I still cry every single time, at every single wedding… seriously!!! Being a part of a couple’s happiest time makes me weepy. What can I say?
It seems almost cosmic that I ended up here. I’m a CPA & a Project Manager by trade. This means that each event that I undertake flows seamlessly, from planning to execution. I’m good at “marrying” the logistical side with the beauty of a truly special day.
I’m ALL about the KISS (keeping it simple silly!) so that you can enjoy the process every step of the way.
At Events by Missy we offer a tailored experience; we only work with a limited number of clients which enables us to offer our undivided attention to every couple!
- State manager for the Associating of Bridal Consultants
- Member of the Associating of Bridal Consultants for 12 years
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced while planning an event and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge we face often is venue coordinators trying to take charge of our events. We always want to help out and work together with our vendor partners, and that’s what I always explain to them; they feel some planners wanna bully people around and bark orders and that’s just not what myself or my staff do. We work as a team with all of the players on the wedding day to achieve seamless events.
What are 2 trends in the event planning industry that you’re excited about?
1 – I am super excited about micro weddings, even before the pandemic. A smaller wedding lets the details shine thru.
2 – Dressed down weddings; brides in causal dresses or grooms in dress shirts and khaki.
What are some tips for creating an elegant and memorable event on a tight budget?
Focus on details that matter.
- A 7 course dinner is great, but scale it down and have 2 amazing courses that guests will love and so will your pockets
- Favors are going by the wayside, they are an unnecessary expense that often get left behind
- Flowers can cost a lot so be sure to get seasonal local blooms to brighten up your day
- Don’t invite anyone you have never met before; your wedding day isn’t the time to meet your 5th cousin
If you had unlimited resources, what would your dream client and event look like?
Wow that’s a loaded question! My dream clients are carefree and easy going. They have a destination wedding on an island where the food was farmed that day and there would be the finest champagne from France. A live band would keep us dancing into the night. And there are flowers everywhere; aisle, hair, tables, dripping from the ceiling. And so much joy and happiness from the couple and friends and family, that would be the best part.
How important are your relationships with vendors and what are some ways that you successfully cultivate and ensure good rapport?
Relations can make or break your event. We constantly communicate with vendors before and after weddings for feedback. We also send cards and small gifts thru the year to make sure they know we are around and love working with them. Working as a team makes the days fun and go by faster.
What advice would you give someone who needs to plan a fundraiser but isn’t sure where to start?
Figure out your budget, people underestimate how important it is to know how much money they actually have, not how much they think they have. And this is especially true for fundraisers where cash is limited and budgets tend to be tight.
What’s the most exciting thing on the horizon for you personally or professionally?
Professionally we are working on getting events back and stronger and safer that ever. As state manager of NY for the Association of Bridal Consultants, we have been remote / virtual for over a year now, so myself and my team are psyched to get in person networking going again.
What inspired you to launch your own company in the event industry? How long did it take from initially having the idea to setting up and starting to attract a client base?
My first business was a cupcake business. A mom hired me to create cupcakes for her daughters birthday and then asked if I knew a balloon artist or a food truck vendor, and I just happened to so I gave her their info. And that sprouted the next idea; kids birthday parties… and that parlayed into my wedding & event planning business. My cupcake business started in 2006 and I officially launched events By Missy & Company in 2009.
What’s the first event you can ever remember planning and how did it go?
It was a kids birthday party and it went well. I was so nervous. I poured over the details a million times and I was super nervous. But it came out great and that party referred me to the next 4 that I booked. Referrals are so important when you first start out, I learned that quickly!
What are some things you wished you knew before starting your businesses?
That running a business is a full time job, even when you have an actual full time job. Nights and weekends, it never stops. And its always a hustle to get to the next level. I have spent an insurmountable amount of time working on my business.
What’s the most surprising or unusual request you have ever received from a client and were you able to fulfill it?
I had clients who were in the political field and they wanted my staff to man the exits with a photo of a person they didn’t want to “crash” the wedding. We complied but I warned that we were not bouncers or security so if this person did show up we could only do so much. Thankfully they were a no show and there weren’t any problems.
Anything else you’d like to comment on while we have you?
There is nothing I love more than weddings; being a part of peoples happiest times is something I always want to do. Seeing joy and thankful clients and parents and partying friends is just the best. I am so humbled to have been surrounded by so much amazement over the past 10 + years.
