Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Allison
Hi Dana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Unlike many wedding planners, I didn’t come from a hospitality background and hadn’t planned my own wedding and decided it was my calling. I had been single most of my life and when I was invited to a wedding I attended solo, many times not knowing anyone there other than the couple and perhaps some coworkers who were there with their significant others. This led me to somehow end up being helpful at weddings, jumping in where needed, making sure the couple was happy and being an unpaid worker at the wedding. When friends would get married, I tended to land in the personal attendant role, so I became the best one ever. When the last of my friends got married in 2012 I was a little sad because I had enjoyed helping at weddings and wasn’t sure when the next one would be. When I got word that a venue I had helped at a few times was having a wedding fair in March 2013, I decided to take the leap and start my own business. I booked three weddings from that show and the rest is history!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It seemed smooth at first because I had a good closing rate. I realize now it’s because I was WAY to cheap for WAY too long. Learning to know my value and the services I provided took a long time as it meant I had to charge more. But with higher prices came better clients. Often times it’s the clients who want to get your type of service for as cheap as possible who tend to be the most difficult ones.
Even now after 11+ years I struggle to stand out in our market because of oversaturation of Wedding Planning services and so many new ones coming down the pipe who charge less and potential clients don’t always compare experience and value, just pricing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in Wedding Planning for all couples in MN and Western WI. We love working with anyone who wants to plan an amazing day for their guests and give themselves the best gift of working with a Planner who as the experience and expertise to make it all happen for them.
Because I made some mistakes when first starting out such as not networking with other planners who were my competition and not raising my prices fast enough to match my experience, I wanted to make sure newer planners didn’t make the same mistakes. I started a community for our local Planners to connect, refer business, get advice and vent. I also became more active in networking which has earned me a great reputation of knowing so many other wedding and event industry professionals, making it a benefit for my clients.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Four things I did do right when first starting was getting a business Tax ID, an LLC, a separate bank account for the business and QuickBooks. Trying to untangle all of those things later on when the business grew would have been a bigger headache.
I wish I would have been more proactive in networking within my industry, especially other planners. Becoming acquainted with and even very good friends with my competition has brought me more business than any paid advertising ever could. So my advice would be to find ways to get out there and befriend the people who do what you do.
Pricing:
- 2295 for Wedding Management (Day of Coordination)
- 4995 for Wedding Planning: Lite (Partial Planning)
- 8000+ for Wedding Planning: All Inclusive (Full Planning)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://keyedupevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keyedupevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keyedupevents
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keyedupevents4698
