IMAGE: Mai Fotography
I met Courtney of Courtney Inghram Events via The Rising Tide Society. Again I cannot tell you how many great people I have met through an online Facebook group! So amazing. I participated in a styled shoot with Courtney a few months ago and I asked her if she’d be willing to answer a few questions about the start of her business. Here is what she had to say:
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?
Courtney Inghram Events officially launched in July of 2015, but I have been passionate about weddings long before that! I loved scrolling through Pinterest wedding inspiration, and chatting with my engaged friends about their wedding details, and when I became engaged, I just knew that weddings were my “thing!”
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START YOUR BUSINESS?
I decided to start CIE after my own wedding planning and floral designing experience. I designed all the flowers and did all the planning up to my big day. After it was over, I realized I could have done two things to make my experience a little less stressful: hire a wedding florist and hire a wedding planner. I WAS smart enough to hire a day-of-coordinator, which was a wonderful decision, but looking back I knew I should’ve invested into a professional throughout the entire process. That’s when I knew that I needed to turn my wedding passion into a career to assist others!
IMAGE: Chelsea Anderson Photography
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
There are so many beautiful moments throughout a wedding day, and I love serving my couples on the most important day of their lives. I love designing a beautiful bridal bouquet and giving it to the bride before the wedding begins. I love being able to fluff the bride’s dress just before she walks down the aisle, and I really love how her face lights up seeing her groom on their wedding day!
WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
My main business goal is to simply establish a rapport with my clients and peers of service and friendship. I want my brides to know that they aren’t just my clients, but I want them to become my friends too! A fun CIE goal would be to plan or provide flowers for a destination wedding- I just think traveling to somewhere warm and tropical would be amazing! Any takers?!
IMAGE: Heidi Calma Photography
WHAT THREE PIECES OF ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE FOR NEW BUSINESS OWNERS?
1. Reach out to others in your industry! They can prove to be an invaluable resource to you and help you along the way!
2. Start working on your portfolio! Plan a styled shoot, start designing stationery mock-ups or start styling your sister’s hair and post pictures of it. Just getting that initial start to your portfolio will help potential clients see what you can do!
3. Don’t let your biz run your life!!! This is the best advice I can give- it’s so hard to step away from the flowers, the emails and the computer but sometimes you need a break. Be sure to take lots of coffee runs and give yourself some down time- you deserve it!
Follow on Instagram @courtneyinghram
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