HIGHLIGHTING STEPHANIE GREEN & BRITTANY COLLINS
Meet the ladies of Socialite Events, a modern wedding planning company in Orlando, Florida. Stephanie Green and Brittany Collins came together last summer, after they both lost their full-time jobs due to the pandemic, to develop their own event planning company.
Read their interview below to see how they are putting their years of design experience to work to help new clients bring their visions to life and are "defining their own path."
H&F: Please describe your career prior to this venture.
Socialite Events: Stephanie and Brittany both worked in corporate event planning specializing in corporate conferences and meetings. Most of their time was spent with a destination management company (DMC). We worked hard to build on our experience and held several positions during our tenure with the company. Our most recent role was in sales covering the incentive market and events from 100-5,000 people in the Orlando and Tampa markets.
H&F: How has your career prepared you for what is next?
Socialite Events: We are taking our corporate event planning skills and applying them to the wedding and social event planning industry. The fast-paced, stressful, no room for failure mentality is even more important when you are helping someone plan the single biggest and most joyous day of their life. We also worked with some really awesome vendor partners in our previous life, that we’ll continue to work with, who bring a different style and creativity to the wedding industry. Finally, we have years of design experience. While we both have a distinct style, we’ve learned how to help clients design an event to fit their own vision. Design and creativity is truly our passion!
"The fast-paced, stressful, no room for failure mentality is even more important when you are helping someone plan the single biggest and most joyous day of their life."
H&F: Tell us about how you have redefined yourself. Describe your project, business, brand and/or platform.
Socialite Events: Taking a leap of faith and going out on our own with no safety net was scary. We were so lucky to work with such an established and reputable brand for so many years. We are redefining ourselves in the wedding and social market. While we are new to our new market we are seasoned event pros. Our brand is modern, fresh and we truly want couples to think of us as their dream makers. We are redefining ourselves as a women-owned business and defining our own path.
H&F: How did your project get started? When/how did you get that “light bulb” moment to start this brand?
Socialite Events: We’ve talked about starting our own company for years. There were many conversations that included us saying “how fun would it be” or “what if we did this” during our friendship. However over the summer after being furloughed we were chatting about what was next and decided there was no better time than right now. There was absolutely nothing standing in our way of making our dreams a reality. We knew it wouldn’t be easy and that it would take a few years while the social market bounces back. We’ve been blown away by the success we’ve had so far and so lucky to be working with some really amazing couples over the next year.
H&F: Tell us something unique about your brand. What do you want the world to know?
Socialite Events: When most brides think of “day-of planning” they think that planners are just showing up on the day of their wedding to help set up. With our attention to detail and planning skills, our service offers so much more than that. From the moment you sign a contract with us, we’re here to provide reliable vendor contact information and creating checklists for our couples. A full month out, we take your wedding planning “binder” from you and spend that month confirming your contracts, creating more check-lists, providing timelines, and even providing a little pre-wedding therapy. We spend countless hours working for all of our couples and want their day to be perfect, no matter the “package” they decide is the best fit for their day.
H&F: What is the meaning behind your brand name, or why is it special to you?
Socialite Events: The word “Socialite” means a person who is well known in fashionable society and is fond of social activities and entertainment. We wanted something that emphasizes our path to success and encompasses our style and enthusiasm around planning weddings and events. The name Socialite Events embodies our attitude toward life - We work hard, play hard, and always want our clients to feel like they are the life of the party.
H&F: How do you find inspiration for your projects?
Socialite Events: Our inspiration comes from the couples because each one has their own unique style and vision for their wedding day. We take the time to get to know our couples, find out what is important to them, and work to include small details in their wedding day that truly reflects them and their love for each other.
H&F: What encouraging advice would you offer someone unsure about starting their own venture?
Socialite Events: Go for it! If the last 10 months have taught us anything, it is don’t wait to chase your dreams. You are worth investing in yourself and your future. We’ve been so touched with the amount of support we’ve received from our industry, family, and friends on our new venture.
H&F: Anything else you want to share?
Socialite Events: Socialite Events has some really exciting projects in the works. Stay tuned to our social media and website for updates. Our blog is launching soon and will feature design ideas and wedding know-how's! We are currently booking weddings and milestone events for 2021 and 2022!
Follow Stephanie and Brittany on their website socialiteeventplanning.com, on Instagram @socialiteeventplanning, and on Facebook Socialite Event Planning
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