Hidden Gems: Meet Dylan Potenza of Evenstar Events

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dylan Potenza.

Hi Dylan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always loved planning – parties, trips, events, making lists, seeing every tiny detail through – so when it came time to plan my own wedding, I was ECSTATIC at the prospect. The vision came to me easily and I had a blast speaking with vendors, buying decor, DIYing things, and making spreadsheets. I didn’t., however, enjoy the unknown of reaching out to a vendor and wondering whether they were friendly to the LGBTQ community or not. Sometimes I received a plain “no, we don’t work with LGBTQ couples,” but most often I was met with silence.

I wanted to help as many couples as possible avoid this situation in the future and create a space that would be welcoming to all, which is why I created Evenstar Events in November of 2025. My goal is to work with any couple that is outside the presented norm of straight, white, able-bodied couples we often see represented in vendors’ work in the South. I have worked hard to ensure all vendors I collaborate with are not only accepting, but enthusiastic about working with couples of color, couples in the queer community, couples in the disabled community, or just anyone who wants to have a whimsical, nerdy, gothic, themed, or otherwise non-traditional wedding.

I’m still a new business, just getting my feet under me, but I’ve had the privilege of taking part in some really fun and unique weddings!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have certainly been some challenges – some huge challenges and some that just require getting creative.

Not to get too personal or dark, but I had to do a lot of self reflection to determine if I was even up for working weddings in the first place. My fiancé, with whom I had planned a whole wedding and life and future with, passed away two weeks before we were to elope in 2022 (we had planned to elope first and then have our larger, public wedding about a year and a half later). Obviously, this was devastating, and because it shifted my world completely, I had a really hard time even thinking about weddings for a long time after that. But I found that I can’t escape my love for planning, and I missed the feeling that came along with planning a wedding. So, after time away from weddings and lots of healing, I decided to dive back in.

Challenges I’ve encountered once starting the business are things I’m sure every business owner faces: learning on the fly, having to become business minded rather than just being a creative, becoming versed in wedding planner contracts, learning how to design a website, learning how to actually register with the state as an LLC. These are all things I didn’t have knowledge of before starting this, so there has definitely been a lot of learning over the past 7 months.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Evenstar Events?
I am the owner of Evenstar Events, a wedding planning service that focuses on creating an enthusiastically welcoming space for all couples. I love to plan weddings that color outside the lines – if the couple wants to stray from tradition, I am all for it. I adore a whimsical wedding and a strong color palette.

What sets me apart is my dedication to working exclusively with vendors that are affirming of the couple’s identity, from the venue to the makeup artists. I have an extensive list of preferred vendors that I am always happy to share with any couple that is facing uncertainty about who will welcome them. The wedding planning process is stressful but couples should NEVER have to question whether a vendor will reject working with them based on their orientation or skin color. It is vitally important to me that couples can see themselves represented in my work, and I am striving to make that a reality.

What matters most to you? Why?
My number one priority is ensuring my couples feel comfortable with their vendors, and comfortable expressing their creativity. Weddings are, for most people, the biggest party they will ever throw that includes all their loved ones. It should reflect their love story, whatever that means to them, even if it means things fall outside the norm.

Pricing:

• Day of Coordination – $800
• Partial Planning – $1200
• Full Event Planning – $2000
• Elopements/Micro weddings – $1400

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.evenstarevents.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evenstarevents/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585110335488

Image Credits
George Street Photo & Video, Soliana with Autumn B.H. Photography