Shadow : Big City Catering

As a part of my internship, I decided to take it upon myself to do some shadows of local wedding vendors so that I could gain some insight to different aspects of this industry. 

For my first shadow, I reached out to Kristina Mollo at Big City Catering. Her and I already have a great rapport with each other due to her not only being our caterer for my own wedding but also to her just being such a personable individual and always keeping in touch with me about the "goings on" of my wedding and life in general.

Kristina works in sales for BCC (Big City Catering) and her day to day job basically consists of consults, emails, phone calls, leads, proposals, and making sure the operation of the office runs smoothly. I definitely gained some insight on how to be organized in the office. I learned that when a bride/client has a budget and it is unfortunately not the budget for your company, you CAN let them down and tell them that maybe they are not the right fit, rather than try to STILL sell them services they cannot afford. Unfortunately in my own wedding planning, that is not the experience I have had. Many companies knew our budget and STILL tried to get us to over-spend for something we could not afford. I love that Kristina does not push that upon her clients. 

I also learned from her that anytime you are in contact with a client, whether they email you or you talk to them on the phone, to make sure to record it. Even if it's just a simple question, still document that you talked to that person. It is very important because that can be referenced later if there are any questions of when you had a certain conversation. 

When Kristina gets in contact with a potential client, whether they reach out to her or she reaches out to them, she sends them a list of questions to get to know them better and also to get to know what they are looking for on their wedding day. 

This shadow was a great experience for me because it showed me the organization skills that I need to hone to be successful in the future. I am already a very organized person but this showed me how to take it to the next level for success.

Thank you to Kristina and thank you to Big City Catering for allowing me to come in and shadow for a few hours!!

And if you would like to check them out........

Website: Big City Catering
Blog: Big City Catering Blog

ABC Speed Networker - August

The Centerpiece of American Q, the dining location at the B Resort

On August 28th, 2014, The Busy Bee Events and Design coordinated the Association of Bridal Consultants August networking event. The event was held at the "B" Resort in Lake Buena Vista. This resort just re-opened from a HUGE renovation. It used to be known as the Royal Plaza Hotel. The renovation was very successful, as the resort is beautiful. It had some great convention and meeting spaces, some really amazing eclectic decor, and a fun, "down home" farm themed restaurant named American Q. 

Chandeliers in the Meeting Space

This chair was in the lobby of the B Resort

One of the many eclectic items that make up the decor in the lobby of the B Resort

The Speed Networker Event

 The premise of a Speed Networker is very similar to Speed Dating. You spend a couple of minutes of time with a professional and you learn about their business, they learn about yours and you learn how you can help each other evolve in the industry. At the ABC Speed Networker, there were many great wedding and event professionals present and there were a lot of business relationships formed. 

The pre-Speed Networker reception. Note: I am in the yellow sweater. Photo credits to Rudy&Marta Photography

The pre-Speed Networker reception. Note: I am in the yellow sweater. Photo credits to Rudy&Marta Photography

Some of the amazing vendors that were involved with this event were: 

The Busy Bee Events and Design: Coordinator
www.thebusybeeeventsanddesign.com
GBS Linens: The BEAUTIFUL Linens for the tables were provided by GBS. Pictures do not do these justice. 
www.gbslinens.com

Our DJ Rocks: Musical entertainment and MC services. 
www.ourDJrocks.com
Windermere Flower and Gifts: Modern Floral Centerpieces
www.windermereflowerandgifts.com

The Invitation Lounge: Menu Cards, Elevator Speech Takeaways, and Ice Breaker Cards
www.theinvitationlounge.com

GiGi's Cupcakes: Mini Cupcakes
http://www.gigiscupcakesusa.com/orlandoflorida

Rudy&Marta Photography: Photography services
www.rudyandmarta.com


Overall, this event had a great turnout and everyone who attended had a great time and walked away with solid information and contacts for the future.