When Spanish teacher Rachel Dunaway isn’t teaching Spanish students how to conjugate verbs, she can be found at a venue coordinating a wedding.
Nearly six years ago in 2017, Dunaway began her second job as a day-of wedding coordinator at Haue Valley, a wedding venue on a 200-acre farm that she really enjoys.
”I like to be busy and it gives me something to focus on that is a little bit less intense mentally. Kind of an escape from reality,” Dunaway said.
The owner of the venue was actually a former student of hers.
“She’s my boss there, which I think is super cool. I was friends with her on social media and when she first opened the venue–I think it’s been ten years now–so in 2017. She posted and said ‘anybody want to help for a few weddings?’ and I thought, ‘Oh, that sounds like fun, I’ll do that!’, I didn’t really realize I was getting a job and I had no idea I would still be working there so many years later,” Dunaway said.
The job of a day-of wedding coordinator has so many different elements, according to Dunaway.
“I work Saturdays and I get there around ten o’clock in the morning and they’ll have whoever works the night before–so Friday night–set the tables up for Saturday’s wedding. So, when I get there on Saturday, I put the linens on the table. I help the family, who’d show up by noon, decorate the venue. And we have this huge room that’s filled with all kinds of decor. Like, anything you’d want to decorate the tables for your wedding, we have and it’s free for couples to use, so I help decorate that, get the ceremony ready, and greet all the vendors,” she said.
Dunaway said she has seen a lot of former teachers and students who have been guests at weddings.
“A couple of weeks ago the DJ had graduated from here [Parkway South],” she said.
She has also witnessed some pretty fascinating events working at Haue Valley.
“In the last couple of weeks, I had a snake in the kitchen and there was a mouse with babies, but you know, it’s part of the job,” she said.
Dunaway adores her side gig as a wedding planner, but she never lets it distract from her true passion–teaching.
“I like her [Dunaway] as my Spanish teacher. I feel like she sets out assignments to help people understand whatever she’s doing and I like that we don’t just sit down and take notes while she asks us questions. Like, we get up and move around, we walk around in the hall. She’s very interactive!” sophomore Kimyata Royal said.
Senior Mikaela Jorden also has Dunaway as a teacher.
“She’s always keeping the class fun, active, and engaged,” Jorden said.
Senior Sadeel Al-Maharmeh agrees.
“I think that her stepping up and taking over the leadership class and the staff appreciation committee is something that was hard for her and she’s figuring it out and I think she’s doing a good job. I feel like it just fits her personality. She’s very organized. She’s always on top of everything, she gets stuff done on time and she makes sure it’s the best quality”, she said.
Her students think it’s the perfect pairing–her flair for fabulous events spills over into the classroom, making learning fun!
“I think it [wedding coordinating] is very fitting to her personality. She’s precise and loves to color-coordinate all her outfits. The colors, patterns, and textures always match. She’s a great party, wedding planner, and teacher,” Royal said.