Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Valdes.
Hi Vanessa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started Something Green Weddings after planning my own wedding during COVID. I had always wanted to work in event planning and took the opportunity to start my own business after getting to work and meet with different vendors and opportunities.
I started my dreams of being a wedding planner in college at UCF in 2006. I was an entrepreneurship major and wanted to create a platform for couples that would link all of their wedding needs to one site. Unfortunately, I did not pursue that at the time. That idea would later become a huge market in the way of Zola and The Knot type websites. I instead went on to study nursing and take a job in the medical field. It was a practical and much needed job field and I needed to start making money and functioning on my own. But I still wanted to find an outlet for my creativity and planning skills, so when I got engaged in 2019, it felt like the stars were aligning and it was the perfect time to start pursuing it.
In 2020 I started a Facebook, Instagram and website, and also did a few wedding shows to expose Something Green. I have amazing friends and family support who spread the word about Something Green via social media and other interactions. I got my first bride in 2021 and have been working with amazing couples since then.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a business in the midst of COVID was challenging. Many people were either cancelling their weddings or scaling down for the sake of safety. I was also working as a full time nurse so balancing starting a new business and work was tough. On my days off, I spent a lot of time creating content for my social media and designing set-ups for vendor shows. I spent time coming up with marketing strategies, pricing, and researching the wedding market of Central Florida. At first, there was a lot of interest coming thru social media and email, but most of it fell through for whatever reason. It was a bit disheartening at the beginning, but was also a good dress rehearsal for when I would finally receive my first real client.
My first wedding taught me a lot! And I learned so much from the vendors I worked with. I knew I had a lot to learn and develop, but I was always taking notes and growing from every experience.
There’s a lot of competition for great vendors, so keeping up with everything and ensuring you are standing out in the crowd is also another challenge. Forging relationships and creating a local network has allowed me to keep connections and gain referrals. While I still work full time as a nurse, I am able to still continue planning weddings in my free time. It has been a great creative outlet for me and I love getting to work with and meet so many people.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Something Green Weddings & Events?
Something Green is a community focused wedding and event planning company. We focus on the central Florida area, but also love to travel. Our mission is to bring local creatives, vendors, and venues together to create a unique experience for our clients. We value sustainability and believe by using local vendors and business partners, we are keeping our resources mindful and keeping business within the community. Many people want to plan weddings thinking they need to travel far and wide to achieve their dream, but central florida offers such a variety of venues for weddings and events, as well as so many creative and talented vendors. We strive to be the best at coordinating and bringing all of those aspects together to create exactly what our clients are looking for!
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Direct messages through our Instagram or Facebook are the best way to connect with us! We are always excited to learn about new vendors and network with all different types of creatives. You never know what a client will want for their wedding or event, so having all types of tricks up your sleeve is valuable. If you’re a vendor or venue, we would love to connect and be top of mind when referring clients.
Pricing:
- Day of Coordination starts at $800
- Full Wedding Planning starts at $1000
Contact Info:
- Email: Somethinggreenweds@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/somethinggreenweds
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somethingreenweds
- Twitter: https://vanessaavaldes.wixsite.com/website
