Meet the Team | Ashlee Kautz | Owner + Creative Director

Hey y'all!! If you don't know me yet, my name is Ashlee, and I am the head-honcho over here at Treasured Heart Events!! I am a spunky, energetic, caffeine-addicted gal that gets excited about just about everything! I love talking with anyone and everyone...meeting new people is one of my favorite things to do! I have a german shepard/lab puppy named Rosie....and yes, I am one of those people that calls their dog their child (and yes I absolutely celebrate Mother's Day!!). I am a TCU Horned Frog down to the core! I bleed purple and live for college football. In just three short months, I will be graduating from the best college on this earth with a degree in Mathematics and a double minor in Business and Communication Studies. The most important thing that you need to know about me, though, is that I am a daughter of the King! As soon as I got to college, I knew that I wanted to do something in my life that was going to make a difference...something that would make people feel loved and cared for...something that would make an impact on the world for good!

So, you might be asking, how on earth did a Math Major get into wedding and event planning?! Great question! At the end of my freshman year at TCU, my sister got engaged, graduated, and signed a contract to move to Dubai...all in the same week!! Needless to say, I took over her wedding planning process as she moved halfway across the world to work. I fell IN LOVE with the details, the late nights of researching finding the best deals, looking for vendors, making personal decor, and every small moment of making my sisters dream wedding come to life! It was invigorating!! Meanwhile, I landed an internship with Christine Alexander at Best Day Ever Events! And let me tell you...I was so blessed to work for someone who was so stinking good at planning weddings! Christine took me under her wing and taught me everything I could have ever wanted to know, and even trusted me to plan my own styled shoot to put the BDE name on!! Last Fall, Christine and her husband decided to relocate to California and continue her company there (rebranded as Alexander Event Co. **yall need to go look at their beautiful website and show them some social media love too!! I promise, you won't be sorry!) At that point, I was at a loss...what was I going to do when I graduated?!

All throughout college, I went on mission trips, and fell in love with the families I worked with! I loved what these families did, their hearts to see other's lives changed forever, and how devout they were to sharing the Good News! I knew that I wanted my life work to support them...but I didn't quite yet know how!

**Now to the good stuff!!** In January, I decided to pull the trigger on starting my own company! I knew I wanted my company to stand for something bigger than just planning an important day, so I figured, why not combine my two biggest passions in life into one?! After lots of planning and help from friends and my super supportive family, Treasured Heart Events came to life! TH is devoted to sending 10% of all our fees right back out the door to one of the incredible missionary families that we support! I wanted to create an atmosphere that let my clients feel like they were getting support a cause that tugged on their heart as a couple, so all of our clients choose where their 10% goes! In my mind, there isn't anything better than knowing your most treasured moments get to impact hearts for a lifetime!!

So, now, standing here in September, just 7 short months after opening TH, we have donated almost $1,000 to missionaries that are making a difference all over the globe!! I am constantly amazed that I get to do my dream job, with some of my best friends in the entire world, while changing lives!!! I love seeing priceless wedding day moments go further than the bride and groom driving away...I love that my lifes-work is going to get to change the world!

If you can't tell yet...my team and I cannot wait to meet you!

Photography: Nathan Rowe Photography

Styled Shoot | We Give Back | Black Sheep Bride

THE DEETS: I have this crazy dream that weddings could change the world! At the core of Treasured Heart Events is the desire to give back and make a difference all over the globe. We do this by giving 10% of our fees to full time missionary families, and our sweet couples get to choose which family their big day will support! We knew that there had to be more wedding vendors out there with a heart to do good in the world, so we set out to find them! We designed this entire inspiration shoot around vendors that have some sort of philanthropic arm to their company, and the beauty of the heart behind their work shines so brightly in this shoot! Each and every detail you see in these photos – from the flowers, to the bride’s dress, to each table setting – are all provided by vendors who give back. We wanted to hone in on the bride, or groom, that desires for their wedding day to send ripples around the world – a couple that wants to treasure the moments of today, and impact hearts for a lifetime.

THE SHOOT: This inspiration shoot was especially fun for me because I got to work with people who have similar goals to me, and I got to have all my closest friends model in my shoot! The amount of laughs, ooh's and ahh's, and crazy dance moves that were shared on the shoot were more than I could count :) 

Coordination: Treasured Heart Events

Photography/Videography: Square 8 Studio

Venue: Historic 512

Paper: Hello Lettering Co.

Hair + Makeup: Kromann Kosmetology

Dress: Amy Kuschel

Suit: Menguin

Jewelry: Keri Starker - Designs That Donate

Guest Attire: Altar'd State

Cake: The Flour Shop

Cupcakes: The Friendly Baker

Floral: Details Dallas

Rentals: The Center for Transforming Lives Thrift Store

Car: European Motor Cars LTD

"Be the change you wish to see in the world"

-Gandhi

Takeover Tuesday | Karlee Hale | Past Bride

I have known Ashlee for over 20 years. Since the day I met her she has been my best friend, my confidant, my shoulder to cry on, my biggest fan, and most importantly my sister. I’ve had the privilege of seeing her grow up, find her way, and most recently share her heart and mission with the world.

I guess hindsight is 20/20, but when I look at what she has done with Treasured Heart Events, I think, “How did we not see this coming?” Ashlee has always been there, creatively moving through life and building up the world around her to be a bit more beautiful.

When we were young, my parents brought home a new standing lamp for our living room. Ashlee was there when they almost threw away the box, and at age 5, she took scissors to the box, painted it, and created a puppet theatre that we would use for the next 10 years. Today, she maintains that creative ingenuity in all things crafty.

When I had a joke to tell, Ashlee was there to listen. When she was young, she had these cheeks that were so chubby, tears of laughter would just sit idle on her face, because her smiling cheeks were so prominently happy all the time. Fast-forward a few decades, and she still has that infectious zest for life (minus the cheeks).

When my teacher mother needed help with a design for her 4^th grade classroom, Ashlee was there.  She made countless charts, designed hundreds of posters, and made sure that everything was done both efficiently and with love.

When my now husband asked me to marry him in April of 2014, about 2 hours behind schedule, Ashlee was there, secretly in the bushes of that Fort Worth park, being eaten alive by ants to capture our most memorable photos. She was relentless in her will to be present for us.

When I moved to Dubai and had to plan our Texas wedding from 8000 miles away, Ashlee was there. She sent me PowerPoint presentations of venues, color palettes, and food options. She spoke with all the vendors on my behalf and made sure things were going well back home while I worked in the Middle East. She was so dedicated to making my perfect day become a reality.

When it came time for me to walk down the aisle, and I realized my veil was still at the hotel across the street, Ashlee was there. She ran barefoot across the lawn to retrieve my precious garment. Returning in a glowing sweat, she placed the veil on my head and said, “Let’s get you married Karlee Jo.” She was so calm amongst the crazy!

My wedding was the first one that she planned, and also the one that would reveal her talent and heart for this field. Looking back we see that she has always been a creative genius with an infectious zest for life. She has always been organized with efficiency and love, relentless in her will to be present for those around her, dedicated to those she has promised to perform for, and calm in any crazy circumstance. AKA: the perfect event planner.

These are just a few times she has been there for me in my life—ones that point to who she has become and what Treasured Heart Events is all about. She has been there for countless other friends, clients, church youth, and many more.

Ashlee’s heart is a very Treasured Heart. And I know she cannot wait to share it with you.

Takeover Tuesday | Rob Greene | Square 8 Studio

To know Treasured Heart Events owner, Ashlee Kautz, is to love her. 

I’ve been running my company – Square 8 Studio – for nearly 15 years. Focusing on Photography, Branding, and Design, I’ve worked with recording artists, churches, fitness companies, record labels, global non-profits, business owners, brides, and families. And in those 15 years, I’ve never met someone who magnetizes the hearts of everyone she meets the way Ashlee does.

Brides. Wedding Vendors. Teenagers. Babies. Grandparents. Puppies. Everyone who spends even 5 minutes with TH’s spunky and charming leader walks away feeling like it was their heart that was “treasured”.

That’s why, whenever Ashlee shows up on my caller ID, I can’t wait to answer… I know an amazing adventure awaits, and I know I’ll walk away loved and better for taking part in it.

Not only have Ashlee and I struck up a remarkable friendship in recent years, but we’ve seen incredible alignment in our businesses’ vision and direction as well. Ashlee’s vision for leveraging a bride’s Big Day by giving 10% to missionary families resonated with me from the moment she first shared her heart for her company.

With Square 8, my dream from day 1 has been to create excellent art that enables excellent ministry. For years now, I’ve set aside a portion of everything I make through Square 8 to support missionary friends in England, Guatemala, and most recently Greece. I also offer significant discounts on our creative services to missionary friends whenever possible, knowing that the demands of global mission work often leave missionaries unable to afford top-quality creative services. When you book your portraits or wedding photography with me, you can count on your investment being reinvested around the world.

As my team has set goals for the coming years, we plan to take these efforts one step further, spending time on the ground with each of the families I support whenever we’re not shooting weddings, serving alongside them and offering our creative services for free while we’re with them. The beauty of photography and graphic design is that after your wedding is over, I can edit your wedding photos from just about anywhere in the world… all I need is electricity and Internet, and we’ll be able to stay in touch from just about anywhere!

Our mission-based focus is a big part of why we are so proud to be a TH Partner Vendor! I’ll never forget the moment in 2015 when Ashlee first told me about her dream to start a wedding company that puts supporting missionaries at the core and forefront of her business model. Not only because it was such a brilliant idea, but because it was instantly obvious to me that Ashlee is the perfect person to lead such an endeavor.

I’ve worked multiple weddings and events now with Ashlee, and our friendship has allowed us to lead multiple youth events and mission trips together. With our overlapping clientele, she’s also joined me on several of my photo shoots. In each of these environments, one of the things that has always fascinated me about Ashlee is this: few people can pull off being as detail-oriented as Ash is while maintaining a genuine, heartfelt love for people… yet she never fails to overwhelmingly succeed at both. You never have to worry about even the tiniest of details being executed to perfection with Ashlee, and you never have to worry about whether or not you are deeply loved by her. How many people can say that about their wedding coordinator?! I’ve watched Ashlee pull together breathtaking event designs with almost zero budget. I’ve witnessed her diffuse wedding-day tensions among wedding parties and family members within moments of walking in a room. And I’ve been there with Ashlee, weeks after the Big Day, when a bride sends a text to check in or say thanks one more time, simply because of the remarkable relationship they’ve built while working together.

I can’t imagine what could be more desirable for you as a bride… to rest and enjoy your season of engagement, knowing you’re in capable and gifted hands, while also feeling the warmth of knowing the woman organizing the intricacies of your most special day cares more about your heart than your business. This unique balance has defined Ashlee as a person for as long as I’ve known her, it defines the kind of experience her company brings to each and every event they coordinate, and it’s why there’s no one Square 8 Studio loves partnering with more!

#TeamDuane | Karanae + Paul | 04.26.2016

The Deets:
You are in for a treat with this special couple! Karanae + Paul came to us a few months out from their wedding with dreams of a laid back tailgate feel for their wedding! Karanae, a TCU Horned Frog, and Paul, an OSU Cowboy, wanted their fun and spunky personalities to shine through on their Big Day. From a delicious tailgate buffet, to colorful sprinkle cakes, to a surprise El Camino for her hubby, this wedding was such a joy to be part of! 

Karanae + Paul chose to support the Radford family in Guatemala! Their hearts were broken for the orphanages in Panajachel, and they were overjoyed that their wedding could support such a beautiful ministry!

Coordination: Treasured Heart Events // Ashlee

Ceremony: McKinney Chapel // Sherri (817.966.1218)

Reception: Pop’s Garage // Maggie (847.828.5194)

Photographer: Square 8 Studio // Rob Greene (687.557.8865)

Catering: Shawn Hoffman (817.281.7330)

Bar Service: Paul Pearson (972.741.6283)

Florist: Kristen (817.733.6492)

Bakery: Leah’s Sweet Treats (817.731.5223)

Rentals: Taylor’s Rentals (817.332.5258)

Dance Floor Rental: Big D Party Rentals (214.239.3051)

DJ: Jeremy May (817.475.6856)

Hair: Lindsey (432.847.9084) + Jessica (682.365.5663)

Makeup: Dricka (817.226.5476)

"Grow old with me. The best is yet to be."

-Robert Browning

"We can build that! Right?!"

I love building things. I love using my hands to create things. I love slowing the pace of life down and putting something beautiful together while listening to the newest Ben Rector album and throwing a tennis ball for my dog, Rosie, in the process of it all. There's something so special to me about working on a project and having something you are really proud of in the end! 

When my Marketing Director found an event called the Taste Of Dallas, I got ALL sorts of giddy! I sat down, sketched away, and came up with a design that I just fell IN LOVE with - and I bet you can imagine the pure joy on my team's faces when they heard their crazy boss say, "We can build that! Right?!" We spent hours cutting apart pallets, sanding down wood slats, and buying the absolute perfect decor to bring the vision to life, and let me tell you, our set design was KILLER! The day after the conclusion of the show, we took a trip with our dear friends at Square 8 Studio and photographed our beautiful table!! Take a look, and tell me it doesn't make you feel like posting a million heart eye emojis! :) 

And at the end of a long weekend of planning, talking with clients and vendors, and laughing waaaayyyy too much...I couldn't help but have a little fun to close out a great few days! 

 

I am so thankful to have a team of workers that believe in my ideas, and are willing to lose sleep to help me accomplish all that I dream up!