It's a snowy Saturday and time to blog! I thought for today I'd answer some of the burning questions that come up often through Instagram Q & As and give them a permanent home here on the blog.
QUESTION 1: How did you get started in the wedding industry?
Truthfully, I pounded the pavement. I knew I wanted to learn as much as possible and from anyone who would let me. I called dozens of event companies in the Toronto area and finally landed an "on call" assistant position. Working weddings days on the weekends and finally convincing them to hire me as an assistant in the office. I did everything from filling in itineraries to help processing flowers for the floral department to personal errands for the owner. Always asking questions and for more opportunities. I am a firm believer that the squeaky wheel gets the oil.
QUESTION 2: How did you figure out what rate to price your services at?
This is something that will and should be an ever changing and continuous questions throughout ones career. But when I first started, I used a combination of market research as well as an approximate hour count to predict my overall pricing strategy. I always wanted to ensure that I was competitive with my pricing, but never the lowest. If I remember correctly, my pricing started at $6,500 for Full Service when I first went out on my own, and $1,800 for Coordination. Now five years later those prices have significantly increased (doubled in some cases) to speak to the incredible value we offer in our services and the investment associated! Want to know more about figuring our your own pricing strategy and market? Check out my new mentorship opportunities here.
QUESTION 3: If you weren't a wedding planner, what would you do career wise?
By and large, this question makes me both laugh and get nervous all at once. Before I began my career in events I was on track to pursue a career in performing. I was a regular anthem singer for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, and Marlies, and gigged at bars multiple times a week. My dream was to perform for a living whether that be on Broadway in musicals, acting on TV/Film, or simply a combination of everything. I had done some small TV/Film work and thought it was a hoot. But at the end of the day, the pressure of it all was just too much for me. It ate at me knowing that the fate of my career laid in the hands of casting directors and judgemental eyes. I ended up deciding it wasn't for me, and gosh, I'm so glad I did. But if I wasn't wedding planning, I'm sure I'd peruse that lifestyle again. If not that, I would definitely be in the world of travel and lifestyle, drinking and eating and writing all about it. Travel and food is absolutely my passion in life.
QUESTION 4: What is your biggest piece of advice for new wedding planners?
To boil it right down, my answer would be to never stop hustling and asking questions. The world of weddings and events is your oyster. Learn from every mind you can and find yourself a mentor. Mentorship and education is something that should not stop when you are finished formal education (if that is the route you went), but truly just begin when you start you work on actual event days. Be humble, learn from the best, soak it in, and never give up.