An Inspired Chat with Jessica Laycock of Woodstock, GA

Jessica Laycock shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
True and continuous joy and fulfillment seem to be what everyone is chasing. Most people are constantly striving—busy pursuing careers, success, money, fame, attention, distraction, physical perfection, you name it. Yet few are willing to admit that none of these things ever truly satisfy. If we were honest, we would say that at the end of the day, after all the pursuits the world has to offer, nothing ever fully fills our cup. That’s why we keep striving for more.

People reach what they once believed would be the peak, only to discover it isn’t enough. So they move the goalpost and begin chasing the next thing. We’ve believed the lie that fulfillment is something we can eventually attain if we search long enough or work hard enough—that joy is waiting just beyond the next achievement.

After years of living this way myself, I can confidently say it has never rung true, and it never will. There is a deep, undeniable longing for true fulfillment—a gaping hole in our souls—that nothing in this world can fill. I believe God designed us this way, so that we would never be able to achieve lasting joy on our own.

The real struggle is not just the striving, but our unwillingness to acknowledge the truth: that we are incapable of providing our own true fulfillment. Surrendering that belief is even harder, because it means admitting that true joy and fulfillment must be found outside of ourselves. I think many people are afraid to say out loud that they cannot be the source of their own fulfillment. We don’t want to accept that something greater than ourselves exists—or that we need it.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Jessica, the owner of Amber & Oak Coordinating. I truly believe God has gifted me with the ability to bring a sense of calm into moments that can feel chaotic, and that’s at the heart of how I serve couples on their wedding day. My greatest joy is creating an environment where couples can be fully present—free from stress, distractions, or worries of logistics—so they can truly soak in one of the most meaningful days of their lives.

I especially love working with couples who are planning their own weddings on a budget. They’ve put so much time and intention into their day, and my role is to step in and remove all day-of stress—not just from the couple, but from their family and friends as well. That way, loved ones get to celebrate instead of manage details, and couples get to experience peace, joy, and confidence knowing everything is taken care of.

What makes Amber & Oak unique is our calm, intentional approach and our heart for serving couples in a way that honors both their vision and their resources.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Simply put, pride breaks the bonds between people, and humility restores them.

Pride often shows up when we believe we deserve more, know better, or place our own needs and desires above others. Left unchecked, it can quietly create distance and division in relationships. What we spend our time on often reveals what our hearts truly value, and pride has a way of shifting that focus inward.

Restoration, however, requires humility from both people—being willing to own our wrongs, pursue growth, and intentionally put the other person first. This kind of humility takes patience and practice, especially in a world that often encourages being served rather than serving others. True healing begins when humility takes its place—when we choose responsibility, grace, and selflessness over ego.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The defining wounds of my life are deeply connected to my pursuit of perfection, performance, and image—wounds I largely inflicted on myself. My pride and desire to appear perfect led to grief, loss, emptiness, and a season of living what felt like a double life. I spent much of my young adult life trying to convince others—and myself—that I was enough through achievement and outward success. Even though I knew I wasn’t perfect and couldn’t sustain that image, striving for it gave me a sense of purpose and the false hope that if I performed well enough, I would finally feel fulfilled.

As for healing, I don’t believe I’ve healed these wounds on my own, nor do I believe I’m capable of fully doing so. I have intentionally reflected on my wounds, weaknesses, and personal wiring to grow and challenge myself. However, ultimately, true healing doesn’t come from self-effort—it comes from Jesus Christ. I will always be imperfect in this life, but He paid the ultimate price so I don’t have to carry the weight of my imperfections. While I may continue to wrestle with pride and imperfection, I walk forward with grace and hope, trusting that one day I will be truly free and whole.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies in the wedding industry is that your wedding day is and/or will be the best day of your life. While that can be true in some ways, putting that kind of extreme expectation on a single day isn’t wise and can actually set couples up for disappointment. It often emphasizes how “grand” the day looks rather than focusing on the purpose, meaning, and intentionality behind the wedding itself.

A wedding should be a joyful celebration of a couple’s love and commitment under God, a day where two people join together as one. But I’ve seen brides experience real letdown or even depression after their wedding because so much focus was put on just that one day—which, realistically, is only about six hours. When the relationship and marriage aren’t the primary focus, the celebration can feel hollow afterward. True meaning comes from prioritizing the relationship and marriage being celebrated, not just the event itself.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
In all honesty, if I retired tomorrow, I hope my clients would most miss the friendship and connection we built throughout the wedding planning process. I take great pride in making couples feel truly heard and seen, and I deeply desire their wedding day to be a space of peace and serenity.

Reaching that place requires time, trust, and genuine connection, and I hope that’s what resonates with the couples I work with the most. While wedding days themselves are beautiful, I find great significance in intentionality and the relationships we form along the way. I hope that if I were to retire tomorrow, my couples would miss that experience, just as I would, above all else.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amberandoakcoordinating.com/
• Other: Blog: https://www.amberandoakcoordinating.com/blog-1

Image Credits
CC Seder Photography
Vi Huynh Media
Lunalee Photography
Brandi Sisson Photography