Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Gieseke.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I received my Bachelors Degree in Hospitality Management with a focus on Sales and Marketing at the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College, graduating with honors. Immediately after, I began working in different hospitality outlets including fine dining restaurants, and hotels.
When given the opportunity to work with a small Wellness Training Academy and assist them in planning their training seminars worldwide- I jumped at the experience! It was during those years that I also began assisting with Weddings and Events at Briscoe Manor in Richmond, TX. In 2014, I partnered with another small business owner to start Plan Our Day, Events.
With my background in hospitality and my experience with wedding day operations, I wanted to offer a service that was simple, straightforward and helpful to brides who wanted to plan their own wedding, but knew they wanted a professional to help execute it.
Since then, I’ve expanded my services to include full wedding planning and design. My strengths on a wedding day are my time and vendor management, as well as my ability to facilitate trust and collaboration among everyone involved. I believe that wedding and event planning is about the experience, during the planning process and on an actual day- and I strive to ensure every host, bride and groom can enjoy it!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have absolutely been struggles along the way. With growth and adding on new services, it takes trial and error to figure out the best and most efficient way to operate.
Pricing is always a challenge in the beginning as you’re still not sure what you’re “worth.” The Wedding industry has slow and busy seasons, and you have to plan and prepare for those. There aren’t any breaks, you constantly have to put your best foot forward and continue marketing and networking, even when you’re busy!
Dealing with many different personality types is also challenging. At the end of the day, you do the best you can to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone, the couple, family, guests and vendors.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Plan Our Day Events – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My company’s values and goals are also my personal values and goals. I believe in a very high standard of service and execution. Customer service, paying attention to detail and genuinely caring for people are the backbone of my operation, and something I pass down to anyone who represents me.
We specialize in weddings, but also love any event, from launch parties, grand openings, or rehearsal dinners. We call ourselves Logistics Queens, as we pay very close attention to how the day will actually unfold, and try to get ahead of any potential errors or mishaps.
I am most proud of my ability to collaborate and build trust with everyone involved.
While my first goal is taking care of my client, I don’t sacrifice my relationships with my vendors. They’re my extended creative team who help me make every event happen!
I also pride myself and my team on being able to educate and assist our couples in making decisions by being honest and transparent. There are some things that are harder to make decisions on when you’re in the middle of planning a large event, so we always aim to aid clarity and guidance.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plans for the future are to continue building my team of Coordinators and Event Assistants. It’s a long road to ensure I feel they are properly trained and prepared to tackle any challenges that come with weddings and events. I also plan to continue growing our services to include destination weddings, in Texas, the US and beyond!
Professionally, I also hope to grow my own public speaking resume and help other small businesses with their growing pains. From persevering through failures, adjusting business protocol and operations when things just don’t work, and really thinking through their own client experience to enable them to offer the best service or product they can.
Pricing:
- Wedding Day or Event Management begins at $2,000
- Wedding Planning begins at $4,000
Contact Info:
- Website: www.planourdayhouston.com
- Phone: 281-799-2867
- Email: samantha@planourdayhouston.com
- Instagram: @planourdayhouston
- Facebook: @planourdayhouston
Image Credit:
Smith House Photography, Meeker Weddings, Sasha Boheme
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