If you’re going to dive headfirst into the wedding industry, it helps to start a business with someone you know—and no one knows you quite as well as your family. That’s what sister planning duo Samantha and Ali had in mind when they decided to take the leap and join their forces and talent together by starting their event planning company, Wanderlust Weddings, in the heart of Pittsburgh.
Before officially debuting on the Pittsburgh wedding scene, Samantha and Ali considered their backgrounds. Starting at 17, Ali said she learned she loved events while “working in a luxury club at PNC Park for the Pittsburgh Pirates.” And Samantha explored the world of logistics. As an undergrad, she was the Greek Week Chair, and as an alumnae, she was The Founders Day Chair, frequently planning events while holding each position. But planning a wedding is an entirely different endeavor, and Samantha and Ali knew they wanted to try their hands at planning a wedding of their own before they offered their services to others.
“When Samantha moved home from college, she met her now husband and Samantha and I had a blast planning Samantha and Mark’s wedding in the Dominican Republic. Following the wedding, we had a bit of withdrawal and decided with our past experiences in different parts of the event world, we would start our business,” shared Ali.
After Samantha and Ali learned all about their power as a planning duo while designing and coordinating Samantha’s destination fete, they not only realized they loved planning but they also realized their skillsets complemented each other wonderfully. Of course, even though they “get along as best friends,” sometimes, as sisters do, they still have to agree to disagree.
“We have different strengths, which makes us working together the perfect pair,” said both Samantha and Ali, adding, “We trust each other, and we also now split up for events, which makes Wanderlust expand to at least two weddings a weekend!”
As Samantha and Ali have built their business, they have routinely offered a variety of services to their clients. Currently, Wanderlust Weddings couples can choose from full-scale planning, month-of coordination, and partial planning (their most popular option).
“Usually clients book us for partial help once they have a date, a venue, and a few vendors booked. They really need help with the overall design, other vendors, and just some basic planning help that includes a few in-person meetings,” explained the sisters. “We love this package because it allows couples to do a lot for themselves, but it also allows us to offer guidance and ultimately help them make great decisions to fine tune the details.”
As much as Samantha and Ali love planning weddings in Pittsburgh, many of their clients reside outside of the city. Some do choose to welcome their guests to Western Pennsylvania, but many Wanderlust Weddings couples are also embracing destination weddings, just like Samantha did years ago. In 2023, Ali and Samantha are excited to plan a wedding in Newport, Rhode Island, and they’re also eager for the intimate wedding trend to continue as we navigate a post-pandemic world.
“Weddings have felt more emotional these days—more personal—and really just what the couple wants is taking precedence, which we are really excited about,” shared Samantha and Ali. “For instance, we planned a wedding in Chattanooga, Tennessee that went from a large 250+ wedding guest list in Pittsburgh to a smaller destination wedding in Tennessee. The clients really took their time to research, travel, and find what they were looking for, for their big day—and we are super excited for them!”
Other than their list of new Pittsburgh venues to experience for the first time and a very full travel roster, Samantha and Ali are also thrilled to see the business they decided to start together grow in leaps and bounds. Now Wanderlust Weddings tackles multiple weddings each weekend and has a burgeoning team—and Ali and Samantha are “excited” to see them “flourish.”
With such exponential growth since they started, Ali, Samantha, and their team are even more ready to live out their motto of “Traveling through life, one celebration at a time.” And we’re thrilled to cheer them on as they go.
Carly Totten
Carly is Philadelphia based a copywriter for creatives and a senior copy editor here at Pennsylvania Weddings.
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