Local StoriesNovember 29, 2022

Meet Creisson Soni of CreOfficial

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Creisson Soni.

Hi Creisson, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstories.
I was working a full-time job where I was one of my department’s top four best-performing employees and had just received a pay raise. I had my large cubicle and was comfortable in a brand-new office building with good co-workers. I always knew there was something more to me, my existence and my abilities, and I began to realize I was slightly stuck. The workplace was becoming a toxic environment for me, and I felt unimpressed with the redundancy of the regular work cycle. I decided to write a resignation letter and send it to my supervisor. Unfortunately, I sent it about 2 days before the date I decided to go, and it wasn’t taken very well, haha, but I had good intentions. I didn’t want to burn myself out, and I was ready to train and help anyone who would fill my spot until a permanent employee was hired. But I knew it was my time to go, to move on. I remember my co-workers decorating my cubicle and giving me beautiful large flowers in an exquisite, heavy glass vase. I didn’t expect that at all, and I felt so special, and it was a bittersweet moment doing my final drive through the parking lot and onto the highway.

Weeks later, I am sending out my resume, thinking I could land a job due to the experience I’ve had, then all of a sudden, I hear a word being tossed around COVID. COVID-19, and just like that, companies stopped hiring, and I was left with no job. I had to stay home all day and prioritize health for myself, my family, and my friends. Months went by, and I was just there seeing my savings dwindling and realizing I needed to make it to pay bills, hahaha. Right then, I remembered that we were advised to obtain a Notary License in my previous work, and the company even paid for the entire process in full. Then I searched the web to find out what I could do with what I already have, the skills, and this license. That’s when I learned that within the state of Florida, as a Notary Public, I can officiate weddings! The only close experience I’ve had with anything weddings was event planning which I did quite a bit when I was in college. There was a friend of mine who randomly one day asked me to plan her wedding. I was taken aback because I had no clue about the wedding industry. I finally agreed to help my friend plan her wedding and jumped right in. As much as the process for me as a wedding planner was so complex and very instructive, I fell in love with the wedding industry. Just the preparations, the meetings. The day of checking in on everything being set as desired by the bride and groom. There was a sense of Servitude that I had never felt before just planning an event or working in an office.

I was bringing two people’s desires and dreams to live. I felt so glad they could see everything come to fruition and live in that moment free of worries. This is the same passion and reason for my work as an Officiant. Even though I solely take care of the ceremony portion of an entire wedding, I can serve them for that specific moment. After my first wedding, I officiated for a groom whose father found my ad on Craigslist. I never looked back, and here I am many ceremonies later, and I love it.

Most importantly, I love my couples. I love serving them. I love making sure they know they are heard. I love telling their love stories, which are so different and interesting. I’ve told some of them, “you should turn your love story into a movie. I would watch it!” haha. I always tell them if there is anything about the ceremony that stresses them out, tell it to me and let me handle it because I know how to handle that stress. The passion comes from serving, from being a joy and a cheerful voice in their union to making them the center of all attention and seeing them truly in love on their most special day. Along the way, I love that I am learning and educating myself where needed and that I am serving. All my abilities have come together, and I love what it creates!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
It could have been smoother! Hahaha, I love it, but your love for it helps you overcome and forget its negative and rough parts. Some of the struggles have been dealing with other vendors when certain things or ways of working need to align better. So figuring out how to maneuver and switch things right away can be challenging. And many improvised moments happen throughout a ceremony or during the preparation time frame. So it is exciting to go with the flow, improvise, and act like “that did not just happen,” which makes it very interesting. Making sure the bride and groom don’t sense or realize any of the errors or mishaps is not easy. Because it is your most Special Day thus, you want it to be at least 99% perfect. That’s why for my couples, I do my best to keep them in that moment of bliss and bring them back if they’ve gotten distracted. Because weddings are never 100% exactly as planned, you want to ensure that positivity and love remain at a greater percentage than all the headaches. Haha.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
CreOfficial specializes in officiating weddings, planning events, and helping homeowners with their closing process throughout Central Florida. CreOfficial offers personalized services by providing authentic, professional, and unforgettable experiences! Different packages and price points meet different needs that clients may choose from. I am most proud that the CreOfficial process is easy, very personable, and professional from initial communication, to payment, to the completion of the chosen package.

Networking and finding a mentor can positively impact one’s life and career. Any advice?
Regarding networking, I am heading to events where fellow vendors in the field host are a great place to start. Whether the event is paid or free, invest in it. You will find like-minded business professionals and get to share your contact information. Also, please take note and acknowledge the other vendors while you are working together; say hello and banter a little bit, get to know them, and see them in action. Grab a card first, and then give your card or social media info. For example, I’ve had some couples also ask whom I would recommend for another role in their ceremony, and I had already worked with vendors who did such roles, and it was an easy recommendation for me. I knew I was sending them in the right direction.

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