Story

Adorn the cake.

Cue the celebrating!

Hey, I’m Emma.

Founder of Potter and Butler and Slow Party Style. Former high-end event planner. Life coach. Celebration goods maker. Mama. Deep feeler. Lifelong introvert. Recovering people pleaser. 

I spent years planning weddings and big events that looked absolutely beautiful — but if I’m being honest, a lot of them felt like productions designed for everyone but the people being celebrated.

And that never sat quite right with me.

There’s an image I’ve always carried close — a snapshot of my grandparents on their wedding day. Two young farm kids, just barely old enough to marry, raised during the hardships of the Great Depression. Their wedding reception was simple and sweet: a small gathering of loved ones seated under a tree in the warm summer sun, spread out on picnic blankets likely pulled from their own linen closets. My grandparents, beaming with wide, genuine smiles, moved gently from guest to guest, passing out slices of sheet cake — their hearts as full as their plates.

And around them, their guests smiled just as brightly, gathered not for the spectacle, but for the joy of simply being there. It was love. It was presence. It was celebration in its purest form.

This image has become an anchor for me — a quiet reminder that the heart of any celebration isn’t found in grand displays or perfect details, but in genuine connection. It’s the foundation of everything I do through Potter + Butler and Slow Party Style™ — creating space for gatherings that feel true, grounded, and deeply meaningful. The kind you carry with you long after the plates are cleared.

Simple. Sweet. True. Joyful. 

And now?
I help people plan celebrations that feel like that.
Not bigger.
Not showier.
Just deeply aligned with who you are and how you want to honor the moment.

Slow Party Style™ isn’t about following the rules — it’s about writing your own.
It’s celebration that feels like home.