Introduction
Motherhood changes everything. Your priorities, your time, your sense of who you are. And if you also run a business? Well, you quickly learn that nap schedules and client calls both demand your full attention. But for me, becoming a mum didn’t just change my personal life — I genuinely think it made me a better planner.
Balancing Motherhood and Business in the Wedding World
Motherhood has a funny way of teaching you lessons you didn’t know you needed. Some days it feels like I’m running two full-time jobs: one as a wedding planner in Perth, the other as mum. And yet, the two overlap more than you’d think — the skills I’ve learned wrangling two under three have made me sharper, calmer, and far more resilient in business. Although admittedly you have the odd off day where the world seems like its caving in and you have to dig deep to get through.
Patience Is a Superpower (For Toddlers and Timelines)
When you’ve survived a two-year-old’s tantrum in the Coles aisle, a delayed cake delivery on wedding day suddenly feels like a small hurdle. Motherhood trains you to breathe before reacting — a skill every wedding planner needs.
Organisation on Steroids: Mum Life Meets Wedding Planning
Colour-coded calendars. Backup snacks. Spare outfits. More snacks. Honestly, running a wedding isn’t that different from leaving the house with children. The level of preparation is the same — and so is the satisfaction when it all works seamlessly. Both demand patience, foresight, and the ability to anticipate everyone’s needs before they even ask.
As a mum, I’ve learned that chaos can be beautiful when it’s managed with love (and planning!) — and that flexibility is a superpower. Whether it’s a toddler meltdown or a last-minute ceremony change, the calm comes from knowing you’ve already thought five steps ahead. That’s what motherhood teaches you: to plan with your head and lead with your heart. And honestly? That’s exactly what makes the magic happen — both at home and down the aisle.
Empathy in the Wedding Industry
Motherhood cracked me open in the best way. It gave me a deeper well of empathy. When couples are overwhelmed or emotional, I understand it — because life is overwhelming and emotional. Weddings are milestones, but so is motherhood, and both are beautiful, messy and worthy of grace — of being seen, felt, and celebrated in all their imperfect, extraordinary honesty.
These thoughtful extras not only manage the heat but elevate the guest experience—making your wedding feel considered, stylish, and quintessentially WA.
Perspective: Perth Weddings vs. Family Life
At the end of the day, being a mum grounds me. Yes, weddings matter — deeply. But they’re also part of a bigger story, one that continues long after the last guest has gone home. That balance keeps me centred. It makes me a better planner, a better listener, and a calmer presence when things get hectic. Motherhood gives me perspective — a reminder that perfection isn’t the goal, presence is.
Closing Thoughts
Being a mum in business is hard. Very hard. And I’ve learnt over time that balance does not exist, only priorities do and so it isn’t about having it all — it’s about finding a path through the organised chaos. And at Alice Heydon Events, I try to bring both my planner’s precision and my mum’s heart to every wedding. Because ultimately while weddings are a logistical feat, they are a celebration of two people on the next step of their life journey, and having kids makes you really understand the importance of that core value.
