Meet Sierra Kolden of Blackfern Events

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sierra Kolden.

Sierra, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Five years ago, I never could have imagined that I would be running a wedding and elopement planning business. I was attending ASU (go Devils) for Business and Sustainability; waist-deep in research papers and completely burnt out.

I found a listing for a wedding coordinator position at a local venue and my interest was immediately sparked. I started working there that summer and quickly fell in love with weddings. I felt at home with the organizational demands of the job (a true Type A at heart), but I also learned that a creative outlet was exactly what I had been missing.

After a brief hiatus to finish my degree I knew that I wanted to jump back into weddings, but I also felt the desire to branch out and work with different venues, couples and event styles. In 2016, I took a leap and launched Blackfern Events.

Has it been a smooth road?
Like anyone who has started a business will tell you, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.

After my first year in operation, I found myself struggling to find inspiration and I felt like my brand wasn’t representative of the kind of weddings I wanted to offer.

In 2017, I launched a complete rebrand. I scrapped my name, my business cards, and my website, and I haven’t looked back since!

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Blackfern Events story. Tell us more about the business.
Blackfern Events offers wedding and elopement planning services for couples throughout Arizona. Weddings are all about celebrating a couple and showcasing their personalities, and I think the planning process should reflect that. I love working one on one with my couples to plan an event that is tailored to them and fits their unique needs.

I specialize in non-traditional weddings and I love that I can introduce people to options that they didn’t even know existed. Many people still believe that there are two routes: Extravagant wedding at a resort or quick, impersonal courthouse elopement.

This is definitely not the case anymore. You can get married on a rooftop, next to a cactus, in an art gallery, or on a mountain with forest views! The options really are endless. I work with couples to find the style that reflects them, and then help them plan every detail so they can enjoy a seamless, stress-free and fun wedding day.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I like to think that anything in life can go well with the right planning, but luck has definitely been on my side. I come from an entrepreneurial family, so I have had great role models and a wonderful support system while launching my business. I also met Alyssa of Alyssa Campbell Photography after I hired her for my college graduation portraits, and we have become close friends and work together frequently.

Most significantly, I have my amazingly supportive husband, Brian, behind me. We actually met because I sent him a message on a whim in our senior year of high school, and we have been together ever since. We share our home with our husky, Loki, and we laugh often. I would say that I’m pretty lucky!

Pricing:

• Wedding Planning starting at $2500
• Month-Of Coordination $1250
• Elopement Planning starting at $500
• Elopement Officiating $200

Contact Info:

• Website: www.blackfernevents.com
• Email: sierra@blackfernevents.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/blackfernevents
• Facebook: facebook.com/blackfernevents

Image Credit:
Alyssa Campbell Photography

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