Committing to the Little Guy

When we started planning our wedding in 2017, it didn’t take us long to decide we needed to stay true to who we are and what’s important to us.  Carl has a background in city government, and is passionate about actively serving in the community.  Especially at the city level.  I am passionate about supporting the little guy by shopping at local Farmer’s Markets, boutiques, and online marketplaces. Along with staying true to these core beliefs … we wanted a small, simple and meaningful wedding day.  

Anyone that knows what their talking about will tell you step 1 in planning a wedding, is setting the budget.  As we started planning, it was important for us to allocate as much of our wedding budget to support small businesses as we could.  We couldn’t allocate 100%, because of our venue selection.  But as much as possible … went to small businesses.  Even down to accessories, favors & thank you. In this post, I’ll share our lessons learned along with some of the amazing vendors that helped ensure we had the best day ever.

Lesson #1: 

Value the Process & Expertise Small Businesses Bring

Our wedding story is a bit outside of the norm in that I didn’t want to plan a wedding.  I had no desire to plan the details, and I knew I didn’t have the hundreds of hours brides spend in the planning process.  For me, even the thought of planning was overwhelming.  I needed to find a professional wedding planner, one that would take the lead and had a reputation I could trust.    I interviewed several, but I knew I had the right planner when my initial 30 minute meeting with Lahoma Dade, owner of Events Unleashed in Austin, TX, went for an hour and a half. 

Carl, Nisha & Lahoma

September 2, 2019

Lahoma was sassy, sensible, and met me where I was.  A bride that was fully aware that striving for perfection would be my nemesis.  Lahoma saw that, or sensed that, and laid out a strategy that was simple.  More than anything she heard my commitment to use small businesses.  Lahoma was entrenched in the city of Austin, from planning small civic events to some of the city’s largest events.  And had a contact list that was enviable.

The unexpected piece for me was that Lahoma brought a team mentality to planning our wedding.  Being a project manager by trade, this was heaven for me.  My most successful projects have been identifying the right resources, and let them do what they do best.  If I let them fly on a project, they bring the expertise and energy.  That’s how I get the expected result.  That’s my core believe, in the corporate environment.  It’s Lahoma’s methodology as well.  Because she completely listened to our wish list for the day … we were able to meet with a streamlined list of vendors.  And I was able to let them be the experts. 

At John Osborn & Company I am always asking for my clients’ trust.  Why would it be any different when the tables are turned?  So I  allowed each of our vendors to do their thing, and they gave us the day we wanted.  For example, Spinning Leaf Films brought to the table our amazing Same Day Edit video.  (It’s a great surprise for guests at the end of your reception.) I had never heard of such an animal.  But after a 45 minute call with LeVan, (while delivering a gift basket) I was in.  I admit I was enthralled with our conversation.  As LeVan described how he got into the business and why he’s passionate about it, I realized he has soul, and he puts that into every video.  You can feel that just by visiting his site and looking at their work. 

Same day edit video by Spinning Leaf Films

I’ll also add, we didn’t initially budget for a video.  I didn’t envision myself ever sitting down and pouring over every second of our ceremony and reception.  But after polling a few friends, one of their major regrets from their wedding days was not having a professional video.  The comment they continuously made was you’ll miss so much.  The day moves fast, you won’t get the details you worked so hard to plan or see the enjoyment on your guests’ faces if you don’t invest in a kick-ass videographer and photographer.  We did both.

We learned the same lesson with our DJ.  From the beginning, I knew finding a DJ that would make Carl happy would be one of the most daunting parts of planning. Carl is passionate about house music.  And not just any house music.  He wanted music found in east coast underground clubs in NY and NJ.  And more than anything, he wanted to treat our southern guests to that that same vibe for our reception.

We only met with one DJ, DJ Chuck O, who came to the table not only knowledgeable about house music, but he had an expert as part of his team.  During our time together, DJ Chuck O, played music Carl loved, named artists, and listened to our wish for a daytime party vibe.  He even provided helpful tips and provided a few cautionary tales on what made a great dance party.  We left that meeting knowing we had the right team to handle our music.

In the end, many of the vendors we selected had worked together at previous events.  On the day of the wedding, it was like a family reunion of sorts.  They were bonding again over past events, and pulling us into the fold of the weddings they will reminisce over the next time they get together.  This was our jam, intimate, simple, feeling like family.

Lesson #2: 

The Level of Service is Amazing

How many times have you worked with a business and wanted to feel as if you really mattered?  Seriously, think about it.  We use large companies for most of our needs … from our groceries to internet service … to supplying our basic everyday cleansing needs.  Do you believe you matter to them?  At the end of the day, most major corporations don’t miss our business if we as individuals protest.  Where they have lost one customer, there’s 5 more to replace them.  And their multi-million dollar marketing teams are all about finding a way to pull more customers in all the time.

Imagine if you were able to sit with the CEO of AT&T and explain to him why it’s a good decision for your family to stream instead of needing to purchase a cable package along with the internet.  That’s the opportunity you have when committing to a small business.  You are speaking with the owner, or a representative of that company that values every dollar you’re willing to spend with them.   They aren’t serving a Board of Directors.  Or thinking about their year-end personal bonus.  They want you to select them so they have an opportunity to serve you & grow their business in the process.  More than that they want you to rave about the service you received.

We enjoyed our one-on-one interactions and personal service.  When I received it, I realized it was something I craved.  Small businesses treat you like you matter.  They don’t take you for granted, and they are thankful when you choose them.  

Carl and I are foodies.  I love cake.  He loves pie.  So we selected both cake and pie for our reception desserts.  We love good food, and I did not want to have a wedding where people left hungry or were talking about dry cake.  I needed cake that tasted like my Mom made it.  And we found that with Erin’s Custom Cakes.  

Erin went above and beyond by baking the cake flavor I was most interested in for our tasting appointment.  Not some tiny little cake! A whole cake!  What I so loved about Erin was she didn’t balk at my request for simple.  She wasn’t shoving fondant, sugar flowers, and an elaborate cake down my throat.  Even though, if you look at her portfolio, she does all of those things extremely well, they just aren’t me.  She was patient, and kind.  I didn’t know what I was looking for until she showed it to me.  We were so impressed with the level of service, we ordered a separate cake for our dinner the evening before our wedding.

My Mom makes good cake.  Cakes were the center of all of our holiday events and birthdays etc. when I was growing up.  Erin’s cakes brought all of those warm and fuzzy feelings and memories to the forefront of our reception. 

By the way, our pies were excellent as well. Thank you Tiny Pies!

Cakes by Erin’s Custom Cakes. Pies by Tiny Pies. Both located in Austin, TX

Another small business that brought all of their creativity to the table was Verbena Floral. I’m not a traditional flower type of girl.  Roses and stargazer lilies are just not my jam.  When we met with Addie, she embraced the challenge and was excited at our non-traditional approach. 

For me, the vision of our day built overtime.  So it was great to sit down with Verbena at the beginning of our process, and again when all of the final details fell into place.  In that final meeting the last item was my bouquet.  I was so confident Addie had my vision I just said “I trust you, do whatever you want.”

Here’s my secret, I’m a control freak.  I never tell anyone to do whatever they want. 

Addie had my back.  My bouquet was gorgeous.  When Lahoma brought it to me, she said Addie wants to know if you like the feather, if you don’t she’ll take it out.  I loved the feather. 

Lesson #3: 

Not every small business will fit, but there’s another one right behind them that will deliver!

Just like in life, our wedding planning process wasn’t all hearts and flowers.  We had bumps, and disappointments.  We had some vendors we fell totally in love with.  We loved their products, their personalities, but in the end they didn’t work out. But sometimes, your second choice, is the perfect choice. 

I’d traveled to Austin for a weekend of final appointments roughly a month before the wedding.  My appointment for the makeup trial just didn’t happen.  The why, really doesn’t matter.  I was simply in a pinch.  With wedding showers, work, and the millions of errands any bride has the weeks before her wedding, I didn’t have the time for another trip.  Sulking in my hotel room with one of my closest friends and a Tito’s and soda in my hand, I haphazardly searched for #austin #mua on Instagram and came across the feed for Lipstick Bella Makeup Artistry. 

Nisha with Kelly from Lipstick Bella Makeup Artistry

Scrolling through the feed, I loved how Kelly had the ability to flow within the fine lines between minimalist and edgy, soft and bold.  From what I could see, I’d found a better makeup artist on Social, than I’d previously booked.  I decided to slide into her DMs and see if she could meet the next day. (This was at 10:30pm at night … did I mention service levels?)  She responded immediately! 

I loved her professionalism.  She agreed to meet right in the hotel the next day, and came up fully prepared.   She was also very open with sharing tips and tricks, even her favorite products. It was honestly like hanging out with one of your girlfriends.  I booked her before she left, and she completed the puzzle of my dream team of small business vendors for our wedding.  

Some small businesses are hidden gems right there on social media waiting for you to find them.  You may not find them using a google search.  They may not have kick-ass websites or a massive amount of google reviews.  But if you’re looking for a reputable small business, social media may be the best way to find out if they are right for you.  Not only do you get a chance to see their work, you see how they interact with clients, and how much their clients love them.  I wouldn’t have found Kelly if it weren’t for her Instagram page.  I’m so happy I did. 

Lesson # 4: 

You Get to Vibe with the Best People

You can probably tell by now that I loved everyone that supported us throughout the planning process and our day.  And yes, I’m one of those personalities, I want to feel great about the people I’m working with.  I think about it this way.  Is this someone I’d like to spend more time with?  Grab a glass of wine and hangout with.

For all of our vendors, I can say I could. And it was wonderful to meet them, hear their individual stories, and then see them in action on our wedding day.  It is awesome to watch people experiencing the thing that brings them joy.  Operating using all of their passions, and talents.  More than that, it is awesome being a part of their journey.

That was our experience with our photographer, The Amber Studio. Jay & Amber took great care of us, and we loved every moment of working with them.  Photography and Videography were two big budget items outside of food and bar.  You want to look amazing in your engagement and wedding photos, and you need the right professional to lead the way.  First – Jay is one of the most laid back people I’ve met.  In my first phone conversation I sensed he had the right personality for all that could potentially go wrong on the day.  Along with dealing with strong personalities and just wrangling people. 

Jay was zen.  And that’s what you need when taking pictures for the biggest day of your life.  We had a few big asks.  We wanted great engagement photos.  A ton of candids.  And I didn’t want to stand 2 hours before the wedding taking family photos.  Jay delivered on all of these asks.

I don’t know how he figured out that our favorite engagement shots would be standing on a bridge at 8am in the morning.  (Hell, I don’t even know how he got a smile out of me because I hadn’t had coffee.)    He has a great way of directing without directing.  Asking and not demanding.  Seeing potential without staging.  He loves a great shot.  But he also loves making you look good in it.   He is meticulous with lighting texture and background.  We love every shot and felt special on both our wedding day and for our engagement shoot. 

Could I go on?  YAASSSS!  Am I a bit biased with this post being a small business owner?  Absolutely.  But as my grandmother used to say, “When you know better, you do better.”  So, I’m sharing.

Before attempting to pursue a dream with my own business, I wasn’t fully aware of the struggle small business owners encounter on a daily basis.  Yes, I would go out on Etsy the Saturday after Thanksgiving and purchase goods.  But a small business doesn’t exist for one day of sales.  They exist 365 days a year.  As I learned more, I shifted where I spend my dollars.  Throughout the process of planning my wedding, my level of awareness was raised.  There are so many small businesses and creatives out there ready to share their talents with the world.  All we have to do is shed a light on them.  

Regarding our wedding, I’ve shared a few of the small businesses we worked with.  There are more.  We found businesses on Etsy, through referrals and social media.  I stayed away from large wedding websites, and purchased as much as I could through business that are just honing their craft.  Take the plunge.  Set aside a dollar amount per month to spend with any small business.  Or better yet, commit to doing business with small business for particular items you purchase over and over again.  Go to your local farmers markets.  Visit that local boutique that you’ve wondered how they’ve stayed in business so long.  Or go to that tiny restaurant that isn’t a major chain.  They’ll appreciate it.   Learn about these amazing businesses.  Get to know the owners, and creatives.  There is a richness to expanding ourselves and supporting small businesses in this way.  More than anything, you’ll be contributing to someone’s livelihood, and the feeling behind that, is one of the best any of us can have.