by Candace Anthony Frank '04
I got my first job at the age of 15 at a locally owned restaurant in the heart of downtown Newnan. I chose to work for small businesses throughout high school at NHS and college at the University of West Georgia. I always hoped to one day own my own business, but I knew I needed to put in the work of learning and understanding the intricacies of small business ownership if I wanted it to succeed.
After graduating from UWG in 2004 with my degree in business management, I continued to hone my skills in the hospitality industry with a management position at The Farmhouse Restaurant in Serenbe. It was while in this position that I fell in love with event management and made the decision to one day start my own wedding and event business.
Over the next 10 years and with that goal always in mind, I set out to gain invaluable experience in all the different facets of the wedding industry--first as a coordinator at a local wedding venue, then as an associate at a catering company, a stylist at a small bridal boutique, and finally as the lead coordinator at a wedding design company. All the while I soaked in as much as I could...not only about the wedding industry, but about owning a small business as well. I also got married and had two little girls during those 10 years, so I knew that the timing of starting my business was more important than ever.
Two years ago, the timing seemed to be coming together when my now business partner, Jennifer Gowing, started working for the same wedding design firm. The more we worked together, the more we knew that this partnership was the last piece needed to open the wedding business we'd both always dreamed of. So, last year, we took a leap of faith and started Evermore Weddings and Events! It's not always easy, balancing mom and business owner, but it is so rewarding to accomplish this goal that I set so many years ago!
Candace Anthony Frank '04 is owner/lead coordinator at Evermore Weddings and Events.
