Julianne Young Decided Her Career at Fifteen and Never Changed Her Mind

An aptitude test in grade school once told Julianne Young she should become a forest ranger or a librarian. Neither felt right. So she made her own list instead - what she loved, what she was good at - and landed on wedding planner, despite growing up in a small Canadian town where she didn't know a single person in the industry. She was 14 or 15 at the time. 

Today, based in Calgary and working throughout Banff, Lake Louise, and the Canadian Rockies, Julianne Young Weddings takes on just four to six weddings a year - among the smallest, most selective calendars of any planner in this series.

She Chose the Career Before She Knew Anyone in It

"I've wanted to be a wedding planner since I was about 14 or 15. I've just always known this was what I was meant to do in life," Julianne says. The aptitude test detail still makes her laugh. 

"I remember taking an aptitude test in grade school that told me I should be a forest ranger or a librarian, haha. Neither felt quite right, so I made my own list of the things I loved and was good at. I loved design, I was incredibly organized, and I was a total hopeless romantic. Somewhere in that process, I decided I was going to be a wedding planner."

What's remarkable about that decision is how little evidence she actually had. "I honestly don't even know how I knew it was a job. I grew up in a small town in Canada and didn't know any wedding planners, but somehow I just knew," she reflects. "From that point on, I never really wavered. There was never a Plan B. It's always felt like what I was meant to do." 

She was certified to plan weddings in 2008 and launched her own company in 2011 - a path that's now given her, by her own count, over fifteen years in the business.

A Tent, a Water Line, and 150 Guests From Texas

Asked which wedding has stayed with her most, Julianne doesn't pick a five-star property - she picks the one her team built from nothing.

"This is such a hard question because there are so many that come to mind, but one that will always stay with me was a tented wedding we produced in Banff," she recalls. 

We built the entire experience from the ground up - bringing in the tent, power, washrooms, water, and everything needed to create a beautiful, comfortable celebration in the middle of the mountains.

Mountain weather made it harder still. 

"It was incredibly challenging, especially with the unpredictability of mountain weather, but also so rewarding. I still remember watching 150 guests arrive from Texas and seeing their jaws drop as they took in the scenery. Standing there and watching them experience the Rockies for the first time, while seeing everything we had created come to life, is a moment I'll never forget."

Why Her Calendar Stops at Six

Julianne keeps her calendar deliberately small - four to six weddings a year, depending on scope and destination. What she loves most about the work explains why. 

"My favourite thing is how vastly different every event is. No two couples are the same, no two weddings are the same, and no two days at the office look quite alike," she says. "There is always something new to solve, create, refine or get excited about, which keeps the work incredibly interesting." 

The bigger draw, though, is the relationship itself. 

"What I love most, though, is the relationship you build with your couples along the way. You spend months getting to know them, learning what matters to them, hearing their stories and sharing so many little moments throughout the process. You become so invested in the outcome because you become so invested in the people. By the time the wedding arrives, it feels like we're all on the same team, and I love that part of it."

That same closeness shapes how she actually runs a planning process. "My planning process is very collaborative. I always start by getting to know my couples - what they love, what matters most to them, how they want their wedding to feel and what they want their guests to experience," she explains. 

I'm a very organized person, so there is definitely a process and a lot happening behind the scenes, but I never want planning to feel overwhelming for my couples.

Design and logistics move together rather than in sequence. "I'm always thinking about how something will look, but equally how it will function and feel in the room," she notes.

The Logistics Are Usually the Easy Part

In Julianne's experience, the hardest part of the job was never the logistics. 

"One of the biggest challenges is that weddings come with a lot of emotion and a lot of opinions. You're bringing together two families, different expectations, traditions, budgets and priorities, and sometimes those things don't naturally align."

Her own role shifts depending on what the moment calls for. "A big part of my job is learning how to navigate all of that while keeping the couple and what they want at the centre. Sometimes I'm a planner, sometimes I'm a designer, sometimes I'm a mediator, and sometimes I'm just the calm person in the room reminding everyone what we're actually here to celebrate," she says. 

There are always logistical challenges with weddings - weather changes, timelines shift, unexpected things happen - but those are usually solvable. Navigating people and emotions with care is often the more challenging part, and also one of the most important.

A Timeline Nobody Should Feel

Julianne's approach to a wedding-day timeline starts with a single instruction. 

"Build in breathing room! A wedding day should never feel like you're racing from one thing to the next. I always add buffer time throughout the timeline because things inevitably take a little longer than you think - getting into the dress, gathering family for photos, travelling between locations, even just getting everyone out the door." 

Photographers, in particular, get looped in early. "I also love to connect with the photographer early and build the timeline collaboratively. They know how much time they need to capture everything properly, and I know how much time we need to make the rest of the day flow," she notes. 

A good timeline should keep everyone on track without the couple or guests ever feeling like they're on a timeline. That's always the goal.

She Looks for Places That Already Know Who They Are

Home turf tops Julianne's list of favorite venues. "I'm incredibly lucky to be based in the Canadian Rockies, so Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and Fairmont Chateau Whistler will always be at the top of my list. They're all iconic properties, but they offer such different experiences for those looking for a mountain destination wedding," she says. 

Italy pulls at her just as strongly, for different reasons. 

"I'm endlessly inspired by venues that already have a strong sense of place and don't need to be completely transformed to feel special. Somewhere like Rosewood Castiglion Del Bosco, Splendido, or Villa d'Este," she explains. "Give me an old villa, beautiful architecture, incredible gardens, a long dinner outside and a view of the lake or vineyard, and I'm very happy." 

What ties her favorites together isn't geography at all. "My favourite venues, wherever they are in the world, are the ones that give guests an experience beyond just the wedding itself," she reflects.

Fifteen Years In, She Still Wants More

More than fifteen years in, Julianne says the excitement hasn't faded. "The industry has changed so much in that time, and I've changed along with it. My taste has evolved, the scale of the weddings has grown, and I'm constantly learning and being inspired by the people I get to work with," she reflects. 

"When I think back to being 14 or 15 and deciding this was what I was going to do with my life, I don't think I could have imagined the career it would become. I'm incredibly grateful for how far it's taken me - and I still feel like there's so much more I want to create."

You Don't Need to Become an Expert in Weddings

Her advice to couples currently planning follows a similar instinct toward what actually matters. 

"Try not to get caught up in what you think you're supposed to do. There are so many opinions, trends and endless inspiration coming at couples now, and it can become overwhelming very quickly. Come back to what matters to the two of you and how you want the day to feel."

"Trust the people you've hired and let them guide you. You don't need to make every decision at once, and you definitely don't need to become an expert in weddings just because you're planning one. And most importantly, enjoy being engaged! Planning should be part of the fun, not something that takes over your entire life."