all shop for all the little, all the little pieces that may come in line. And they also separate, which is the truth, fantasy from reality of like making your dreams come true with the budget that you have and protecting that at all costs. That's just some of the things that we do. We also make you feel good. We make you smile. We make you laugh. We make-- we don't, we hopefully don't make you cry. But we, we give you all the feels, all the emotions. We're your biggest cheerleader. Like I think it's my wedding. It's not my wedding, but like I think every wedding is my wedding and I want it to be executed flawlessly. I want every single couple to be happy and smiles on their wedding day. I want them to cry and not have to worry about who's gonna bring them a tissue, because I will. I want them to, enjoy their drink because I'll bring it to them and they can celebrate. So we are, we're like r- everything. We're like an octopus. We have eight arms and eight tentacles and- we just catch all the little things that people don't see. Like the wedding planner fairy godmother We really are fairy godmother. We get three wishes, and I will most likely be able to grant them all to the best of my ability. I love that. How have wedding trends and couples' expectations changed in recent years, particularly with younger generations entering the wedding market? Okay. So I would say, 'cause I did a little bit of thinking about this, I would say AI. I feel like people and I-- Okay, some people don't like it, some people do like it. I'm, like, a huge fan of AI. I can't even deny it. I love it. It is so nice. I joke and I say I didn't get my master's degree. I got my master's degree when AI wasn't around, so I'm like, I fully earned my master's degree. But I feel like a lot of people are, like, using that to really start their planning process and what the steps that they need to do. For example, you can literally put into ChatGPT, "Give me a timeline of 12 months. My wedding is 12 months away. Everything I need to do month to get to where I am with point, to g- to where I am on my wedding day." We did not have that years ago, and I feel like right now with the generation, it's z- Gen Z is getting married. They're really big into social media, they're really big into AI, and using that to their advantage. And big ups to them. Use it to your advantage. Let it think for you. Let it do some of the things that you need. It'll even plan and give you different images and put them together based upon what you're looking for. And so I definitely think AI is it's really coming up, and people are using it to their advantage, especially this generation. And big ups to you. You gotta do what you gotta do. And I use it, so I can't complain and say don't use it 'cause I use it as well. For couples who are unsure whether hiring a wedding planner is worth the investment, what would you want them to understand about the value of having professional support? I would say, I would e- I would ask them questions. "Do you wanna have a stress-free day? Do you want to enjoy your day? Do you want your aunt setting up your flowers? Do you want your mom calling your hair and makeup if they're late?" If you answered no to any of those questions, hire a wedding planner. Technically, if you answered yes to any of those questions. Yes, you wanna have a stress-free day. Yes, you don't want your mom calling your hair and makeup if they're late. No-- you want to make sure that somebody is gonna do those things for you, and that is the investment of hiring a wedding planner. And so personally, yes, it's my own sha-shameless plug, but yeah. If you an- if you want a stress-free day, hire a wedding planner. That's what I would say. It may seem... It is an investment, but it is a investment worth paying for. Absolutely. Even as a wedding planner, whenever I get married, I would hire a wedding planner because I don't want to deal with all the little nitty-gritty details, and I'm a hard Type A, but I don't wanna deal with that. I want to enjoy, sit back, drink my mimosa, and not worry about whatever else is going on down there. Even though I'm sure I'll probably peep just 'cause I'm so Type A. But I just, I think it is one of the best things that couples can do for themselves to really enjoy every single moment, because most of the time, most couples will say "Oh, I'm stressed. I'm overwhelmed, and this is a lot." And it can be, but a lot of that can be taken off your plate if you have a really good wedding planner, and there are some really great ones in the DMV area, that's amazing. And every couple has different needs and expectations, of course, as well as stressors d- during the planning process. How do you help your clients feel supported when navigating those challenges? So I do one thing in particular that I know that some people do not do, and they leave it up to themselves. So I give my phone number, my personal phone number, out to every single client that I work with. And I've got my fingers crossed that I, it, I have not been, like, taken advantage of in any way or couples have texted me at 2:00, 3:00 in the morning. If they do, they won't get a text back until I wake up. But I've been blessed with that. And so for me, that is my biggest piece is communication. Yes, you can email me and I'll get back to you within 24 to 48 hours, but having my phone number gives them another layer of access to build that trust so they know if they need anything, they can text me and I'll get back to them. Some couples use it, some couples don't, but it just is another way of trust that I think works with all of my couples. One another thing that I do is before I start any meeting, I always check in with them just to see, like, how they're doing outside of wedding planning. "How's work? How's life?" If they have kids, "How are your kids doing?" If they went on a vacation, I had a couple go to Vegas and California and I was like, "How was Vegas? How was California?" They sent me pictures from the trip. I was so excited to see the photos. So I build something other than just that business professional mindset. And that was another reason why I started my business because I didn't want it to be just business. I want it to be business and friendship. I want it to be friendship and love. I wanted to have compassion and care for every single person that I worked with. So I would say for me, that's one of my biggest pieces is communication and providing couples with the access to do that just gives them another avenue to trust you even more, which is what you're gonna need to then execute, their day according to the plan. I think it's very important to make it more personable because you are spending all that time and a big part of their day. So I think that's a very- Yeah special thing. Now some people will do it and some planners are like, "No, I won't give out my phone number," and that's totally fine, completely up to you, but I do and it's gotten me a lot of referrals, I will say that, yes. Starting and growing a business comes with unexpected challenges. What advice would you give someone who has a business idea but feels nervous about taking that first step? What did Nike say? Just do it? Like- just jump. Cannonball. Grab a parachute. Get- make the parachute was gonna work, hit the thing, and then, you'll be fine. Personally, I would say if you have an idea about something, the only person who can tell yourself no is you. And that is how I live my life, that is my mindset, that is my motto. I feel strongly and that this was a gift that was given to me from God. It's one of my skill set, and He bestowed it on me and blessed me with it, and I'm so grateful for it. And so if you have a, a thought, a plan, an idea, the only person who can tell yourself no is you. So grab your parachute and jump. Because if you don't jump, you're gonna regret it. So trust yourself. Believe in yourself. You... If you have the idea, then you have the skill set. If you have the skill set, then you have the mindset. If you have the mindset, you have the motive. So just trust yourself and believe that you can do it. Nothing is gonna be perfect when you first start off. Yes, you're gonna make mistakes. I had a business a few years back, and it failed because I wasn't in it for the right reasons. But you have to trust yourself. Know what you're doing. You are the, what is it? The driver in the car. You are the owner of your own life. You only have one life to live. Live it to the fullest, trust your abilities, and just do it. Absolutely. What are your goals for Wildflower Vine, and what would you love to see the business grow into over the next few years? So ironically, one of my goals was to be on a podcast. So check, got that off the list. That was one of my goals for this year. I call my goals my prayers. So that was actually one of my prayers for 2026 was to be on a podcast, so this is just honestly a blessing. One of my other goals is to figure out... I was- I had two choices. It was going the luxurious wedding plow- pl- the luxurious wedding route or expanding into PA because I have been getting a lot of inquiries through PA, and then unfortunately when they inquire, I'm already booked for that date. And so I was like, "Maybe I should expand to PA." And I prayed on it and I said, "Okay, God, where do you want me to go? Where, what you want me to do?" And then I was blessed with two full service weddings that were gonna be the more luxurious route. So I said, "Okay, this has to be a sign. That's the route I'm going." But I'm not closed off to PA, so I'm hoping that in 2027, if not 2028, within that timeframe, I will expand to Pennsylvania. And I will launch to that market figuring out what that market will be. But I do have some connections in the area and I have been getting some inquiries there, just unfortunately I'm already booked for the dates that they inquire for. So that is one of my biggest ones as well. And then just trusting the process and Seeing where God takes me. I don't know where I'm gonna go. I don't know what's gonna happen in 2028. I know what I have in mind, but He is the driver, so I'm just gonna trust that He's gonna guide me. And then whatever He says, if He says jump, I'm gonna be like, "Okay, we're going. I'm jumping." But yeah, those were two that I had two that I had in mind. I wanted to, One other one that's just really random is more partnerships with other vendors. I feel like that is what drives the industry is continues- continuous collaborations and partnerships. And I really wanted to get better at that this year in 2026, and I wasn't quite there. It's just time. You get 24 hours in a day, and you spend 12 of them sleeping. So I haven't quite yet grasped that, but that's something that I do wanna get more of or do more of in 2027, is the ability to collaborate with other vendors and get and do more partnerships and opportunities with them. Because that is what, that's what keeps you going is the connections. You meet people. They're doing something, you're doing something. So yeah. But that's my hope and plan and prayer. But there's just not enough time. I don't have enough time. And I'm booked, which is a blessing, but then I just don't have enough time. But I'm hoping that's gonna be something for 2027 I'm trying to work on. That's absolutely exciting. As you look toward the future- Okay what opportunities do you see for expanding your wedding planning services into new markets or working with more luxury weddings? Working with more luxury weddings. So I actually have a wedding mentor that I work with, and she is, I think she's really awesome. I think she's super cool. And she is in the Charlottesville market, like Williamsburg, Charlottesville market. And so I work a lot with her to see what she does and see how she prepa- propels herself and puts her in those positions to get where she is to follow in her footsteps and then gain that experience and those skill set. And so she does a lot more luxurious weddings, and she helps me when I have different questions or suggestions or things that I'm thinking and considering to get that experience. And so that's one route that I'm taking. Another route was or is consi- that I am considering is my expansion to PA and looking at that market there. I was looking at like York, PA area. I was also looking at Erie. I was looking at Philadelphia. There's just so many markets and great cities. I was also looking at Lancaster 'cause I've gotten some inquiries from that area as well. So I'm excited about the opportunity that's gonna come. I don't know which route it's gonna be. It could be both, which, Lord knows. He knows, and He'll tell me. But it could be both. But I am I'm open to either. I'm open to both 24 hours in a day, how much time do we have? 12. But I'm open to both. I'm open to either. I'm trying to see what's gonna be, like, the best route for the business and then that's the route that I'm gonna go into. Or there could be one that I'm not even seeing right now that could literally be in front of my face and I don't know. Maybe podcasting's in my future. I don't know. Who knows? But so I'm open to wherever that's gonna be, and I'm excited about the future. Every time I get an inquiry, I'm like, "Oh my God, I got an inquiry. Someone else sees me." Or I get a referral and I'm like, "Oh my gosh, thank you so much for referring me." And so that o- all of that brings me great joy, but I am taking it one day at a time. I'm figuring it out, and I'm open, and I think that's the most important thing is you have a plan, but sometimes they say you make a plan and God laughs. So I think that's why I'm more, like, taking it one day at a time. Wherever he leads me is wherever I go, because he ultimately knows whatever the plan is gonna be. That's right. That's right. As we wrap up, is there anything else that you'd like to add that we haven't touched on today? I said just do it if you're thinking- Yeah about starting your own business, just do it. Don't be afraid. Put your foot out there. And any questions, people can, find me on social media at Wildflower Vine. And I would be more than happy to answer any questions that they have, whether it's about wedding planning or anything in general business-wise. We are not the end-all be-all, and every single entrepreneur we don't know everything. We're all learning as we go, but that's the beauty of the business. You're learning as you go. And I'm so grateful for everything and every opportunity. This was a blessing. This was really awesome. Literally fangirling over here of myself. So cool. But yeah. This was great. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you so much, Courtney, for joining me on The Alimond Show. I wish you the very best in all that comes your way in the future. Thank you so much. It was great being here.