Cheers to Five Years!

Photograph by Yah Photography

Today is a very beautiful and special day to me. Today marks five full years for Mint to Be Weddings!

All throughout my business courses at Appalachian State and when I first began Mint To Be, I was repeatedly told that if you make it five years, then you've "made it" as a business. Today brings tears to my eyes as I reflect on the five year journey that I have been on and all the amazing people who have blessed my life because of it. My heart is just overwhelmed with a sense of joy and gratitude - not because my business has "made it," but because my business has helped to make me. I have learned, experienced and grown so much throughout Mint to Be, as a boss, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a significant other, a fellow vendor and as a individual.

. . . .

In January of 2015, I was approached by two separate acquaintances who knew I had assisted weddings for 3 years while in college, to either help them with planning or help them with the whole shebang. At that same time, I had met someone with their own wedding coordination business who had recently taken a full time job at a venue and asked if she could send her inquiries my way! God was making it very apparent that it was time to take my dreams that had been put in place as a fall-back plan and bring them to light.

A little back story on me... growing up, whenever I was asked "what I wanted to be," I would always just say a mother. I loved children, loved babysitting and had [and still have] such a close, special and unconditional love/relationship with my mom, so that's all I dreamed of as a kid. Well you don't go to college to learn how to be a mother, haha! So I thought event coordination would be fun and right up my alley! I actually majored in Communications, Public Relations [because somehow event coordination fell under that umbrella and my brother was under that major at App as well, so why not- same classes and building!] and then minored in entrepreneurship to follow the footsteps of my amazing parents who both owned their own businesses. All of this was with the mindset that it was a "fall-back" plan and that I was going to get married out of college, have kids and be a stay at home mom for a while. I even told an entire entrepreneurship class that once when asked why I was minoring in it and I am sure they all were internally laughing at me and rolling their eyes.

Well as you know, life doesn't always work out the way you imagine it to and most of the time that is a blessing in disguise! I did not get married out of college [thank God because I was not in a healthy relationship and still had a lot of growing to do as a person] and I did not have kids right out of college. The last "sign" was that my mentor had recently began a consulting business where she trained and helped new planners get started.  So when all of these opportunities "fell" [aka - were put in place by God] into my lap, my eyes were opened and I decided to seize them!

By the end of January, 2015 I had pitched my business idea to my parents for assistance and support, linked back up with my mentor [CeCe] to begin the process, established a name, look, website, logo, etc. and filed for a business licenses as an LLC. On January 30, 2015, I received the notice that Mint to Be Weddings was officially in business!

It is so wonderful how God puts certain people in your life at certain times, it is also funny how he brings certain people back into your life at certain times. I was truly blessed from the beginning with this business.

I hit the ground running and set up as many after hours venue walkthroughs as I could [or on my day's off because I worked a full time job]. A photographer who indirectly worked with me at my full time job reached out, once she found out I had started my own business, to grab coffee and I remember it like it was yesterday. I was so encouraged that a wedding business professional gave me the time of day and reached out to me to just grab coffee and get to know me. Kelli [with Yah Photography] has been one of the most supportive and encouraging individuals from the start and we have formed a wonderful friendship over the years that I am so grateful for. She helped me to get my name out there by including me on styled shoots the first year and taking me to networking events.

By the end of 2015, I had one wedding under my name [but multiple clients for 2016 that I was working with] and 2 styled shoots that I gave my all to. I also decided to re-brand in 2015, after my logo/business kept being mistaken for a wedding favor company! Haha. Kelli has recommended that I reach out to Deb Hall with Olive Paper. She had worked with us on my very first styled shoot and created beautiful paper goods for it. I met with Deb and once again, was so blown away by her honesty, support, kindness and authenticity. She gave me advice about being a business owner and etiquette in the wedding world. She got to know me and then helped me take my business and lunch it as a brand! My fabulous logo today is still the one she created when I first started out.

Then in 2016, I was gearing up for my first weddings [which were in February and March] and realized that I needed an assistant for the wedding day. About that same time one of my sorority sisters reached out to me saying that she was interested in getting into the wedding industry. I asked to grab coffee with her to catch up [because we hadn't seen each other in about 3 years]. This is where my business and personal life were blessed again. Brittany Cannady and I grabbed coffee at a Panera Bread and talked about life, love, business and everything in-between. I did not know at that time that she would play such a vital role in Mint to Be Weddings and go through this journey with me. I hired her as part time for wedding days and that year we coordinated 11 weddings! We learned from each wedding and grew as a team but still had fun and laughed and loved our way through them all.

2016 was a big year personally as well. I ended a long-term/unhealthy relationship so it was the first year that I was single and owning my own business. That meant throwing myself further into the business but also reconnecting with some of my old friends. I got to hang out with my best friend more and the crew that I grew up with. Once again, God bringing people back into my life at certain seasons. Eventually I began talking to a high school friend of mine who I hadn't really ever looked at that way. We were always in the same group since his best friend dated my best friend but we always dated other people. It is all about timing; our hearts were finally ready for and deserving of each other after we both went away to college, moved back, settled in and experienced all the "in-between." I had no idea that this re-connection would lead me to my now fiancee, Robbie Zaney.

In 2017, Brittany and I coordinated 16 weddings. I knew that it was a good sign that we had booked more weddings than the year before and that it meant growth so I pressed on with networking and client/potential client meetings after my full-time job and on the weekends, until I could no longer. I remember coming to a point where I had no more time... no more time to schedule the client meetings I needed to, feeling stuck that I couldn't attend middle of the day networking events to stay relevant, staying up until midnight responding to clients and inquiries, squeezing in phone calls on my lunch break, etc.  I approached my parents again and pitched the idea of me being "all in" and taking the business full time. Ofcourse, they were so very supportive [as they always are, they are my biggest fans] and told me to go for it! I gave my notice to my full time job and scare to death, took my business full time.

We had a lot of growth and "new" in 2017. Brittany led her first wedding and was no longer an "assistant coordinator." Kelli and I started our annual networking event; Networking with a Purpose and it was everything we had hoped for. I participated in another styled shoot and I started looking for other assistant coordinators since Brittany was beginning to lead her own weddings.

In 2018, we kept pushing through and were overwhelmingly blessed in business. We planned/coordinated 25 weddings that year. Kelli and I continued to work together; monthly waffle business dates, doing one styled shoot a year and we had our second Networking with a Purpose event. At the end of 2018, I decided that I needed a little more help. I began looking for part time assistant to do some admin duties and train to be a lead coordinator.

At the beginning of 2019 I posted that we were hiring for Mint to Be Weddings. Once again, God bringing people back into my life. I interviewed about 6 interested individuals and narrowed it down to 3 in-person meetings. It was a VERY hard decision but I ended up hiring another one of my "long-lost" [5 years] sorority sisters, Lydia Newton. Again, not knowing what a huge role she would play in my business and life. I trained Lydia on back-end admin items and had her assist on almost every wedding in 2019.  She led her first wedding in November of 2019 and knocked it out of the park. The three of us [along with assistant coordinators] coordinated a record of 34 weddings in 2019! Kelli and I took a year break from our Networking with a Purpose event in 2019 during this period of grown [for both of us] but we still did two styled shoots and met periodically to talk bizz.

So here we are! It is 2020 and 5 years later. So much has happened over 5 years that it seems like I started my business a lifetime ago. I cannot express my gratitude and appreciation to every single person in my life.

Thank you to ALL of our amazing past, present and future clients. We are so blessed to have our paths cross with yours at such an intimate and beautiful time of your life. We appreciate your love, support and trust and are just so grateful to get to know y'all because, not to brag, but our clients are AMAZING. We somehow tend to attract the most down-to-earth, genuine, funny and kind-hearted brides and grooms.

Thank you to all of my friends who have supported me over the past five yeas and understood why I couldn't always go out on a Friday or Saturday. Why I wasn't always able to make birthday celebrations or holidays. Who didn't judge me or think less of me when I was unavailable due to work. Who lifted me up and encouraged me to be a "boss babe."

Thank you to my family who also have supported me like no other over the past 5 years. My biggest fans! To my mom who lifts me up and encourages me on a daily basis [literally, we talk everyday] and plays a vital role in my business. To my dad who is always there at the click of a call for any and all questions and who calls just to tell me how proud he is of me. To my sister and brother who constantly love and support me in both my personal and professional life. I am beyond blessed to have such a loving and amazing family who are always there no matter what.

Thank you to all of my fellow vendors who make this crazy entrepreneur life manageable. To everyone who gave me the time of day when I was first starting out. To every vendor who supported Mint to Be Weddings through styled shoots and networking events and social media. To any vendor who has ever recommended us or featured us! To all of my fellow planners who support and love each other, rather than trying to cut down and compete with each other. To all the vendors who laugh with me through the pains and frustrations with owning a business and the industry. I am so blessed to have such an amazing community who aim to support and lift fellow vendors up.

Thank you to my fiancee, Robbie. Thank you for loving me whole-heartily and as I am. Thank you for supporting me and constantly pushing me to do more and go bigger. Thank you for understanding when I am not there on the weekends, evenings and some holidays. I appreciate your flexibility, honestly, love and support in life. Thank you for never making me feel guilty or bad when I have to work late or early or away or over the weekend. Thank you for supporting me all-in-all and accepting my crazy schedule and work life. Thank you for supporting me no matter what, always being there for me [no matter what that means] and laughing through life with me.

And lastly, thank you to my girls! Brittany and Lydia, you both are such a blessing in my business and personal life. Our friendships that have grown are two for the record and my business would not be the same with you. Thank you for laughing, crying, huffing and smiling through weddings with me. Thank you for loving not only me, but my business and the industry as well and giving it your all. Thank you for your creativity, for your 10+ hours on your feet on wedding day, for your talents, for your ideas, for your communication and for your constant support. Mint to Be Weddings would not have been able to grow and would not be what it is today with out you ladies and all for your love, support and efforts.

CHEERS TO FIVE YEARS AS MINT TO BE WEDDINGS AND CHEERS TO 5 MORE!