Meet Wanda Bonner of Blue Linden Weddings & Events

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wanda Bonner.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Wanda. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was in my 20s, owning my own business was not in my plan or even on my radar. My professional story began with earning my Master’s Degree in Public Health from SDSU. I worked with high-risk teenagers that struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for a number of years until my husband and I started our family. After having children, I realized I wanted to own my own company and set my own hours, allowing me the flexibility of spending time with my family. I soon realized I had an entrepreneurial spirit and between 2009-2012, I founded and operated two successful companies. But I wasn’t satisfied. I wasn’t passionate about either one.

In June 2012, an associate invited me to join forces with her and start an event planning company. Initially, we had no niche; we offered to plan corporate events, fundraisers, birthday parties, retreats, weddings, anniversary parties, you name it – if it required an invitation we would plan it. But after a year, we realized that wedding planning was our passion. So, in 2013, we became very focused and targeted our marketing at engaged couples. We redesigned our website, business cards, and even our day-to-day language. It was amazing how that truly launched our company and business doubled that year. However, in 2015, my business partner decided she wanted to go in a different direction and walked away from the company.

At first, I was a bit scared. I wondered if I could “go it alone.” But I soon discovered that being a wedding planner and coordinator suited me perfectly and I loved the independence of being a solo-preneur. It was exactly what I was supposed to be doing when I was supposed to be doing it.

I did a 100% rebrand of the company to truly reflect my personality and values while being very mindful of the clients I hoped to attract. I launched the new look January 1, 2016, and it was incredibly well received by both the wedding vendor community as well as engaged couples. In just one year, business doubled again. I haven’t looked back since. I truly love what I do and literally wake up every day feeling blessed for this journey.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think any entrepreneur would be fibbing if they said there weren’t struggles along the way. There is so much to learn when starting your own business. It’s paramount to create an attractive website, build your SEO presence, hire a bookkeeper and/or accountant, have a strong presence on social media and more. The list can be overwhelming, not to mention expensive. But I quickly learned to ask for help. It has not always been a smooth road but each and every bump has taught me a valuable lesson and for that I am grateful.

I also struggled with the idea of rebranding my company for three reasons. #1 I was nervous that vendors would be confused or not understand that ownership and values were still the same, only the name changed. #2 In the wedding industry, online reviews are incredibly important so I was scared that if I changed the company name I would lose the weight of those reviews. I wondered if couples would understand I was still the company owner providing the same high quality of service. #3 What name and look should I choose?

Let me tell you … #3 was the most daunting. I spent six months deciding on just the right name. I wanted my company’s name to reflect my personality, my values, and my aesthetic. So, you may ask, “Why the name Blue Linden?”

The color blue represents integrity, loyalty, trust, intelligence, faith, and truth. (Blue is also my favorite color.) The Linden tree is strong and stands through adversity. The Linden tree represents friendship, love, loyalty, and grace. When I understood the symbolism of these two words and combined them, I realized it was a clear depiction of who I am and the characteristics that are important to me, both personally and in the business world. In addition, I highly admire these same traits in others and wanted to attract like-minded clients.

However, my biggest struggle was letting go of a close relationship I had developed with my assistant. She started her own company and left without warning. Although intellectually, I knew that business is business it felt very personal. It taught me a valuable lesson of letting go of hurt and anger and to truly appreciate what (and who) is right in front of you. To quote Brigitte Nicole, writer, and creator of Lessons Learned in Life, “One of the most courageous decisions you’ll ever make is to finally let go of what is hurting your heart and soul.” Not only did the situation make me a better business owner, I reconfirmed my goals and I’m able to focus on the future with joy and gratitude.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Blue Linden Weddings & Events – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Blue Linden is an event planning company. Although we take on many different events, we specialize in wedding planning. About two-thirds of our weddings are destination weddings in the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains and the majority of the others are local to the Denver area with a few out of state. We love working with military couples because I am a military wife of 30 years so I understand the nuisances of their lives. I love to travel and plan weddings coast-to-coast.

My company (and life) core values include always operating with integrity, transparency, and gratitude. I am most proud of the reputation I have built. My fellow vendors and couples know they can count on me to be reliable, professional, supportive, dedicated and trustworthy. I am known for developing true, long lasting friendships with my clients because each of them matters to me. Planning a wedding can be stressful and it is so important that my couples know I am their biggest support system throughout the process. That, in turn, builds trust and friendship! I think that is what makes Blue Linden different from other planning companies, my clients put 100% faith in me and I deliver.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plan for the future is to continue working with amazing couples that value what I do, trust me and give me the space to do my job well, and want to establish more than a business relationship. I’d like to increase the number of clients that are looking for full planning services because that is where I truly shine. However, not everyone wants full service and I still love the couples that simply want wedding management.

I will continue to keep the company small because I love getting to know the nuances of each couple, their family dynamics, their idiosyncrasies, their vision, etc. Being involved in every couple’s story allows me to get to know every couple and work alongside all of them every step of the way. I truly enjoy being “in the thick” of every wedding. It keeps things personal and allows me to provide customized service and address the needs of each bride and groom. After all, the couple hired me and they expect me to be with them to the very end, from the first questionnaire to the grand exit. The best part of my job is knowing that I exceeded the couple’s expectations and watching them “ride off into the sunset” to live happily ever after.

Contact Info:

• Address: 2501 15th Street, Suite 1b
  Denver, CO 80211
• Website: https://www.bluelindenweddings.com
• Phone: 3035962662
• Email: wanda@bluelindenweddings.com

Image Credit:
Elevate Photography, Monica Inglot Photography, Broxton Art Photography, Craig Davis Studios, Photography by Jewels, Jo Julia Photography, Jason & Daris Photocinema

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