Some kids spent their weekends at soccer tournaments.
I spent mine at weddings.
Hi, I'm Katy. Born and raised in the Adirondacks, seventeen years into this work, and still getting butterflies every single time.
If you have ever wondered how a person ends up completely, happily obsessed with weddings, buckle up.
I grew up in the heart of the Adirondacks, where hospitality was not just the family business. It was how we lived. My family owned a catering company, and my brother and I grew up believing the best kind of work was the kind that made people smile. Long before I knew the words “event management,” I was setting tables, carrying trays, solving last-minute problems, and learning that behind every unforgettable celebration is a whole lot of teamwork.
I would not have had it any other way.
Falling in love with weddings
My dad received a new heart and, through a gift of incredible generosity, a kidney too. Life slowly found its rhythm again. I finished my degree in Business, Event Management and Marketing, with a minor in Dance, because, why not, and joined one of the premier catering companies in the Berkshires. That is where I coordinated my first weddings.
I was hooked.
There is something magical about this industry. The early mornings. The impossible timelines. The weather forecast you check every twelve minutes. The hundred moving pieces that somehow gather themselves into one incredible day.
Seventeen years in, I still get butterflies watching a couple walk back down the aisle.
Coming home
Eventually the Adirondacks called me back, the way they do.
I managed grants and events for a local nonprofit while building a wedding planning business on the side. A few years later I became Executive Director of our local Chamber of Commerce, helping rebuild the organization and planning weddings every chance I got.
Then one conversation changed everything.
A board member looked at me and asked, "Why are you still here? Weddings are your love language."
She believed in me before I fully believed in myself. Together, we launched VanBee & Co.
People always ask about the name. In the beginning it was simply my maiden name and my business partner’s last name, stitched together. My last name has changed since then, and my original partner now lives in Utah, though I am delighted to report I am planning her oldest son’s wedding right back here in New York.
And VanBee has grown into something bigger than either of us imagined: a company built on hospitality, trust, creativity, and making people feel completely taken care of.
Then came Kory
Along the way, I met the love of my life. My husband, Kory. We have always done things a little backwards. For our one-year dating anniversary, instead of exchanging gifts, we bought property together. Our friends thought we were crazy.
Turns out, we were onto something.
That property became our home. Then it became our wedding venue. Then we added a Mini Australian Shepherd. And then came our son, who is growing up wild and free in the Adirondacks, exactly as a kid should.
These days, wedding weekends are a true family affair. Kory and I work side by side, building, producing, and bringing each celebration to life, and I cannot imagine doing this with anyone else.
Why I love what I do
Seventeen years later, I still get excited before every wedding. I still cry during first dances. I still hold my breath before the ceremony doors open. And I still believe the best weddings are not about perfection. They are about people.
We have built an incredible team, we work alongside some of the most talented vendors in the Adirondacks, and we welcome couples from all over the country to celebrate in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I never take that for granted.
Planning a wedding should be exciting. And joyful. It should feel like someone has your back at every step, and that is where we come in. We handle the logistics and solve problems before you ever know they exist. We set you free to soak in every laugh, every happy tear, every dance move, every unforgettable moment.
Because after all these years, watching your faces at the end of the night is still my favorite part.
