Wedding Pro Wednesday

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Wedding Pro Wednesday: Jennifer Lavallee

Our Wedding Pro Wednesday: Jennifer Lavallee feature is not to be missed. I am delighted to introduce you to the founder of Bellajenna. Bellajenna is a small, woman-owned business that designs custom stationery and greeting cards. Jennifer’s designs are inspired by beauty, fashion and a whimsy for life. I love that she used her background in fashion to launch a company in a totally different industry that allowed her design skills to take flight.

So, if you are interested in starting a stationary company, or simply love stories of women turning personal hobbies and creativity into businesses, don’t miss Jennifer’s answers to my questions below!

Have you always been a wedding professional?

Before starting Bellajenna, I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC which lead to a career in the Fashion Industry. Starting as a merchandiser at Tommy Hilfiger, I went on to be the fashion editor for a popular fashion magazine. I would be fortunate enough throughout my career to work with a number of designers and creatives, and spent my final 7 years in the industry as a merchandiser at Calvin Klein Jeans.

What inspired you to create your company?

While at CKJ I got engaged. I didn’t design our invitations (admittedly we ordered from a big stationery company) but I did notice I had a thing for stationery. I enjoyed envisioning our storyboard, colors and all the things that go into design. Which made me realize that my background in fashion could also be applied to designing stationery. I started playing around with creating invitations and cards. Eventually making wedding shower invitations and other stationery as a hobby for my New York and fashion industry friends.

Two years after getting married, my husband and I (along with our little long haired dachshund Sienna) decided to move to the DC area. This was a move that made me nervous at first. NYC had been my home for 15 years! And, not to mention, DC wasn’t a place rooted around the fashion industry and its corporate offices like NYC.
But, we made the move and I fell in love with DC! And just after 2 months of being here I decided to turn my hobby and love of stationery into my new career. So, in early 2009 Bellajenna was born.

What was your biggest obstacle and failure in going from idea to business?

I would have to say I was very fortunate when I started Bellajenna. Within the first month of launching the business and on a whim, I set up a booth in Capital Hill’s Eastern Market. That very first weekend one of my customers turned out to be the manager of a boutique store near the White House. She ended up placing an order for the store on the spot! Selling at Eastern Market gave me such great exposure. There I sold my greeting cards and stationery on the weekends and Bellajenna started growing organically. From my line of greeting cards clients started requesting wedding invitations, baby invitations and so on.

What do you love most about your job?
This might sound cliché but the best part of owning my own business is doing what I love to do, and making a living doing it. And the bonus is being a part of my clients very special moments.

What is your best advice related to wedding stationary?

Planning your wedding and dealing with all the choices does not have to be overwhelming. For me, I actually found deciding on our venue and cake easier than picking out our invitation design! My advice, and I’ll keep it simple, is first have a budget in mind. As with all your wedding planning, having an idea of how much you can or want to spend will guide you better through this process. Choosing your wedding paper is most often one of your first big decisions. Don’t fret, there are wonderful options that suit all budgets.

Second, think about your style – are you traditional or modern, what wedding colors are you considering, and so on.

Thirdly, if you have the option, work with a designer. Working with a stationer will at least make your life much easier. Whether you know from the beginning or not that you want to work with a stationer, a little planning with this decision will go a long way too. The internet makes everything easier today. And this includes researching your wedding paper and stationary.

My advice is to look at online sources like top wedding websites and blogs. These resources are a good source for information about stationery companies and other wedding vendors. You can check reviews and even see some designs. Then contact the stationer/s. Conduct your own interview – If they are local, is it an option to meet in person? Are they open about their pricing and services? Do you connect with this person? Do they seem easy to work with, or will every request be met with a fee?

At the end of the day, you should get the feeling that your wedding and invitations are as important to the stationer as to you. Pick a good professional with great style and they will guide you through this process with ease and care.

What is your best of advice for newlyweds?
My advice for newlyweds is to always remember the happiness and love you shared together on your wedding day. The love you build together should also be reinforced by the strong friendship you build with one another.

woman-owned stationary company Bellajenna

Did you love our Wedding Pro Wednesday: Jennifer Lavallee feature? We’d love to feature your wedding-related business too! Send our features department an email or message us on MissNowMrs.com.

Wedding Pro Wednesday: Tara Melvin

This Wedding Pro Wednesday I am delighted to introduce you to Tara Melvin, the founder of Perfect Planning Events. Perfect Planning Events is a boutique event planning company in the Washington, D.C. Metro area that specializes in creating not just events, but unique individual experiences for all of their clients. Their services are tailored specifically for each client’s event. Perfect Planning Events offers a full comprehensive event planning and design service based on the character, personal style, and desired outcome for their clients. They savor the challenge of making each experience unique and different from the last. And absolutely love what they do!

I’ve known Tara Melvin for many years, and have a deep respect for the business and following she has built. She is a true industry professional, and an amazing woman! So, if you’re considering a professional wedding planner or design service for your wedding, or are curious what the career of a professional wedding planner is like, don’t miss Tara’s answers to my questions below!

Have you always been a wedding professional? If not, what was your previous career?
I have been in the wedding industry for approximately 13 years. My other professional background includes almost 20 years as an Account Manager and National Account Manager for Fortune 500 companies. So definitely involved with people and building customer experiences my entire career.

What inspired you to create your company?
I have always been a person that loved to entertain and enjoy the company of others. From the time I was almost 10 years old, I was the kid on the block that held community social gatherings with kids in the neighborhood at my parent’s home without their permission, lol. This trend continued into college life and early adult life, hosting events in my apartment to celebrate my birthday, friend’s birthday, holidays, etc. – any reason I could find to host a celebration. Approximately 13 years ago, I hosted a New Year’s party at my home, and an un-invited guest asked me to plan a party for them. I immediately replied that I was going to charge them, and with that response a light bulb immediately went off and I dived into researching how to establish my business.

What was your biggest obstacle and failure in going from idea to business?
The biggest obstacle in the early stages of developing my company is the not knowing, and not having someone there to assist me through the process within my own industry. I had a friend that was a business owner that helped me with the paperwork to establish my business, however, no one to help me to navigate through the event industry. Because I am a determined person, I was diligent on learning and getting out there to network. My mentor program is the main reason it was created because I do not want anyone to experience what I had to encounter.

What do you love most about your job?
The relationships that I develop with my clients is very rewarding. The relationship does not end on the night of their event – it continues to develop into a family relationship. Secondly, my mentor program has fulfilled an empty place of success for me. Each night that I walk away from my class with the mentees, I am overjoyed and humbled.

What is your best advice for brides related to your area of expertise?
Whew! I can’t just stop at one piece of advice. I highly recommend that couples come to a realistic mutually agreed upon budget that they both should follow. Have open communication throughout the planning process. Take at least one full weekend off of wedding planning and not discussing the wedding. And remember, the true reason they are getting married.

What is Tara Melvin’s best advice for newlyweds?

My advice would be to continue to have open communication with each other. Remember to “love” each other daily – a simple statement, but a hard task to implement daily. And because of the world that we live in and we live such a high-paced life, to schedule date night at least twice a month without any distractions (focus on each other)

Photo Credits: Procopio Photography

Wedding Pro Wednesday: Laura C. Cannon

Today I am excited to introduce you to Laura C. Cannon. She is the founder of Ceremony Officiants™ is ranked the #1 wedding officiant company in the United States with more than a decade of experience creating beautiful, personalized ceremonies for couples of all backgrounds. Her diverse and friendly team of experienced professional officiants has performed over 3,000 weddings and maintains a perfect 5.0 average for reviews on WeddingWire and the Knot. In 2013 Laura launched a sister company, DC Elopements, which specializes in stress-free, simple elopements and mini-weddings in the Washington, D.C. area.

So, if you’re trying to decide on a wedding officiant or are curious what a career in “marriage” might be like… don’t miss Laura’s answers below!

Have you always been a wedding professional? If not, what was your previous career?
I was not always a wedding professional, but almost! The first company I started while still in college was an event planning company and weddings were certainly part of the mix. I sold that business and went on a spiritual journey that lead me to becoming ordained as a non-denominational minister. I always had the heart of an entrepreneur and was fortunate to grow up with two entrepreneurial parents. But having gone to college with the thought of having a typical 9-5 career, I decided that I had to travel down that path to have that experience. I worked in higher education in a salaried position and stayed there while I continued to officiate weddings and preside over funerals on the side. Eventually I decided to make the leap into working full-time in the wedding industry. I grew from solo-preneur to a team of wedding officiants that now covers several states, has spawned several other companies, including the formation of the International Association of Professional Wedding Officiants.

What inspired you to create your company?
I was inspired to create my company when a student of mine who knew I was ordained asked if I would perform her wedding ceremony. While doing her wedding I had what Oprah calls an “Aha” moment where everything became clear. I knew I was meant to do another wedding and that it was the perfect use of a variety of skills I had been honing for years. That first year I did a handful of weddings just from referrals. The business continued to grow and then I decided to bring on my first associate officiant. It’s now been almost 15 years and we’ve performed thousands of weddings!

What was your biggest obstacle and failure in going from idea to business?
While I am thankful for the fact that I did not experience and “failures” in my business, there were certainly challenges. I think as an entrepreneur starting out in a new industry the biggest hurdle to cross is dealing with the fact that you don’t know what you don’t know. Everything is new. I had the challenges of learning a business and the industry it was inextricably a part of all at the same time.

What do you love most about your job?
I LOVE LOVE. Seriously. Having the opportunity to bear witness to two people in love make a sacred commitment to each other is the greatest joy of my life. People ask me all the time, “Now that you are an author and a speaker and run all these businesses are you going to stop officiating weddings?” No way! There is a Sanskrit word, mudita, which means the joy derived from the joy of others. It is my favorite kind of joy and I get to experience mudita every time I officiate. It doesn’t get better than that.

What is your best advice for brides related to your area of expertise?
My #1 piece of advice for brides is to plan for your married life, not just a wedding. The wedding is one day. Yes, it is an amazing extra-special day, but ultimately it is really just the first day of your married life. We spend so much time planning for this event and we forget to put just as much emphasis on planning for a great partnership with our spouse. Spend some of your time considering what your married life will be like: What do you each need to do to contribute meaningfully to your relationship? How will you best support each other as life inevitably changes?

Laura C. Cannon’s best advice for newlyweds

COMMUNICATE. We often have different styles of communication and the way one person expresses love may not be the way the other person receives love. We have to learn how to explicitly communicate with our partner. Your partner is NOT a mind reader and yet sometimes when we are in relationship with someone for a long time we start to assume they should “just know” when something is wrong. No, they shouldn’t. It is up to each of you to be responsible for communicating your own desires and needs explicitly. Couples who communicate explicitly and frequently have deeper intimacy than those who don’t. And that deep intimacy with another human being is the true gift of marriage.

Photo Credits: Headshot – Denis Largeron, Wedding Couple Photo – Justine Ungaro

Did you love the story and advice of Laura C. Cannon? If so, don’t miss Valerie Hammer’s Wedding Pro Wednesday feature!

Natalie Seng | Wedding Pro Wednesday

This Wedding Pro Wednesday, I’m excited to introduce you to Natalie Seng, the principle designer and owner of Designed Perfectly Events. Her company offers full and partial event planning, styling, and design as well as Wedding Day Management. With over 12 years of hands-on experience, they specialize in classic weddings with bold personalities for Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and beyond. (Pssst…their passports are ready!)

If you are considering engaging a professional planner for your wedding, or are curious about the profession, don’t miss Natalie’s answers to my questions below!

Have you always been a wedding professional? If not, what was your previous career?
No, my first job was actually in Television. I was a Floor Director and Associate Producer at a local news station. I got married while working there and I absolutely loved everything about planning my wedding. Like so many brides, felt a void when the wedding and planning was over. So I contacted local planners for internship or employment opportunities but got nowhere.

I found an ad for field staff for a local catering company and called to see if I would be able to intern in the sales department instead. I was excited when they said yes. My internship didn’t last very long when I was offered a full time position as an Event Designer. I excelled at that position for many, many years and I absolutely loved the logistical and event design aspect of it. For the brides that did not hire a planner or coordinator I basically became theirs when I felt someone was needed to take the reins.

What inspired you to create your company?
I loved the involvement and the relationship I was able to form with my clients while working in catering. However, the more involved I got the more I realized that this was something I was even more passionate about and after 10 years I decided to branch out on my own. Running my own company allows me to be very hands on with my client and provide the best service possible. I started Designed Perfectly Events in the Summer of 2014.

What was your biggest obstacle and failure in going from idea to business?
I had been “dreaming” about becoming my own boss for a long time but it was a scary decision to go from a cushy job to a solo entrepreneur. However, in order to succeed in life, you have to take risks. Starting my own company was definitely the right move for me and I am enjoying every second of it.

What do you love most about your job?
My clients! Every couple and every wedding is so very different. It’s exciting to look forward to each and every celebration and to work towards translating their thoughts and ideas into something tangible that adds their personality into the mix. This industry is ever changing and the passion really keeps on building by trying to exceed your client’s expectations on their big day. Revealing the reception space to my clients is actually my favorite moment at each of our weddings. This is where they can really see their vision come to life. It’s a very emotional moment.

What is your best advice for brides related to your area of expertise?
I believe that every couple should treat themselves to have at least a “month of coordinator” to assist with the last minute details and to pull the logistics together. Most of my clients will tell me afterwards that we were one of the best investment they made for their wedding. But aside from that, I tell my clients to enjoy the journey. Wedding planning can be very stressful at times and it’s important to remember why you are planning this grand event in the first place. We encourage our couples to plan date nights where wedding plans are off topic and just enjoy each other’s company.

Natalie Seng’s best advice for newlyweds

Communicate often. Be truthful. Learn to compromise and love deeply.

Wedding Pro Wednesday: Jon Mervis

It’s Wedding Pro Wednesday, and I couldn’t be happier to introduce you to Jonathan Mervis. Jon is an “artist of business growth” at Mervis Diamond Importers. And, one of the nicest DC entrepreneurs you will meet. Perhaps his “sparkling” personality runs in the family! With direct access to the world’s finest diamonds, Mervis offers an amazing array of magnificent diamonds. By importing directly, Mervis eliminates the middleman and provides unbeatable prices daily. Their guiding mission is very simple. Provide the finest quality diamonds at the lowest price to the most people. Their obsession with this is the driving force behind the company’s continued success. If you have inherited a family business, or are in the midst of wedding ring shopping, don’t miss Jon’s answers and advice below!

Have you always been a wedding professional? If not, what was your previous career?
Yes – my family has been in the diamond and jewelry business for over 80 years! My grandfather started our company in Johannesburg, South Africa and I’m the third generation. I joined the family business full time after graduating with my MBA in 2009.

As a kid before joining the family business, I had several small businesses and little ventures. Just after undergrad, I started a clothing line called Crooked Monkey. We made graphic t-shirts and sold to companies like Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom. In college, I didn’t want to get a boring summer job and so I started a company doing the only thing I was qualified to do at 19 years old: Take the SAT’s. So, I started an SAT tutoring company with some friends. And amazingly, we were able to really help local high schoolers improve their scores!

What inspired you to create your company?
I’m really grateful to work in a family business and continue the family tradition that my grandfather started. While the diamond ring is a timeless tradition – the world of today is so very different than it was for my grandfather and even father’s generation. What drives me is the challenge and joy to continually adapt and innovate. We need to continue to do what our clients appreciate while also finding new ways to appeal to tomorrow’s bride.

What was your biggest obstacle and failure in going from idea to business?
The biggest obstacle for any multi-generational business is often the balance between longstanding traditions that have proved successful versus new ways of doing business.

What do you love most about your job?
I love meeting couples that are just so happy together and excited to get married! DC is an exciting place, bringing together interesting people from all over the world for any variety of reasons. I love hearing our client’s stories, not just about how they met, but about their lives and what’s important to them.

What is your best advice for brides related to your area of expertise?
When you’re planning your wedding and budgeting costs, remember to consider the lifetime value of each part. You will keep your photos and wedding rings forever. You’ll wear your wedding rings every day and keep getting joy from them! On the other hand, many other parts of the wedding will be consumed within a few hours. You’ll want flowers to make the ceremony beautiful, but it’s helpful to remember that your flowers won’t last and budget accordingly.

What is your best of advice for newlyweds Jon Mervis?
My one piece of advice is to stay humble. Remember that neither one of you is 100% right at any point and the other 100% wrong. Look for the good in your partner and you’ll always find something to smile about!

We hope you loved all that Jon Mervis had to share. From his story, to his advice on jewelry and relationships. We can’t help you with diamonds. But, should you be ready to change your name, MissNowMrs can save you 13 hours of hassle!