Candace Wells on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Candace Wells shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Candace, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
My first 90 minutes are a mandatory calm. No elevated or raised voices nor TV. It’s started immediately in prayer then I mentally list my household do’s followed by business do’s for the day. I’ll then look over any early/late emails, scroll social media for a bit. Wake my boys up for school, pack lunches & get a quick bite or cup of coffee.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Candace Wells & I’m the proud Owner of Elegant Affairs Event Planning & Décor.
Elegant Affairs is a Full-Service Event, Wedding Planning/Coordinating & Décor Company located in Dothan, AL.
At Elegant Affairs we cultivate creativity, ease, and love throughout our clients whole Event or Wedding Planning process. Bringing their personal styles and dreams to life. We have been blessed to provided these services to the TriState Area for the past 16 years.

I am beyond honored and filled with gratitude to share that I’ve been named Best Wedding Planner Of The Wiregrass 2025! This award means the world to me — not just because of the title, but because it reflects the love, trust, and support from so many of you.
To our amazing Clients: thank you for allowing me to bring your visions to life. Whether it was a Wedding, Baby Shower, intimate celebration, or corporate event, every detail mattered because you mattered. Your trust has been the foundation of this journey.
To our Supporters, Cheerleaders, and every single person who voted: THANK YOU. Your encouragement continues to fuel this passion and purpose.
And to MY INCREDIBLE TEAM — you are the heartbeat of Elegant Affairs. I couldn’t do any of this without you. Your hard work, dedication, and creativity are the magic behind every unforgettable moment we create. This win BELONGS To ALL OF US.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Growing up, I was a little quirky, very boisterous, and always marching to the beat of my own wonderfully awkward drum. Coming from humble beginnings with strong roots, I spent my childhood outside from sunup to sundown with my sister and twin cousin. We lived in our imaginations — creating stories, riding bikes, cheerleading, singing in our youth choir and turning the simplest days into the biggest adventures.

Some of my earliest memories are of watching my grandmother — a poised, elegant woman deeply respected in our community and church — command a room with nothing more than her presence. My mother mirrored those same qualities. Together, they shaped the standard of grace, strength, and confidence that I carry with me today.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I wouldn’t call it suffering, but in late December of 2022 I heard three of the scariest words of my life: “You have cancer.”
Those words wrapped around me like the heaviest blanket of panic, fear, and sadness. All I could think about were my boys—three pieces of my entire heart, the biggest and best parts of me—and my husband.

As I prepared for one of the hardest battles I would ever face, we decided to keep everything private. It was the only way to protect our kids and protect the business—keeping panic far away from our Brides and clients. Our closest family and friends laced up their boots and walked every step of that journey with me.

There were many months of mental anguish. I lost my chemo battle buddy, Tiffany—someone who understood my fight in a way no one else could. She guided me through parts of the journey I hadn’t spoken aloud to anyone. She stayed so positive that it made it nearly impossible for me not to be, especially on our chemo days. The sickness from chemotherapy alone was a beast all its own, but my village pushed, held, and encouraged me through it all. And I—we—won.

So what did my “suffering” teach me that success never could?

It taught me how to give myself grace.
It taught me resilience.
It taught me compassion.
It taught me how to keep going even when absolutely nothing was going right.

It taught me how to show up with integrity, even on the hardest days (& those days were hard).
It taught me patience, perseverance, and the strength I didn’t know I had.
It forced me to grow, to face myself, to slow down, and to appreciate even the smallest wins.

Success celebrated me, but suffering shaped me.
Success made me shine, but suffering made me solid.
Success gave me applause, but suffering gave me purpose—
the kind of purpose success alone could never build.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would tell you that TIME means everything to me. I pour so much of myself into my business and my clients, giving my creativity, energy, and heart to every detail.
Because of that, my personal time is sacred. It’s where I reconnect with who I am beneath all the roles I carry. It’s where I breathe, laugh, and even cry if I need to. When I’m off, I’m intentional about slowing down, being present, and cherishing every minute I get to spend with the people who matter most to me. Those moments refill me, remind me of who I am outside of work, reconnect me with my purpose, and keep me grounded in what truly matters — the things success could never replace.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
I don’t tap dance to work everyday some days in the Event Planning & Décor world can be quite challenging. There are long hours, unexpected changes, heavy lifting, and moments where creativity has to fight through exhaustion. But then there are the other days… the days and even whole weeks, where I’m literally jumping out of bed and running to my studio because I can’t wait to create. I love pulling inventory, imagining new possibilities, and bringing bold, bright florals to life. I love designing a tablescape that I just know will make a client’s jaw drop.

There is something magical about watching a floor plan evolve — from that very first spark of inspiration to sketches, to sourcing, to setup, and finally seeing the full vision birthed right in front of me. It’s a process that takes patience, creativity, and heart, but the transformation makes every challenge worth it. Those moments remind me why I chose this field in the first place: because creating beauty, bringing joy, and turning someone’s dream into a lived experience will always be one of my greatest passions

Contact Info:

Image Credits
•Gavin Wells Photography
•Pink Jewels Photography

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