Meet Emily Berg | Wedding and Event Planner & CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Berg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
This is my favorite part about owning my own business – getting to set a culture that values generosity and justice.

First, we donate a portion of every contract to a nonprofit; our clients are able to choose one from our pre-approved list. This allows us to support causes important to us and organizations who are making significant impact in their areas of the world, both near and far.

Secondly, we’ve worked hard to build partnerships with a diverse group of wedding and event professionals: high-caliber businesses that are locally-owned by women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We always recommend these pros first when helping our clients build their Wedding Pro teams. We’ve found that assembling a group that maybe hasn’t worked together before adds a richness to the creative process and helps us design truly unique event experiences – along with funneling our clients’ budgets to deserving but under-represented (at least in the wedding industry!) entrepreneurs.

What should our readers know about your business?
The thing that most significantly sets us apart from others in our industry is our focus on our couples bringing their full selves to the planning process. We’re here to be a safe place for them to be their nerdy/multicultural/neurodivergent/interfaith/multiethnic selves, and to help them seamlessly and beautifully infuse their wedding plans with the things that make them unique.

Weddings are heavy on tradition – which is part of the beauty of them, and why we love them – but when a tradition conflicts with or doesn’t make sense for a couple, their values, or their love story, we’ll be the first to give them permission to let it go (or make it their own, or create a new tradition). That goes for cultural practices, what “they” say should be “wedding colors” or not, or whether something is too much or too weird.

We believe that the people coming to support you on your wedding day love you for who you are (and if they don’t, take them off the list!), and they already know your quirks. Why pretend to be something different? If you want to get really deep, I believe it’s actually antithetical to the idea of marriage – being loved and accepted just as you are; fully known and fully loved, no matter what life brings – to, on the day someone is making that commitment, make them feel that they have to be someone they’re not or fit into a specific style or tradition. How silly!

Because of how social media works, a lot of planners and designers either don’t design events that won’t fit with their Instagram grid aesthetic, or don’t share them publicly. This makes me sad – and I’ll tell you right now, we are not that. I’m really proud that our portfolio is a riot of colors and styles and sizes and shapes. They all clash with each other – but they each fit the couple they represent perfectly.

I started my business when everyone was doing very safe white and blush and greenery and farmhouse table weddings (which I have nothing against, if that’s actually YOU!), so to decide to do the total opposite of that was risky and pretty terrifying. However, my business coach and entrepreneur friends continued to remind me that if you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one – so I jumped in, and haven’t regretted it at all. I get to work with the absolute loveliest people who are so comfortable with who they are individually and as a couple.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve lived in the Canton area for 15 years, LOVE it, and have been waiting for someone to ask me this question! I have SO many answers:

EAT
Breakfast: Twisted Citrus or Heritage Bread Company
Lunch: Deli Ohio or Taggart’s
Dinner: Lucca Downtown, Basil Asian Bistro, or Swenson’s

DRINK
Coffee: Walkie Talkie in Canton or Compass Coffee in Akron
Milkshakes: Swenson’s or Almost Heaven
Grownup drinks: Gervasi Stillhouse or The Twisted Olive

VISIT/DO
McKinley Presidential Library, Museum & National Monument
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Ledges
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
Canton’s Centennial Plaza for a summer movie night
Canton Food Tour from Explore City Tours
Main St. Modern & Lost Thread Vintage
Milestone boardgame bar

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My friend Carson, who owns a DJ & entertainment company, is the one who convinced me I could do this as an actual job that people would pay me for, and that I’m good at it! Working for him for a few years helped me get my bearings and create my systems for wedding coordination and planning while he took care of the business side of things (which really intimidated me at first). And my husband Andrew, who continues to cheer me on, say YES to the wild ride of entrepreneurship, and keep things running at home while I’m away for wedding weekends.

Website: https://emilyjuneberg.com

Instagram: @emilybergweddings

Facebook: https://facebook.com/emilybergweddings

Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Personal photo: Lovely Ink Creative
Adrienne Gerber Photography
Weddings by Tara
Camilla Florenca Photography