Meet Annemarie Donaker | Wedding/Event Planner

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

Hi Annemarie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I had always had a passion for event planning. I had many jobs over the years where I ended up volunteering to plan the company’s events even though it was not in my job description. I finally came to the realization that event planning is my passion and I enjoy that more than the other jobs I had been doing. I took the leap of faith and quit my job to start my business doing wedding/event planning.

What should our readers know about your business?
Starting a business is definitely a hard thing to do. Really the hardest part is having the faith in yourself and courage to do it. And as  cliché as it sounds, the old adage do what you love and the money will follow is true. I am lucky in the fact that I have worked in banking and HR in the past so I  possess the knowledge and tools to run the business side of things for sure. But what really counts, is I have a true passion for helping my clients plan and execute the wedding of their dreams. One of the biggest complements I get from my clients after our first call together is that speaking with me calmed them down. Wedding planning can be very stressful. I have done my job when I can alleviate my client’s stress and take care of things for them. My clients can genuinely feel how much I love what I do and it really makes a difference.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

San Diego is a great place. I am lucky I was born and raised here. There are so many restaurants and things to do here. I love 333 Pacific in Oceanside. Not only are their food and cocktails great, but it is right by the pier. Mexican food is a must when you visit San Diego. There are some great places in Old Town, including Old Town Mexican Café. San Diego has a world famous zoo that does not disappoint. And the zoo is in Balboa Park, which h is another great place to visit. Campfire in Carlsbad has really good food and their S’mores dessert is amazing. I love happy hour, and one of my favorite happy hour spots is Ruth’s Chris Steak House. And for Sushi I have two recommendations.  Mikko Sushi and Harney Sushi. And of course we have beaches, which is why so many people come here to visit in the first place.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I need to thank my mom for me finding my way to wedding and event planning. She would plan ridiculous parties for us when we were children, with wonderfully decorated cakes, and amazing party favors. I also come from a large family and my mom would host the holidays and family dinners at our house. I definitely inherited my passion for putting events together from her.

Website: http://annemariedonaker.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemarieevents/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annemariedonaker

Image Credits
All Good Things Photography Stephani Dennis Photography Paul Barnett Photography Spotlight Studios Cassy Smith Photography