Today we’d like to introduce you to Codi Stonehouse.
Hi Codi, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I began my career in the events industry in 2013 as a freshman in college, working as a Promotions Tech for local radio stations through iHeartRadio. While being full time in college, I immersed myself in every opportunity I could find within the events world. From interning with a rental company and working as a student worker for the events team at for Arizona State University to eventually being promoted to Promotions Manager at iHeartRadio, each role helped shape my experience and passion for creating memorable events.
Over the years, I gained hands-on experience planning and executing a wide variety of events, including 5Ks, festivals, graduations, and academic lectures. After graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in Special Event Management, I stepped into a role as an Events Manager at ASU. But outside of 8-5 job, I found myself constantly drawn to weddings and spent many weekends helping friends in the wedding industry and helping friends with planning their big days. That’s when I truly fell in love with the wedding world.
In March 2021, I officially launched my own business, and by September 2024, I took the leap of faith to pursue it full time. It’s been one of the best and hardest decisions I’ve ever made, and I haven’t looked back since!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh absolutely not and honestly, I don’t think entrepreneurship ever is. I’ve had my fair share of failures along the way, and I know there will be many more to come as I continue to grow both personally and professionally. Running your own business is hard and constantly pushes you to adapt, learn, and evolve, especially in the wedding industry where no two clients, weddings, or situations are ever the same.
One of the biggest challenges as a wedding planner (in my opinion) is navigating experiences with other vendors. At the end of the day, planners are often the ones helping hold everything together, so when communication breaks down because you can’t get ahold of a vendor, they don’t read the detailed emails and timelines provided or a vendor doesn’t deliver the experience or services they promised to a couple, we’re usually the ones stepping in to problem solve in real time. Learning how to professionally navigate those situations while still protecting the couple’s experience has definitely been something I’ve had to learn through experience.
I’ve also learned the hard way that not every couple is the right fit for me, and that’s okay. Early on I said yes to almost every opportunity because I was eager to grow my business, but over time I realized how important it is to work with clients who align with my approach, values and style. I’ve taken weddings where I ultimately lost money, overextended myself, or learned lessons the difficult way, but each experience taught me something valuable about boundaries, pricing, and the type of experience I want to create for my couples.
Another challenge is simply keeping up with how fast this industry changes. Social media alone can feel like a full-time job on top of actually planning weddings, and as someone who hates social media, it’s exhausting lol. Trends are constantly evolving, marketing changes overnight, and today’s generation of couples approaches weddings very differently than couples did even a few years ago. They wait to book, more design-focused, and often want highly personalized experiences, which means constantly adapting the way I communicate, plan, and create.
Even with all of the challenges, I genuinely love what I do. Every struggle, mistake, and lesson has helped shape the business I have today and continues to make me a stronger planner for my couples.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
What I love most about wedding planning is creating events that feel deeply intentional, personal, and unique to each couples story. I’ve found myself leaning more into the design side of the industry over the years. I’m especially drawn to creating designs that feel elevated yet grounded, designs that tell a story through texture, movement, and natural elements rather than simply following trends.
A huge part of my design approach is pulling inspiration directly from nature and the landscape around us. I love incorporating elements like river rocks, natural stone and earthy textures as the foundation of a design. There’s something so beautiful to me about creating weddings that feel refined and luxurious while still feeling connected to the environment they’re in. I’m constantly looking for ways to make a design feel layered, organic, and unexpected in a way that still feels timeless. I recently hosted a styled shoot at the Andaz Resort the foundation on my design was inspired by the Arizona Sunsets and I included stunning crystals found in the desert and river rocks on the tables with beautiful florals cascading down creating the ombre effect of a sunset. I’m still SO proud if it.
I’d like to think I’m slowly making a name for myself as a planner who loves infusing western and old-money-inspired aesthetics into weddings, but in a more understated and intentional way. I’m not drawn to the overly themed or “howdy” version of western design. Instead, I love subtle nods to it: rich textures, warm neutrals, aged materials, natural landscapes, tailored details, and an overall feeling that’s sophisticated, editorial, and effortlessly cool.
What I’m most proud of is creating work that feels authentic to me and tells the couples love story while continuing to evolve creatively with every event. I’ve worked hard to build a business rooted not only in creativity, but also in relationships and community. There are so many incredibly talented and kind planners in this industry, and I truly have nothing but love and support for them. I’m lucky to call many of them my friends, and I’m constantly inspired by the work they create.
How do you think about luck?
I don’t believe luck has much to do with success. From the outside looking in, people often only see the highlight reel: the beautiful weddings, the growing business, the social media posts, and the milestones, the growing family, ect. What they don’t always see are the countless hours behind the scenes, the sacrifices, the late nights, the time away from my husband and kids, the disappointments, and yes even the tears that come with building something from the ground up! Running a wedding business takes an incredible amount of hard work, consistency, and resilience. There have been seasons where I’ve worked nonstop, poured everything I had into my business, questioned myself, and still kept showing up because I believed in what I was building. I think people sometimes label success as “luck” when they haven’t seen the years of effort that led to that moment.
For me, it has always come down to faith, determination, and a willingness to keep learning and growing. I’ve trusted that every challenge, setback, and opportunity was shaping me into a better business owner, planner, and creative. Of course, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and the amazing couples who trust me with such an important season of their lives, but I don’t think any of it happened by chance.
At the end of the day, I believe success is built through hard work, faith and staying committed even when things feel difficult, not luck.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sagestoneweddings.com
- Instagram: @sage.stoneweddings
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/sageandstoneweddings
