Meet Marea Janae | Owner & Lead Wedding Planner

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

Hi Marea, how do you think about risk?
I don’t think you can be an entrepreneur without embracing a healthy love of risk. Everything I’ve done as a business owner has carried some element of uncertainty. As a sustainable wedding planner, I’ve carved out a niche for my business that only a handful of other businesses have attempted, and none in Colorado. Thus, there was no market research available to me and no one doing the same thing that I could look to and follow in the footsteps of. I’ve had to pioneer my own path and come up with my own unique way of doing things, without any guarantee that the idea would take and the business model would be successful. I just relied on my intuition and took a leap of faith, hoping and praying that it would somehow work out and the risks would pay off. And so far, I’ve not been disappointed! But I also haven’t seen my comfort zone in years, and barely even remember what it once looked like. I think my comfort with discomfort, love of a good challenge and healthy relationship with risk have been some of my best allies in this entrepreneurial undertaking.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I went into starting a wedding planning business with two goals in mind. One, I wanted to design weddings that are unique, non-traditional, and truly reflective of each couple’s love story. And two, I wanted to find a way to get away from materialism and waste and create events that are mindful of our earth-mother. There are very few people who have gone before me and done the work of figuring out how to plan weddings sustainably, so there really was no clear path or framework to follow. When you layer that onto the intense challenge of being a wedding business in a pandemic, you get a whole lot of struggle and frustration. It’s been a very pioneering journey, full of countless unexpected twists and turns. I have had to stay curious, open, hopeful, and practice so much creativity. Being a “sustainable wedding planner” is not a destination where I will ever arrive; it is a never-ending path that I will continue to walk down and a skill set that I will always have more to learn about. One of my big hairy audacious goals is to shift the wedding industry toward sustainability. I am proud to say that I feel I am on the right path towards making that goal happen, one small step at a time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would start the morning with a latte and a pastry from Story Coffee. We’d have to go hiking and rock climbing in North Cheyenne Canyon, and hit up the 7 falls ziplines while we’re at it. We’d grab some post-adventure comfort food at the Burrowing Owl before heading to the best bar in town, ICONS. At some point, I’d drag them out to go swing dancing at The Loft in OCC, as well as taking them shopping at my favorite downtown and OCC spots: Eclectic, Co., Ladyfingers Letterpress, Heartshake Studios, and the Conscious Living Shop.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There is no way that I would be where I am today without the support and encouragement of so, so many people; the list would be a mile long. But if I were to pick just one person to give a shoutout to and thank for getting me where I am today, that person would be Tricia Sebald. Fate brought her into my life moments before the pandemic’s wave first crashed on our shores, devastating the wedding industry. With an entire summer free of weddings, and with Tricia as my mentor, I took the opportunity to really dig deep into building a solid foundation for my business. She helped me to put my mission statement and core values into words and determine what my business is really about and what we stand for. She constantly pushed me to do things that were well outside of my comfort zone. She made me dream so much bigger than I had before, and always challenged me to ask for what I want, even if it feels so far out of reach. I am a much braver, bolder, and more confident entrepreneur and human thanks to all that Tricia invested into me.

Website: www.dreamcatcherwed.com

Instagram: instagram.com/dreamcatcherweddingsco

Facebook: facebook.com/dreamcatcherweddingsco

Image Credits
Lyndsey Leach Photography Skyewater Photo and Film Jennie Crate Photography Michele with One L Photography Jill Houser Photography Kim Rodgers Photo Sunchaser Studios