I think it's safe to say that I am pretty well integrated into the special events industry in both Wisconsin and Texas. I could say that it all started in high school when I got involved in planning a number of events such as the band Christmas banquet and some student council events. In college, I continued this trend with planning events for Sigma Alpha Iota (music fraternity for women) and other clubs I was involved with. After earning my Bachelor's of Business Administration in Marketing, I started working at Creative Embroidery & Design in Grand Prairie. Even though that was a fun job, I desired to do something more. I couldn't abide by just being "in Marketing," I wanted to have career - a job title I could be proud of and one that defined me. I did a little research via my friends and family and the idea of being an event planner came up time and again.
In 2004, J (my ex-husband whose identity I will try to protect, but I'm not making any promises) and I moved to Wisconsin and I used this opportunity to really research the feasibility of opening an event planning business. I got actively involved in the Association of Bridal Consultants, began educating myself and researching my local industry. In December of 2004, I started Top Shelf Weddings & Events.
As any business of this nature does, I started small but quickly developed a good reputation and the referrals came in. It helped that I was also a full-time event coordinator for Madison Festivals, Inc. (Taste of Madison, Mad City Marathon, and Kites on Ice) in that first year and then was the AIDS Network ACT Ride Coordinator for several years after that. My different roles worked well together and allowed me to stay financially stable during the start up phase. Eventually, I brought in assistants to help on wedding days and interns to help with administrative and research projects. The year of my divorce, 2009, I found my soul mate...Rachel Tatge. We knew each other through our work on the ACT rides, she was the marketing coordinator for Isthmus Publications and facilitated their sponsorship of the ride. She wanted to do more event planning and I wanted someone I could trust to become the new face of my business since I had decided to move back to my home state of Texas after that year's weddings. I like to think she felt as blessed as I did that we met.
Thought I continue to manage things such as contracts, invoicing and marketing, Rachel is the face behind Top Shelf Weddings & Events, LLC, Wisconsin. Her standards of quality, professionalism, organization, and creativity are in line with mine and I feel our brand is stronger than ever. A new website is in the works, but if you are someone in Wisconsin (a wedding professional or a future bride!) reading this personal blog, please go check us out: www.topshelfweddings.com
From the day I began my business through the present, I have been a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants. In Wisconsin, I created the newsletter for two years, planned several meetings, spoke at the annual retreat, and went to all of the annual conferences (7 years running!). Education is the most important thing you can do as a business owner. Know how to fine tune your trade, market yourself, and work well with others. Here in Texas, I am the director of the Local Networking Group for D/FW. Myself, along with several amazing ladies, are trying to get a group going, so if you'd like to learn more, please contact me.
When I moved from Wisconsin, I did not know yet if I would start up a branch of Top Shelf Weddings - Texas edition - right away or try to find some other opportunity. Within a couple of weeks of unpacking, I attended my first NACE meeting in Dallas. Everyone I met was so welcoming and friendly, I also quickly saw that many influential names in the local events industry were active members and getting to know the people in this group would be to my advantage. In a few months I was asked to fill a vacated position on the board, as the Director of Marketing and I was thrown in! It's been an amazing experience getting to see what goes into such a fabulous chapter as this and helping contribute to it's success. I was recently elected to the Director of Communications for 2011, so if you have something to share to our membership or want to get involved, give me a shout!
Not wanting to let all my event skillz go to waste, I decided to try to find some freelance work. Through a series of introductions, casual run-ins, and fortunate circumstances, I connected with Tara Wilson Events based in Fort Worth. Tara is the epitome of style, class, and creativity. She is an entertaining expert and produces fabulous events in D/FW. I am so happy to say I am a part of her team and can help contribute to her brand's growth. She has a great blog full of her "Savvy Entertaining Tips", so check her out! www.tarawilson.com
