Sonya Washington

November 1, 2023November 1, 2023 Beaufort Lifestyle 1047 Views

Pairing Passion with Purpose

story by ROBIN COKER photos by DJ LAWRENCE, GODSEYE STUDIOS

How many of us are walking through life, the only one we are given here … hiding away our natural gifts because we feel hindered by the potential lack of the ability for what we love to do to transmute into providing income? Some of us tend to squander our ingrained talents for the sake of being able to provide for our families, or maybe do not feel what they have to offer is “good enough” to turn into something bigger. However, beautiful things can happen when we pair our passion with purpose, our creativity with the natural skills we have been given, and apply them to whatever situation and season we are already walking through.

This moment for Sonya Washington happened while running on Bay Street. A strong, multi-passionate woman with the ability to connect the dots behind the scenes for pretty much any goal-oriented outcome, she stopped in her tracks when she heard a voice within her announce the name of a nonexistent event planning company — one she had yet envisioned or intended to create. The voice also gave it a name, The Wedding Co. “God gave me everything while I was running. He was just speaking to me. He told me exactly what I needed to do,” although not at all in alignment with where she thought her career path would lead. She didn’t question the voice.

Going home after that run, she wrote it all down on a piece of notebook paper. Allowing this idea to reside in her mind and heart for about a year, she sat in her office, fasting and praying when the rest of the pieces came to her. Inspiration or as she would tell you, “The voice of God,” gave her all the names of the people who would fill out the team for the vision of the event planning business. When she stopped writing and looked it over, she realized every piece of the puzzle had locked together to form a clear picture. She had the baker, the photographer, the caterer, the marketing specialist, all of it right there in front of her — every single name on that list belonged to one of her local family members.

Believing they may think she had lost her mind, Sonya put together a presentation and called a family meeting after church. Sitting around the living room with plates full of food and full attention directed at her, she explained her mission and vision to her family via PowerPoint, of course! As she finished and silence filled the room, she braced herself to hear how off her rocker they thought she was, but what she heard instead was, “I’ve been waiting on this. God told me about this.” All eyes locked, focused, and connected the dots — The Wedding Co. was born that very day.

Connecting the dots is what Sonya does best. In her living room that Sunday, she orchestrated a team that would not only give back to the community but also aid in helping each of her own family’s already established local businesses by linking them together in the event planning space. The Wedding Co. is an event planning business that shows up to build trusted relationships. Utilizing the skills and creative abilities already instilled within them, this event planning group works to bring your vision to life, executing with excellence as their core value and showing up as authentic people to serve. Excellence to Sonya means being outstanding. It is also the spirit and conviction one operates in to always go above and beyond the ordinary. She feels strongly that “good enough” does not cut it and will do whatever it takes, along with the collaboration of her team, to accomplish your vision.

The Wedding Co. just celebrated a year in business in September — one full year since that post-church impromptu family meeting — and gives a special mention to Katty Harris for assisting the team.

Sonya and her family hold a firm belief that none of us are meant to operate alone. We all were created to work together, one part not being greater or lesser than another. We can only fulfill our purpose to serve by identifying and leaning into one another’s strengths. This is precisely how The Wedding Co. came to be — a beautiful lesson on how we can all draw from within to create something beautiful that serves a creative need for our community and can give back to local businesses. You can find them on social media or their website, theweddingcobeaufort.com. And, yes, she still has the notebook page AND the PowerPoint!

A Dream Team Makes the Difference

DJ Lawrence, Owner of Godseye Studios
The Wedding Co. is a created atmosphere by a company that prides itself on excellence, building relationships, understanding the needs and expectations of the client, and then exceeding their expectation. A solid foundation built on God is the start of a great experience. We specialize in weddings, but our services extend beyond the venue and ceremony. Our team will work with you every step of the way to ensure that your vision comes to life. We believe there are important factors to a great experience, starting with the building of relationships, attention to detail, and personalized services catering to the client. Everyone on our team is passionate, professional, excited, and motivated to create unforgettable moments and make your day special and memorable.

Jayln Lawrence, Counselor
As a therapist, thinking about healthy and positive connections in everything I do is important. Truthfully, it’s a part of who I am. The Wedding Co. fosters healthy connections within the working environment and encourages the same concept within the community. I firmly believe “when people show you who they are the first time, believe them” — Maya Angelou.

Sonya Washington, the founder of the Wedding Co. “shows up” every time and has set this standard for all those who work with her. So, I asked myself, “Why not be a part of this great company?” And I haven’t regretted it since.

Melissa German, Media and Branding Specialist
Family means a lot to all of us. It’s something we value and prioritize. Because we are a family business, clients can expect to be treated as family, whom we value and prioritize. We are invested in what our clients bring to us and into them as people. Thus, clients can trust that what they envision for their special occasion will be handled with the best care and love.

Jennifer Lawrence, Owner of T’s Sweet Bakery
Our family came together as a unit to display the Love of God as we share our God-given gifts and talents. For each event planned by The Wedding Co., individually and as a family, we express this at such a high level of expertise as we make each client a part of our family, catering to their vision. The Wedding Co. allows us to operate at no other level because we lean on each other to push the best out of each of us.

Demond Lawrence, Director of Operations
The Wedding Co. is an awesome experience and a feeling of love of family and friends working together. The intimate relationship with our team has long been proven and generates a profitable working relationship with each client. Our individual talents and gifts merge to form one union as a team. Everyone has the same purpose: to demonstrate the love of God and share that love and affection with our customers.