Meet the Team Behind Ackin Events
Sammy wanted to work in events. Not weddings specifically. Sports organizations, parks and recreation, any company with an events function. She applied repeatedly. None of it worked out.
While that search was ongoing, she was already planning weddings for friends and family, as favors. After the first one, people told her she could get paid for this. She didn't believe it. After the third and fourth, she kept hearing the same thing. She still didn't act on it. She was holding out for a job in events that had nothing to do with weddings.
Then she lost a final-round interview for an event coordinator position at her own mother's company. That was the moment it clicked. She already had the proof. She could build a career in events, because she could build one specifically as a wedding planner. That same day, she built the website that became Ackin Events.
What We Believe
Couples aren't really paying for a timeline, a vendor list, or a flawless schedule. Those things matter, but they aren't the point. What you're actually paying for is the ability to be at your own wedding. Fully present. Looking at your partner during your vows instead of running through the next seven things that need to happen.
We learned this firsthand. At a wedding in 2023, a bride stood in her backyard with a beer in her hand while her wedding happened around her. She looked over and said, "This is amazing. I don't have to answer any questions." Then she took a sip and just enjoyed it.
That's the job. Not the logistics. The moment you stop needing to answer a single question on your own wedding day.
"We could not have asked for a better day-of-coordinator than Sammy! She thinks of every little detail and talks you through everything in the planning process. She makes sure your wedding dreams come to life and that you are enjoying every second of the special day! "
Conley & Zoey | Shoreview, MN
Photo by Holly Shuldheisz Photography
Ackin Events has been planning weddings since November 2022, though Sammy was doing this work informally for friends and family before that. Every coordinator on this team brings the same standard to every wedding they lead. Take a look at our planning packages to see what each one includes.
Sammy
Owner, Lead Event Planner
Sammy founded Ackin Events after years of trying to break into event work elsewhere. Sports organizations, parks and recreation, anywhere with an events function. None of it worked out. What did work, repeatedly, was planning weddings for friends and family who kept telling her she could get paid for this. She didn't believe them until a final-round rejection for an unrelated event job made the decision for her.
"Seeing the spouse's reaction during the walk down the aisle is the absolute best. While everyone is looking back, I look forward, because that reaction is a once in a lifetime moment." - Sammy
Mari
Event Coordinator
Mari is one of our Event Coordinators, leading Wedding Management clients from the four-month mark all the way to the wedding day. She brings the same standard to every couple, regardless of how far out they booked.
"My favorite part of the big day is seeing all the different stages of each couple's life in one room. Friends, family, coworkers, childhood friends. It's an experience that only happens once." - Mari