Q 1. Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Ans: Priti Sweet Weddings & Events is a full-service wedding and event planning company where we take on the work of planning and executing the client’s vision, to create a stress-free and memorable event for the client. Not only do we create a beautiful design for your wedding/event and strive to make it one of a kind, but as event planners we also make the planning process a fun but relaxing process for you. We do the planning, budgeting and coordinating so that you can focus on the exciting parts of designing your event, like the food tastings. For a successful and flawless event or wedding, we know communication is crucial which is why we are available for you whenever you need! We are in Chicago and provide our services for weddings and events around the world.
Q 2. Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Ans: Event planning has been a long-time passion for me which is how I started my career in the financial services industry as a project manager. Although I loved my job, I realized that I wanted to take my interests to a new level that would involve more creativity, so I saw this as an entrepreneurial opportunity and decided to start my own wedding planning business in 2004. I was able to use my project management skills with wedding and event planning. I enjoy building a relationship with my clients and being a confidant through the wedding planning process.
Q 3. What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
Ans: I have always been a planner and have wanted to use my skills in a more creative and out of the box way, which is what inspired me to start my own event planning business. For my own Chicago Indian wedding, I enjoyed planning every aspect of it and knew that I wanted to pursue event planning to help create memorable and beautiful events that bring as much joy to others as it did for me. Family and friends noticed my attention to detail during my wedding and encouraged me to be a wedding planner, which led me to start my own wedding and event planning business. I feel complete when I help my clients plan their events and appreciate them entrusting me to bring their vision to life.
Q 4. What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Ans: 1. Invest in Marketing and Branding – Utilize the presence of social media to showcase your brand and work and optimize your website or social media for search engines to attract future clients. Showcasing positive client testimonials can lead to strong online visibility that will help boost your business growth.
- Focus on building strong relationships – Whether with clients or vendors, establishing and maintaining strong relationship is key in building a reliable network for future events. Clear and effective communication is key towards building a successful business, as understanding the client’s vision and keeping them informed at every step will help build trust and satisfaction, which will lead to better client experiences.
- Seek a mentor – it is important to find like-minded entrepreneurs who can offer valuable advice to help you grow as a budding entrepreneur. You can learn from their challenges and seek advice as needed.
Q 5. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans:1. Strategic Planning and Decision – Making: having a clear vision for the future of the business and setting short- and long-term goals will help provide direction for the business and fuel the overall growth of the business. Re-visit those goals periodically and adjust as needed. It is also important to be able to make informed and timely decisions under pressure, as you navigate the complexities and challenges of being an entrepreneur.
- Effective Communication: Clearly conveying your ideas, expectations and feedback to your clients and teammates is essential in building strong relationships and ensuring smooth operations, as is actively listening to your clients and employees to understand their needs and concerns and responding appropriately to foster trust and collaboration overall.
- Resilience: Resilience will help persevere through challenges and hardships of setbacks or failures that may arise, and help you learn from your mistakes to best adapt to new changes to get back on track on achieving your goals.
Q 6. How many hours do you work a day on average?
Ans: The number of hours worked in the wedding planning industry can vary based on the time of year and the number of events that are involved with a particular wedding. A typical day involving more logistical work such as communicating with vendors, planning logistics or performing more administrative work can lead to a 8-hour day. During peak wedding season or pre-wedding events, hours can be between 12-16 hours, sometimes even more depending on the complexities of the wedding as the day involves on-site wedding management. Owning your own business is non-stop work. When not working directly with the client then focus is on growing the business.
Q 7. To what do you most attribute your success?
Ans:I attribute my success most to the strong relationships that I have built and fostered over several years. Working with a diverse clientele has helped me learn about the intricacies in planning different types of wedding and providing exceptional client service, helping me build and expand my services. I’ve built a strong network with various wedding vendors and maintained positive relationships with my clients, which has led to an increase in referrals and testimonials that have contributed to the growth of my business. Referrals are the best compliments!
I also think providing attention to detail and staying organized has made us successful. Attention to detail is crucial in ensuring every aspect of the wedding goes smoothly, which is why it is important to stay organized as we manage multiple weddings simultaneously and handle last-minute changes effectively. Utilizing planning or project management tools to keep track of timelines and tasks as well as creating detailed checklists and maintaining organized folders will help with overall wedding planning.
Q 8. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Ans: Client testimonials and referrals, and a strong online presence is how we go about marketing the business. We encourage clients that are satisfied with our work to leave positive reviews on Google and other wedding platforms such as The WeddingWire. We also strive to provide exceptional service, which can lead to satisfied clients who are likely to refer us to other potential clients. We also strive to consistently use the most popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to provide visuals of weddings and glimpses of the behind- the –scenes on wedding day to engage with our followers and grow our social media presence. Our website is also accessible and easy to follow, while providing crucial information about our business to potential clients.
Q 9. What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans: Long-term success can best be achieved by providing exceptional client service, building and maintaining professional relationships, and innovation and adaptability. Client satisfaction is key in the wedding planning industry, so providing exceptional client service is essential and can be done through effective communication and attention to detail with all the client’s needs. Word of mouth is powerful in the wedding industry; client satisfaction can help attain new clients for the longevity of the business. It is also important to network and build professional relationships with vendors and clients to ensure better deals and smoother operations overall. Lastly, being prepared to adapt to new trends and continuously seeking out new ideas are useful for sustainability of the business and maintaining a positive reputation in the business.
Q 10. Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Ans: In 5-10 years, I envision my wedding and event planning business to be one of the leading names amongst my competitors in the industry, known for creating unique and personalized weddings that continue to exceed client expectations. Our brand will be expanded to include a dedicated team of skilled planners, a comprehensive network of trusted vendors and a portfolio of stunning weddings and wedding-related events that will contribute to our client growth. Additionally, the business will continue to offer specialized services such as destination weddings, corporate and social events.
Q 11. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Ans: I admire WeddingWire as it is renowned in the wedding and event planning industry for being a one stop shop for clients when searching wedding planners and vendors. Their ability to provide insights on various aspects of wedding planning in an organized manner and easily connect clients to vendors makes them a standout in the industry.
Q 12. How important have good employees been to your success?
Ans: Good employees play a vital role in ensuring that every aspect of the wedding planning process runs smoothly, from coordinating with vendors to managing logistics such as timeline creation. Having a dedicated team of skilled and reliable employees allows our business to thrive and their unique talents help grow our business.
Q 13. How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Ans: I believe in being flexible and adaptable when it comes to ideas. While I am committed to bringing all types of visions to fruition, I also understand that adjustments will need to be made and I will need to be flexible in how I’d like to proceed. Typically, I will stick to an idea until it no longer aligns with my client’s vision or if the idea is deemed unattainable due to external constraints such as budgeting or timelining. In these cases, I am flexible in exploring alternative ideas and solutions, and enjoy utilizing my creative side to create a new solution that fits my client’s expectations.
Q 14. What motivates you?
Ans: Creativity is what motivates me. I like to think of big picture and out of the box ideas to develop innovative solutions. Being creative inspires me to push boundaries in my work, and it also fuels my passion for aesthetics which lead to the creation of a beautiful and memorable event. As I use my creativity, I feel a sense of fulfillment that motivates me to continue striving for excellence in my personal and professional life.
Q 15. What are your ideals?
Ans: My ideals are personalization and attention to detail. I like to tap into my creative side by creating unique moments for my clients that are tailored to their interests, which will lead to ultimate client satisfaction. I also pay close attention to the small details which creates a lot of efficiency in the planning process.
Q 16. How do you generate new ideas?
Ans: We generate new ideas by staying up to date with new trends and taking on new challenges that our clients present to us. We stay informed about the latest happenings in weddings, fashion, decor and more. During our client consultations, we carefully listen and note down client ideas to draw inspiration for new and improved ideas.
Q 17 How do you define success?
Ans: I define success by the ability to create memorable events for our clients that will be cherished for a lifetime. Bringing a client’s vision to life is both a goal and challenge for our business, as we strive to achieve and execute their vision as effortlessly as possible. With effective communication and strong organizational skills, we create meaningful experiences for our clients which leads to our overall success.
Q 18. How do you build a successful customer base?
Ans: We build our customer base by gathering feedback from our clients to improve our services and utilizing social media to reach a broader audience. Positive reviews and testimonials help the business, but constructive criticism also helps us think of ways to improve our business overall. Social media platforms allow our brand to connect with a diverse audience and connect with potential clients, which helps grow our customer base.
Q 19. What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Ans: The ability to be creative while also following my passion and using my strong planning skills. Being an entrepreneur contributes to my personal and professional growth and challenges me to think outside of the box. I appreciate the ability to constantly learn something new in keeping up with the trends in the industry.
Q 20. What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Ans: My most satisfying moment was waking up to kind and heartfelt thank you notes from my clients after their beautiful but intricate weddings. They expressed their gratitude for our services and noted our attention to detail, effective communication and reliability which turned their dream wedding weekend into reality. Knowing that I had played a significant role in their happiness was an incredibly fulfilling experience and reminded me of my passion for being a planner. Our job is not easy and knowing we created a perfect day for a couple’s most special life event is satisfying.
Q 21. What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Ans: The major difference is autonomy and the level of responsibility. Entrepreneurs are responsible for the success or failure of their own business and have freedom to make decisions about how to run their business, whereas those working for someone else have less control over decisions made for their company. Entrepreneurs are more invested in the success of their business as they take on more risks but also have the potential for greater rewards, while employees are not directly affected by the profits or losses of their company.
Q 22. What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Ans: At Priti Sweet Weddings, the culture is one of creativity and professionalism. I established this tone by fostering an autonomous environment where my teammates are encouraged to share their ideas and take ownership of their work. I instituted this type of culture because I believe it leads to better outcomes for our clients. Creativity allows us to design and execute events for our clients that exceed their expectations, while professionalism is key to building trust with both our clients and teammates, which helps ensure that every aspect of the wedding planning process is handled with attention to detail.
Q 23. In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Ans: Rewarding.
Company Detail:
Company : Priti Sweet Weddings
City : Elk Grove village
State : IL
Zip : 60007
Country : USA
Phone : 630-474-4743
Email : info@pritisweetweddings.com