Get to Know: Sydney of A Piece of Harmony Events

Hello everyone! Happy winter… oh wait… I mean fall! This is my favorite time of year, so I hope Idaho gives us with at least 1 month of sunflowers, sweaters and gingerbread spiced chai tea lattes.

I wanted to take a second to do a more formal and in-depth introduction than what is on is on my ‘about me’ webpage.

You probably already know, because you got this far into the website, but my name is Sydney Schatz and I am the face behind A Piece of Harmony Events. I am still getting used to signing and reciting my last name because even though it has been over a year since I got married, change is hard. The guys have it so easy, all they have to say is ‘I do’ and remember to put on a ring every morning (which if they are anything like my husband, typically only happens every other day). I love being married and I love sharing a last name with my person (Grey’s Anatomy reference for all my fellow fans out there)!

I was born and raised here in North Idaho, more specifically Hauser. If you aren’t from here, Hauser shares a zip code with Post Falls, but I attended school in Rathdrum – riddle me that one. I graduated high school from Lakeland with 197 other people. If that seems small to you, it was to me too. An everyone knows everyone kind of school. I am still extremely close with my high school best friend and miss her on the daily! Due to a genius thing known as ‘duel enrollment’ I graduated high school with one year’s worth of college credits under my belt.

I attended college at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington. I chose this school because it was somewhere where I didn’t know anyone. The goal was to start a totally new chapter – meet new people, live in a new place, gain new experiences; however, this made my first quarter there VERY difficult. Eventually (after much encouragement from my mom) I got out of my comfort zone and joined the rock climbing team. I started climbing when I was in middle school, but once I got into high school and joined the volleyball and track teams, I stopped. Joining this team turned out to be the BEST decision I could have ever made. I met one of my closest friends (side note : we are going to Mexico for her wedding in February and I couldn’t be more excited!!) and by a very serendipitous moment in time (thanks to this friend) I met my now husband. I truly loved being part of the EWU climbing team. We traveled all over the Pacific Northwest, I met some of the nicest people and I gained confidence I never knew I had.

My husband Chris graduated college a year before I did, so he had the jump on where we were going to live after school because he was first to get a real grown-up job. As it turns out, that meant I was going to be moving home – specially 7 minutes away from where I grew up. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this at first, but after being back for 5 years I wouldn’t have it any other way. My parents are some of the BEST people I know (ask anyone, they’ll tell you the same thing), so having their support close by has been the biggest blessing I could have ever asked for.

Eastern did not have a specific ‘event planning program’ – weird, I know – so after graduation I found an online school specializing in this industry. I was able to earn four different certificates (event planning, event décor, luxury event planning & corporate planning) all while working full time and getting real world event experience. I have had the privilege of working at three amazing venues! Each one was different, each one brought on new challenges, each one will always have a special place in my heart. I was a coordinator at Riverside Place in Downtown Spokane. I was the event manager at Settlers Creek in Coeur d’ Alene. Before anyone asks, the barn burnt down on my birthday. It was a tragic accident, but it is still one of the most beautiful properties in the area and we pulled off one of the prettiest weddings just 10 days later. On top of starting this business, I am currently the banquet and events manager at the Hayden Lake Country Club right on Hayden Lake. This position is without a doubt the most challenging of the three due to the volume of events I oversee. With that said, it is definitely a position that I am proud of and one that has taught me the most about the job/industry and myself.

I often get asked what my biggest wedding save has been and after doing almost 100 weddings I could name a few, but one of my most memorable has to be the time that a surprise rain & wind storm blew over the lake and we moved 200 people into a 150 person capacity ballroom within 10 minutes. Honestly, looking back at it, the day was a complete blur, but what I remember is how I felt. I can’t even describe my stress level when that storm started to roll in. It went from ‘okay, it’s fine, it’s going to blow over quickly’ to ‘everyone get inside NOW’ within what felt like 2 minutes. I have never been so happy and proud to have the staff I did that day. Later that night one of the bridesmaids (who probably had one or two too many) got really close to my face and said something I will never forget, “During the apocalypse, I want you on my team”. Being an event planner, whether it be a wedding or a corporate event, isn’t just about keeping everything on time and having a good eye for detail. It’s also about having Plan B, Plan C and Plan D AND being able to implement any those plans without hesitation. I love what I do because I am continually challenged, continually doing something different and continually dealing with people who are truly appreciative. It’s odd to say, but one of my favorite parts of a wedding is the goodbyes, because that is when I get to experience the couple when they are the happiest. It fills me with great pride and joy to hear ‘thank you, this was everything we were dreaming of and more’. It gives me the boost I need to know that I am doing something right and I am doing it well.

As I am embark on my 6th season in the event industry, I feel confident that I have gained the experience and the connections needed to go into business for myself. I am excited (and a little nervous) to see how I can grow this new little company of mine over the next year. My favorite numbers are even numbers (seriously, it’s one of the reasons I chose the wedding date I did), so I know that 2020 is going to be a great year! Not only do I hope to grow this company, but I hope Chris and I get the chance to grow our family – it’s one of the other reasons I am starting this new adventure when I am.

Want to be part of my future apocalypse team? Well it’s easy, click that contact button on the website and send me a message because I would love to help turn your next event into a dream come true. I am so excited to meet you!

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Check out these additional profile pieces: EventPros.com, QC Event School and Planner’s Lounge

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