Rising Stars: Meet Karen Podrasky of GILBERT

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Podrasky

Hi Karen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started KDP Events 10 years ago this year because I love working with couples and making sure that the time, emotion, and money that they invest in a wedding is well spent. My philosopy is to be sure that their day is as peace-filled as possible. My team and I do this by working with the couple to be sure that a well thought out plan is in place.
Because I feel that a coordinator is so important to weddings, I have collaborated with a friend in the industry to create a wedding planning business that is offered to clients at a lower cost, because it utilizes online tech to create a low stress approach to wedding planning. Wed&Done is set to launch in the summer of 2024. Whether couples prefer a boutique approach or a streamlined tech approach, we want to encourage all couples to prioritize hiring a planner/coordinator to help make their wedding a wonderful experience.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
KDP Events has been well received and we have LOVED working with our couples. Wed&Done is ready to roll out this summer and we have hit a few snags as this new approach to wedding planning hits the public eye. We have been working on a very detailed website for the past 2 and a half years, including an interactive and fun planning adventure, but our web designers, (the second of three pros we hired to build for us), disappeared into the jungles of Colombia with our money and a shell of a website.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I work with an amazing business partner, Rachel Leintz of Rachel Leintz Photography. She has been the driving force and creative web builder for us. When I grow up, I want to be like her.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wedanddone.com
• Instagram: @kdpeventsaz

Image Credits
Molly McPhoto
Rachel Leintz Photography