Hi all! Samantha here, Meredith’s assistant and social media manager. I’ve taken over the blog, and am really excited to share all of the neat things going on with Rain Wedding Planning, as well as cool industry happenings. To start, I thought my first post should give you a little background on who I am, and why I chose to leap into the event industry! I was a sophomore in high school when I decided to start my home-based bakery. I loved making cookies for classmates, muffins for teachers, and I always loved to try new cupcake flavors. Jumping into the baking world was natural; I did a few local graduation parties, a baby shower or two, and I had a handful of regular customers who purchased my breads. I was loving it! I told myself that as long as things stayed this way, and that I never dabbled into the wedding scene, I would be able to keep this up forever. So... I started baking and creating wedding cakes & dessert displays my freshman year of college, which proved to be difficult as I was attending The Ohio State University, yet my weddings were in Northeast Ohio. Though it was tough, I was enjoying the small part I played in the special day of two people, so I continued to do so for the next few years. When I moved back home, my mother had accepted a new position at a local winery as their in-house private event coordinator. Learning about all that she did was a thrill to me, and it showed me a side of the event industry that I had never been a part of; the client meetings, setting rooms, caterers, rain delays, etc. I didn’t know just how much went into an 8-10 hour day. With my mom having the position she held, I was also able to work the events she booked, so I had the opportunity to be a bartender, banquet server, assistant planner, caterer, and the clean-up crew (not my favorite). From that point on, I knew that I had found my place in the industry that once scared me so much. I wanted to be that jack-of-all-trades that my mother was. And then, I met Meredith. Being a part of Rain Wedding Planning has taught me so much! I’ve delved even further into the event industry, met amazing leaders in the community, explored incredible venues, and am learning something new every single day. The social media side of what I do comes from a few things: I’m a millennial! It’s bred into my age group, thankfully, because I know how confusing all of this tech stuff can get. Other than that, I run my own side hustle through my personal social media pages, as well as having a lifestyle blog. I can’t express how excited I am for all that is happening with Rain Wedding Planning. 2017 is about to be one wild ride, so sit back and buckle up. Thank you all for being a part of the journey thus far, and be sure to keep track of us via Facebook, we have a lot to share with you, so stay tuned! |