The wedding and events industry seems so large and extravagant that it can be easy to forget that it is primarily made up of small business owners. From the wedding dress, flowers, invitations, cake, catering, venue and wedding planner... all of these items are often provided by small businesses. Why do small businesses thrive in this industry? One word... personalize.
Weddings and events are the most accessible luxury experience for most young people. Of course we would all love to get custom dresses made for every occasion and hire caterers for our next home gathering, but we recognize that would be an unrealistic luxury to have every day. When hosting a wedding or special event, we get to have (possibly for the first time) a luxury experience. Custom dresses, cakes, flowers, catering, limousines, hair and make up ... it's about spoiling yourself to the luxury experience.
Small business does luxury better. Luxury is about personalization, details and service. I very rarely recommend vendors that are large companies, unless their service and accessibility are needed, for example; hotels, tuxedo rentals and suppliers of rental equipment. Most vendors who provide style and service to their product are small businesses and I like keeping it that way.
I'm a small business. My personalized service cannot be duplicated in a large volume and remain the same. Hospitality and design are service based industries. They are about listening and creating experiences based on the needs of the client, not an overall demographic with needs. I like getting to know each client and make referrals specifically to who they are and what their needs are. To find people and places that make them feel unique and special.
Custom catering by Entertaining Company. Photo by Julia Franzosa.
Invitations by Momental Designs. Photo by Riverbend Studio.