As I mentioned last week, I'm so excited to welcome The Plannery's new associate coordinator on board. Here's Tarra in her own words providing a little more information on her background so you all can get to know her better. And stay tuned for a post about her AMAZING wedding next week! Take it away, Tarra! What a journey it has been crusading throughout the east coast for the better part of this century trying to find my calling. I spent the majority of my high school years thinking I would become an expert in forensics and criminal profiling - not surprising being the daughter of a veteran police officer in Springfield, MA. By the time I graduated in 2002, I was D.C. bound and scared to death of majoring in anything remotely related to science, which of course is a necessary evil for forensics. I was resolved with psychology and graduated from Howard University in 2006. New York bound, I enrolled in a PhD program in Criminal Justice at John Jay College in 2007. At this point, my inner creativity and passion for all things artistic, beautiful, and musical began to seep out. It’s hard for it not to being in such a vibrant inspiring city teeming with style. Still, I kept my head in the books and went on to do some important criminal justice research, specifically in the area of terrorism. In 2010, this research landed me in yet another colorful east coast city – Baltimore. By then I had been pretty involved with my wonderful partner Jessy. So we bought a dog (Mudd, the extremely handsome American Bulldog) and moved in together for the first time. AS SOON as we were settled Jessy was summoned to Charlottesville, VA for a new job. I followed life’s new curve ball and moved to Charlottesville in 2011.
Weddings, weddings, weddings, were in the air! This was a combination of being that age when all of your friends are getting engaged or married (myself included) and living in the Mecca for Central Virginia weddings. By then, I had completely had it with grad school and was in search - no, in NEED - of something more stimulating and rewarding. I called a friend, owner of a FANTASTIC wedding venue in the area and asked if I could lend a hand. I felt comfortable and competent in being able to help with events considering my very organized and detailed-orientated nature in grad school and after planning my own wedding in 2012…but I of course recognized that I had a ton to learn. In fact, even now, two years into coordinating weddings I recognize that I still have plenty to learn…and always will. Not one single event or couple or trend is alike and therefore this industry is dynamic and ever-changing.
I am thankful for and look forward to each day that I have the opportunity to be in this career. I am SUPER excited and beyond grateful for Katie in allowing me to join The Plannery. She is such an amazing person and planner down to her realness, thoughtfulness, and good ol’ get’er done attitude. Katie is an authentic communicator and what I like to call sweetly stern, which is yes, you guessed it, a necessary evil in coordinating weddings. I’ve learned so much from her already and cannot wait to continue this amazing journey in the Northern Virginia area.
