We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sara Mumbauer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sara, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
If you would’ve told me ten years ago that I would be running a business on top of being a full-time teacher, I think I would’ve looked at you like you had eight heads. Growing up, I was not a yapper, or even a talker really. I was quiet, shy, and kept to myself. I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, and I was really anxious about what college would be like.
Each year in high school, we had the opportunity to do a week-long service trip somewhere with a group of students. I came to really like these projects, because most of them had some sort of service component, and I realized through these projects that I really liked to help people. It made me happy to see them smile because of my actions, and I became more confident in my abilities to be a helper and leader. This quality grew as I got into college, and took over some leadership roles in the Education program. Looking forward to finishing college and stepping into the classroom full-time, I started looking for some summer employment to just give me a bit of extra spending money. I started working at a wedding venue in town, quickly moving my way up to being a manager from just moving tables and chairs. I quickly became confident in my abilities as a manager and found that I had some natural leadership qualities for weddings that I had been honing in other capacities throughout the years. This venue also trained me in Day-Of Coordination, where my leadership and confidence just really blossomed. I enjoy seeing the different elements that couples incorporate into their big days, and how much easier my presence makes their wedding!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a full-time 3rd Grade teacher, and started this day-of coordination business out of my love for weddings. I had coordinated a couple of weddings through a venue that I was managing, and decided to stop working there so that I could focus fully on day-of coordination. My feet might disagree, but I love weddings because of their uniqueness and the love that brings the couple together. I’ve never had two weddings that are the same, and it gives me so many ideas to work with! Professionally, I am focused on growing my business. By the end of 2025, I will have coordinated close to 20 weddings, however only about half of them have been since I started Details By Sara M. LLC. I’m excited to continue to grow my business in 2025 and 2026, adding more couples and beautiful venues.
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?
For anyone starting out in the wedding industry, I would highly recommend working at a wedding venue in some capacity, but serving as a manager gave me the best experience. I started as just the person who was responsible for moving the tables and chairs, but I very much valued meeting with brides for planning meetings, because it allowed me to help them think through some details they wouldn’t have otherwise considered.
It’s also hard to be in the wedding industry without having some form of leadership experience or natural tendencies – especially as a coordinator or planner. It is definitely possible to learn this quality! As the person who takes charge of the day, I can’t express how important it is to be well-organized, and be comfortable speaking over people to get their attention and tell them what they need to do.
Last, I can’t express how much patience you need to be in the wedding industry. Some brides and families are more difficult to work with than others, especially when nerves are running high on wedding day. Keeping a level head and calm demeanor will help not only the couple stay calm throughout the day, but also ensure that you don’t become frazzled from emotions as well.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always looking for people to partner and collaborate with – even outside of the state of Virginia! I do some freelancer work as a floral designer, and had the opportunity to help a photographer friend with her styled shoot last summer by doing the flowers and running errands for her. I was able to meet a handful of local photographers from the area, and have become good friends with a couple of them. I would love to help with styled shoots, or join a team of coordinators or planners to share expertise and tips … and maybe a few weddings here and there. 🙂
The best way to connect with me is through a social media message or email!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bit.ly/detailsbysaram
- Instagram: @detailsbysaram
- Facebook: Details By Sara M.
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