Jackson Free Press

The old wedding joke goes that brides tend to choose ugly bridesmaid dresses, while exclaiming to their attendants, "You can wear it again and again!"

Hopefully, Kendall Poole's friends are exceptions to that idea, because Poole has a collection of 20 bridesmaid dresses by now. Poole's experience as a 20-time bridesmaid across 15 years gave her the experience to make the jump to wedding planning full-time. She has witnessed firsthand the chaos that goes on behind the scenes, and her main goal is to allow everyone involved in the wedding to actually enjoy the big day. She says her job as a coordinator is to be the one to make those hard decisions, so that everyone else can relax.

Poole, 35, opened Kendall Poole Event Planning a year ago in November on the day of her favorite number: 11/11/11.

"I have had the pleasure of visiting 11 countries, lived on the 11th floor in New York, 11 is in my phone number and address," she says. To top off her business' first anniversary, Poole launched a Facebook campaign, with the help of her good friend Jeff Good, to receive 1,111 "likes" by Nov. 11. "It was almost equal to watching the polls," Poole says. Although Kendall Poole Event Planning is only a year old, Poole has planned 25 weddings under her 
professional organization.

Born and raised in Rankin County, Poole has coordinated events since she was in high school, starting with pep rallies, birthday parties and homecoming parades. "This is definitely my agape, a blessing from the Lord," she says. "I consider my business almost as a ministry, I want my couples to focus more on planning their marriage, not just a wedding."

It is evident that Poole is following her passion. For each wedding she handles, she makes sure to allow herself time to listen and understand the couples, so that their wedding will not only be a symbol of their love, but also a reflection of them as a couple.

"You don't know what you are paying me for until after it's over," she says.

Poole's job also puts her into a position where she plays counselor to soon to be husbands and wives by reminding them the reason of why they are getting married.

"As long as you are keeping your marriage the number-one priority, then everything else will fall into place," she says.

Many of Poole's clients arise from word of mouth, and she feels more than blessed to work with so many wonderful vendors to help create such a special day for the bride and groom.

A photographer once told Poole, "People never know how good you are at your job, because you have already taken care of the problem," and those words still stick with Poole to this day.

For more information about Kendall Poole Event Planning, visit her website, kendallpooleeventplanning.com.