Conversations with Emma Henry

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Emma Henry .

Hi Emma, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 2017, my mom had her own wedding officiant side hustle. She was enjoying it and encouraged me to start my own business officiating weddings. I hesitated for a while, but 2019 came around, and it lit a passion in me to give it a try. I had always been a great writer and MC for parties and get-togethers, and I was looking for a way to serve the LGBTQ community in a direct, impactful way. I saw a gap in the wedding industry.

As my friends started to get engaged and plan weddings, they were looking for a young, fun wedding officiant that wasn’t stuffy or traditional, and I was that person. I also saw a lack of visibility in the wedding industry overall for the LGBTQ community. There were not a lot of officiants who were promoting that they were LGBTQ-friendly in the community or showcasing the LGBTQ couples they had worked with, and I wanted to be that change. So, I started to slowly build Happily Ever Arizona as a passion project.

I wanted to be the cool, fun, queer wedding officiant and embrace every couple, help them plan the ceremony of their dreams, and help them have fun doing it. I have now had the honor to officiate so many ceremonies for couples from all different walks of life. And doing it while having fun and celebrating people finding love and tying the knot in our beautiful Grand Canyon state!

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Time – there are never enough hours in the day! Running a small business outside of your 9-5 means taking on the 5-9 hustle.

I have been so fortunate to have friends, family, and community along the way who support me and my business. Although there are always things to be worked on, I look forward to challenges because they give me opportunities to learn and grow my business.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
As a wedding officiant, I help couples begin their biggest journey together. I am very passionate about writing, and in truth, I just love LOVE! I find so much joy in helping people nail down exactly how they feel about their soon-to-be spouse and then artfully crafting a ceremony that is unique to that couple and their love story.

I am most proud of my ability to help a couple capture their love story in a way that represents them and helps them celebrate and honor their love. I am known most for being a fun, energetic, and easy-going officiant. I want to make the experience easy, less nerve-wracking, and, most importantly, fun for the couples I work with. I think what sets me apart from others is my willingness to do whatever I need to do to ensure the couple is happy.

If they are having a themed wedding, for example, and want me to match the theme – I am down! We can be as fun and creative or as traditional as they want, making it a unique experience for each couple.

What are your plans for the future?
In my journey as a small business owner, I am most looking forward to the day when more people know about Happily Ever Arizona and what I do.

I would love to one day expand my small business to eventually encompass a wide variety of wedding industry staples like event planners, photographers, DJs, florists, event rentals, stand-in family/friends for weddings, and maybe even an event venue space right here in Arizona.

My goal is to help others see how beautiful Arizona is and if they want their weddings to happen here, then I want to be the wedding officiant (or general wedding guru) that helps make that happen!

Pricing:

• $100 – $500

Contact Info:

• Website: happilyeveraz.com
• Instagram: @happilyeverarizona

Image Credits
Suzy Goodrick, Mindy DeLuca Photography, Kyle Niemtschk, Brookklyn Photo, Stephanie Ringleb, and Jacque O Photography