Today we’d like to introduce you to Lily Hansen.
Hi Lily, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Planning events is something I’ve always been interested in! I became passionate about weddings working at a venue in college. In my first season, I helped book, coordinate, and manage 22 weddings! I loved how fast-paced it all was.
After college, I actually ended up at an ad agency (my degree is in journalism & communications), which was fun but not my calling. When an opportunity popped up to jump back into event planning, I immediately knew that was what I wanted to do. I was offered the position of Director of Event Sales & Operations at a local-favorite hotel/restaurant/venue, which was definitely challenging but totally confirmed that working in the hospitality & events industry is what I was meant to do.
Experiencing the venue management side of the industry taught me so many things and I loved coordinating event details, but I realized I cared most about making our clients happy. I didn’t love having to focus on sales and profit. My passion is advocating for the couple, so what better way to serve people than by opening my own event planning company! Now, my job is my passion – getting to help each couple navigate the planning process so they can have the very best day!
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?
Opening a business in the middle of a pandemic was something a lot of people were questioning, but I felt confident in it! I’ve found that there’s actually an increased demand for wedding planners and with all the time and effort I’ve put into my branding, I’ve been really lucky to be attracting the right couples and my ideal clients!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about HappiLily Events?
At HappiLily Events, we specialize in planning memorable weddings for couples who love a good party as much as they love each other. Our name, “HappiLily” is a playful combination of the words “happily” and my name, Lily, as in “Let’s plan your HappiLily ever after!” I landed on this name because it’s reflective of the fun experience you get when working with me!
Something I love to share with prospective clients is that I am a professionally trained and certified wedding planner via The Bridal Society, the largest professional organization for wedding planners. I’m also really proud to offer my clients a personal and collaborative experience. I work directly with each couple to get to know you, your vision, and what your priorities are, and we work together to add that personal touch to your event. It’s important to me that each couple also gets to know me and has that reassurance knowing I will be on-site on their wedding day.
In 2021, HappiLily Events was voted 3rd place for Best Event Planner in the Twin Cities Collective Best Of Awards and I think that’s really reflective of the dedication to our couples and my fun-yet-professional planning style!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I would say I’m a calculated risk taker… I started HappiLily Events FULL TIME. I knew of a lot of planners who had eased into the career as a side hustle or by working under another company, but because I had already had the experience of planning at venues, I felt strongly about wanting to dedicate as much time as possible to building my own business.
While I was nervous about going all out (and knew it would be A LOT of work), I had this underlying feeling that I had what it takes to make my passion into a career, so I put my all into it. I also had a lot of support from my friends and family! It was a risk worth taking for sure!
Pricing:
- Services start at $1500
Contact Info:
- Website: HappiLilyEvents.com
- Instagram: @HappiLilyEvents
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HappiLilyEvents/
Image Credits
Erin Rae Photography
Alyssa Rados Photography
Kendra Lauck Photography
