Wedding & Event Planning Student Postcard: Courtney Flanagan
Caroline Wolfe Papocchia Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 9:01AM 
Wedding student Courtney Flanagan in Mammoth Lakes, CASheffield School Wedding and Event Planning student Courtney Flanagan realized that she wanted to become a wedding planner when she was just a young girl, after participating in several weddings of families and friends.
What appealed to her? "I loved being part of something magical," she says. The decision was cemented when her mother sat her down for a serious talk about what she wanted to do in life. For Courtney, it was a snap - she began looking at wedding planning schools in earnest.
Aspiring planners who do not live in major metropolitan areas often worry about their local market's robustness. Courtney lives nowhere near a city, but her job centers on the incredible natural resources of her area. Specifically, Courtney lives in the "remote mountain town" of Mammoth Lakes, CA, at the foot of world-famous Mammoth Mountain and it's eponymous all-season resort.
The mountain and nearby Yosemite National Park are huge attractions for tourists - as well as for couples looking for a dramatic and adventurous location for their nuptials.
Mammoth Mountain wedding by Courtney FlanaganThanks to the nature of her small town, Courtney knew the Event Manager at the Mammoth Mountain resort, and appealed to him for a chance to cut her teeth in the industry. This moxie paid off, and Courtney now works as a part time assistant to the resort's wedding coordinator. As she put it, "I found a unique job opportunity, threw myself and my learning into the mix, and have never looked back."
Happy Mammoth Mountain couple by Courtney Flanagan
A rustic wildflower, wood, and candle centerpiece by Courtney FlanaganCourtney has worked on six weddings in the last few months, but thanks to the mountain her first may be her most memorable. She told us this amazing story about a May wedding scheduled for the top of Mammoth (11,053 ft): "We noticed the weather taking a turn for the worse. If it started snowing then we would not have been able to ride the gondola to the ceremony site at the top. The bride agreed to have the ceremony in the room over the reception site, but the weather turned worse...to whiteout! The gondola was totally shut down so we had to shuttle the guests in snow cats to the ceremony/reception site."
Lessons learned? Client management, on-the-spot troubleshooting, and the importance of alternative plans. "In the end," Courtney says, "it turned out beautifully, and no one knew that we had to go to Plan B, C, D, etc.!"
Mammoth Mountain lift by L.K.Even indoors, the resort's weddings are equally exciting and unexpected. Courtney's last wedding had a Medieval theme, and she and the rest of the wedding planning team were asked to dress up as pirates. For a creative person like Courtney, "the experience has been eye opening and very rewarding."
The dramatic interior of Mammoth Mountain by Courtney FlanaganSo what does this budding wedding planning pro think of Sheffield? In her words: "I love everything about Sheffield. Being hands on and working directly with the bride and wedding party is such a great learning experience. It takes exactly what I've learned in my lessons with Sheffield and put them in real life. It's amazing!"
Another happy Mammoth Mountain couple by Courtney FlanaganThese days Courtney is planning to pursue a business degree and eventually realize her dream of owning her own wedding planning firm. Her enthusiasm and dedication are contagious. Words of advice?
"Future wedding planners and students of Sheffield: if you are dedicated to working hard, and seeing your work make this important day special and perfect, then wedding planning is right for you! Like anything that is worth the rewards, wedding planning is not easy. Yet, seeing so many people so happy, and having them thank you for making such a beautiful and memorable day is the best feeling ever! I love everything about my job, and am only looking forward to more!"
We have no doubt of Courtney's future success. Good luck!
Reader Comments (8)
First off I really enjoyed reading this post and the pictures look fantastic.
One of the first things that struck me was the fact that Courtney had a backup plan. I have worked in the event planning and party business for some years now and it never ceases to amaze me just how badly people plan events.
Even professionals ignore the basics such as determining the Who, What, Where, When and Why of their event. Without knowing the answers to these question you can never plan an event properly
Well done.
Colin Clear
You really made my day. I could recommend you to my best designer friend.
Where was it ?