READING TIME: 4 min 4 sec
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/02/2024
UPDATED: 10/03/2024
McKenna Shano, the heart and soul of McKenna Katherine Weddings, has always found herself immersed in the world of event planning, long before she turned it into a full-time career. With almost nine years of experience in the wedding industry and six years of running her own company, McKenna’s journey began in the most organic way. "I planned all my high school dances which then carried on to planning events for my sorority and then to where we are today planning weddings," she says, recalling her early days.
What truly inspired McKenna was more than just her knack for planning events. "I have also always been a major hopeless romantic," she admits with a warm smile. "So putting my love for love and my love for planning events the wedding industry was the right place for me." Marrying these two passions—her love for organizing and her genuine appreciation for romance—made the wedding industry a natural fit. It’s not just about creating an event for McKenna; it’s about crafting moments that truly matter.
"It is such an honor that our clients trust us with one of the most special days of their lives and that is one of my favorite things about the industry is we get to create such memorable moments for our couples that will last a lifetime," she reflects.
For McKenna and her team, the goal is simple: to make sure the couple can fully live in the moment. “We pride ourselves on our combination of creativity and attention to detail to make our wedding days a success,” she says. "Some of our favorite weddings to plan are the ones with a blank slate. We can go in and create a unique wedding that reflects our couple’s personality and style."
Though McKenna is based in Arizona and loves the local venues with their stunning mountain views and landscaped surroundings, she dreams of one day planning a wedding at a Parisian estate. “I think my dream venue would be a Parisian estate that has that perfect landscape,” she says with a sparkle in her eye.
While McKenna is the face of her brand, she emphasizes the importance of the team behind her. "My team works hard to ensure our clients can truly live in the moment and be fully present on their special days,” she explains. Each team member brings their own expertise to the table, and together, they ensure no detail is overlooked.
McKenna Katherine Weddings offers three primary packages: day-of coordination, partial planning, and full-service planning. However, McKenna makes it clear that she and her team are all about flexibility. “After we do our initial call with our client and figure out their wedding planning needs we sometimes do come up with custom packages to best service our clientele,” she explains. The team’s ability to tailor their services based on each couple’s unique vision is something McKenna takes pride in.
Over the years, McKenna has planned hundreds of weddings, and while many stick out in her memory, one story continues to resonate with her. “One of my favorite weddings was when not one guest was from in the state,” she recalls. “They had over 200 guests fly in to be a part of their day and celebrate their love”
What makes this wedding so memorable isn’t just the grand guest count or the stunning venue but the unexpected turn of events. “It was at a beautiful resort in Scottsdale and after the ceremony dark clouds started to trickle in and it was in that moment we had to make a call to change the entire wedding plans and move everything in doors or risk the storm,” McKenna shares.
What happened next amazed her. “When bringing this up to the couple they simply reacted in the most calmly reaction a couple could make and decided to risk it,” she says, still impressed by their grace. In the end, only a few raindrops fell, and the storm passed by without disrupting the celebration. “It just reminded us in this moment that the day is all about the couple and their love and not all about the florals, decor, and design of the day that make it such a memorable and special day.”
Like any wedding planner, McKenna and her team have faced their share of challenges, but nothing compares to the difficulty of navigating weddings during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The biggest challenge I faced was COVID and having to re plan all those weddings,” she reflects. “It was a super hard time for everyone and very very stressful, my heart hurt having to see all these couples replan their wedding days.”
When it comes to helping couples navigate budgets, McKenna and her team are transparent from the start. “I like to make sure everything is achievable with their guest count and budget,” she says. “The last thing you want is your client thinking something is achievable and in reality it is not always that Pinterest wedding that your client can afford. Making it very clear on the initial call what things will cost vs. the actual visions is super important in the process to make sure our clients come out with their dream day.”
McKenna’s advice to couples planning their wedding? “My biggest advice would be to enjoy the process and to not take in others opinions to much,” she says with a smile. “At the end of the day it is all about celebrating the two of you being in love so the entire day should be a reflection of that not a reflection of the current trends or what others want your day to be.”
This mindset, paired with McKenna's and her team's dedication, has helped McKenna Katherine Weddings become a trusted partner in crafting unforgettable celebrations. With a commitment to personalized service and a heart for love stories, McKenna and her team continue to create weddings that are as unique as the couples they work with.
