Today we’d like to introduce you to Callie Smith.
Hi Callie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was interning with an Event Company who is based in Orange County. After a few months, they brought me on as a “wedding assistant”. I helped coordinate and design over 50 weddings while employed with this company. During this time, my boyfriend kept encouraging me to start my own wedding coordinating business. I had a lot of friends getting married in the next year and figured it was a better time than never. We quickly built a website and Instagram and used pictures from a Styled Shoot I had just hostessed a week prior. Within two days from my launch, I had inquiries from friends and total strangers. The first wedding I coordinated as K. Rose Events was only a month from our launch date and they kept coming in from there.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Less than a year from launching my company, COVID 19 ran rapid through the world and in less than 24 hours on March 16, I lost four months of business. The end of March, April and May were completely booked on my calendar and it all came to a halt. Almost a year later and those couples who postponed are still not married and some have canceled all together. I considered if I had started my business at the wrong time, but there has been some positives that came out of the pandemic. Some venues came with coordinators and when they canceled on the couples, they lost that day of coordinator and the couples have to pivot plans to their backyards. I was able to take advantage of those situations and become their new planner and coordinator for their backyard wedding.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an event planner and day of coordinator for weddings. I have planned a few quiencerras and small parties like bridal showers and company parties, but I mostly plan and coordinate weddings. Since a lot of couples have had to pivot their plans to backyards and AirbNb’s, I lot of clients have been booking my day of coordination packages and style and design packages. These two combined are great for backyard weddings where everything needs to be brought in to transform a yard to a venue. What sets me apart is that I treat each client differently, depending on their needs. I am available to my clients at anytime of the day and let them know if they hire me for “day of” they don’t just get me on the day of. Sometimes they need someone to talk them off the ledge that isn’t their family member or best friend. By the time their big day comes, I almost feel sad because I know that will be the last time we talk. Some clients I have had a two years relationship with, and it’s been all things wedding. You do really get to know them and their families from the endless conversations. I feel the most proud when the clients leaves a review or send an email expressing how thankful they are for me. Each person will touch on the little things I did for them and that they wouldn’t have known what to do without me. It really reminds me that I get to something amazing, see two families become one and make new friends along the way. I absolutely love what I do.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I have learned to expect the unexpected. To stay calm and roll with plan A, B, C, D or even E! If I panic, then my clients will panic. Like I said, sometimes I have to talk clients off the ledge and let them know they aren’t alone in this process.
Contact Info:
- Email: callie@kroseevents.com
- Website: www.kroseevents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.roseevents/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/k-rose-events-redlands
Image Credits:
Crista Downey Photography Jenny Garret Co Photography Diana Lake Photography Heather Smith Photography
