GIANA SITZES Photography Presents:
ARTIST LOVE...
What is the name of your business and where are you located? Please include your web address if applicable.
The name of my business is Heather Ever Present. I am located in Chicago and my website is Heathereverpresent.com.
What products/services does your business produce/provide?
I am a wedding planner. My focus is primarily day-of wedding coordination, but I do full-service wedding planning and enjoy both aspects equally. I offer a few different packages, but always assist the bride, groom and their families for a twelve-hour period on the wedding day. I will be there from the first stroke of makeup to the stroke of midnight or later! I believe that being “ever present” is the key to offering consistent, exceptional service for the best wedding possible.
What inspired you to start this business and how did you get your start?
I have always been a girly-girl and I have always loved weddings. My first job after college was in the Food and Beverage Department of The Drake Hotel where I had the opportunity to learn what makes a wedding successful from an operational standpoint. I also worked at Belle Vie Bridal Couture selling gorgeous gowns and speaking with excited brides about their wedding plans. Since then, I have planned corporate events for six years at The University of Chicago Gleacher Center and just recently began to plan Executive Education programs at the Gleacher Center through The Booth School of Business. My very first brides were my corporate clients that enjoyed planning with me at The Gleacher Center and asked me to assist them on their wedding day. Over 50 weddings later, I have been able to use my corporate planning experience to make weddings run as smoothly as possible.
What do you find rewarding about your business?
I absolutely love making people feel happy and relaxed enough to enjoy their wedding day. I have the greatest job in the world because I get to work closely with brides and grooms on one of the most important days of their lives. It’s such an honor. I have also developed strong and lasting bonds with many of my couples. By far the most rewarding part of my job is receiving a birth announcement from a couple with whom I worked!
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced in getting your business off the ground?
The bridal industry is a saturated market and there are many excellent wedding planners in Chicago. My biggest challenge was finding a way to separate my services from everyone else’s. After some consideration, I found that charging a flat rate, and not a rate based on an hourly fee or a percentage of contracted services, worked best for me. I am not looking to waste time or force statements on my clients to make more money personally. I believe that the best working relationships come from trust. I offer three packages with the core element being the “ever present” aspect. The bride and groom can utilize my services to best suit their needs without worrying that I am trying to constantly up-sell them to increase the bottom line for my own gain.
How have you marketed your business?
Up until now, my business has been strictly word-of-mouth. I just launched my website and I am excited to be able to offer my services to a broader market. As a corporate event planner by trade, I also network on a daily basis which helps in gaining referrals and planning many weddings for corporate clients and fellow planners.
Any advice for those aspiring to start something up?
Follow your passion and offer your services to friends and family for a discounted (even free) fee. Show people that you are as good as you say you are and make them true believers in your craft. I planned countless weddings and events for people I knew well for a very low fee, so I could learn the best and most effective way to plan a wedding on my feet. It was a give-and-take situation because clients trusted my dedication despite my limited experience and I was able to build my portfolio, learn from experience, and make valuable contacts with vendors. Word-of-mouth advertising is the best way to get people interested in your business and confident in your expertise. Now, my former brides and grooms refer me to their families and friends and I am able to enter into new working relationships with couples that know what I can do. It’s a fantastic feeling!
