We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Haley Burkland a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Haley, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
Simply put, Weddings. Weddings are what keep my creative side going! Each and every wedding I am a part of is always made up of so many different elements. Being able to be a part of something so special with people who used to be strangers but are now life long friends is just such an amazing thing.
Within weddings comes so many different things – there is of course the design portion which is always so much fun to see a couples inspiration then come to life on their wedding day. But there is also the networking, being challenged to consistently adapt to new “co-workers”/vendor teams is something I have never experienced. Day to day my co-workers are all the same but with weddings each event is completely different!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Haley, and I am the owner and Lead Planner & Day-of Coordinator for Times To Toast.
This business was truly born out of a lifelong passion for planning. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been the person friends and family relied on to help plan and organize their important events, from milestone birthdays to bridal showers and everything in between. That genuine love for managing the moving parts of a joyful occasion is what drove me to create Times To Toast, focusing specifically on weddings.
My professional focus is simple: to be the calm, hyper-organized backbone that allows couples to fully embrace their wedding day. I’m definitely an organized “Type A” person, known for my meticulous attention to detail and my ability to seamlessly manage a complex, multi-faceted day. I put those skills to work so that on the big day, my couples don’t have to worry about a single detail.
Within my 1st year I booked over 15 weddings and could not be more proud!! As Times To Toast continues to grow, I am focused on expanding my capacity to serve more couples throughout the midwest without ever sacrificing the quality and personal attention I’m known for.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Meticulous Organization – This is foundation to my “Type A” nature isn’t just about color-coding; it’s about seeing a complex day and breaking it down into a second-by-second timeline and having contingency plans. This allows me to deliver the key promise of my brand: peace of mind for the couple. The advice I would give to becoming more organized is embracing time blocking & fall in love with your back up plans!!
2. Emotional Intelligence – Weddings are deeply sentimental and often stressful. The ability to read a couple’s mood, anticipate their anxiety, mediate family dynamics, and offer calm reassurance is crucial. This skill allows me to truly understand their vision and manage their experience, not just their event. Being able to show up as their go to girl but also as their friend on wedding days is something I love!! If you are looking to join this field you have to be able to participate in active listening. Work to be able to listen and understand different perspectives and you will flourish in the wedding world.
3. Vendor Relations – My ability to cultivate strong, trusting, and collaborative relationships with the vendors I meet ensures a seamless day. Whether it is our first wedding together or our fifth – when a problem arises, a good vendor relationship means a quick, non-confrontational solution, not a breakdown in service. So my main advice for someone getting started is to network with intention – don’t just build a list of names but actually get to know your vendors and make lasting friendships.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
Building a Business on Passion My biggest area of growth over the past year has been simply the courage to launch and build Times To Toast itself.
If you had told me twelve months ago that my business would be up and running—and thriving—I honestly would have laughed. I realized that my love for detailed planning was something our area truly needed. Taking that leap from a passion project to a fully operational business required a huge shift in mindset.
What accelerated this growth was the unexpected supportive community I found within the local wedding industry. Instead of sensing competition, I was invited to the table by other amazing planners and coordinators. That generosity taught me that when you have genuine passion for what you do, you should absolutely just go for it. If the love for your work is there, success—and a fantastic network—will follow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://timestotoast.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timestotoast/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566798167534
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/timestotoast/
Image Credits
State of Kay | Kayleigh Blakeman.
