Meet Jeannine Kennedy

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jeannine Kennedy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jeannine below.

Jeannine , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

For women especially, I think we may have different purposes based on the season of life we are in. When our children are small, they may be our purpose and our businesses are our passion. Ideally one fuels the other and vice versa. My purpose for the last several years has been to help families navigate the details of planning a wedding and executing the day as flawlessly as possible. When you love the work you do, purpose is easy. You know that you have found it if the work makes your heart sing.

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?

I started my business originally as a wedding planner in 2007. I was just starting to see some success when the recession hit in 2008. Couples immediately embraced DIY in all areas of their wedding, and “Day of” planning became the norm in my market, which isn’t a service that I felt comfortable offering. I decided to add floral design to my offerings as an effort to steady my annual income. What seemed like a disaster at the time has led to the most fulfilling aspect of my career. About 75% of couples hire me for both wedding planning and floral design which allows me to be with them for a longer amount of time and makes me very familiar with the details of their wedding day.

In 2024, my husband inherited acreage near where we live, so we started growing flowers in the field there. We just wrapped up our second season and have grown in knowledge so much. I love the challenge and constant learning process. We have so many great things planned for next season, and we really enjoy opening our little farm to the public and sharing what we grow!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Perseverance
Kindness
Organization

You have to be thick skinned to be a business owner. No one’s passion will match yours. In those early years my mantra was “fake it till you make it”.

Over and over again, people comment on how kind and calm my staff and I are on the wedding day and throughout the process. This is a very stressful and emotional time for families and you will see the best and the worst of people. Strive for kindness and do your best work for them and that will stick with the client for years to come.

Being organized is crucial in this field. You have to be able to know what is going on at a moment’s notice. I write everything down and review even the smallest details with my clients before the wedding.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

The idea client is one who gives me a detailed description of what they want for their day and steps back to let me make the magic happen. Trust is crucial. I am capable of making your vision come true, and I want more than anything for you to be thrilled at the end of your wedding day. Also, if you are worried about what I am doing or not doing, you aren’t fully present with your fiance, family and friends – my greatest wish for my clients is that they be fully present, moment by moment.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @kinshipandvine
• Facebook: @kinshipandvine