Today we’d like to introduce you to Ericka Guadarrama.
Hi Ericka, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my business by accident in early 2020, right before the pandemic began. I had gotten married the year before, and one of my dear friends was about to get married. I told her how important it was to have a wedding coordinator and asked if she had one. She replied, “No, do you want to do it?”
I was shocked by the question, but I agreed. After that wedding, I fell in love with the work. One of the vendors even asked for my business card. When I told him it was my first wedding and that I was simply helping a friend, he said he thought I did this professionally and was impressed with my work. In that moment, I realized I might have something special.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. I actually have another full-time job in higher education. Balancing a business and a full-time job is difficult. I am very transparent with my clients about having a full-time job, and I try my best to give them the care and attention they deserve. I think I have achieved a good flow. I am present in moments I need to be present, and I over-prepare in advance of every meeting and wedding day to make sure I provide the best customer service possible. At the end of the day, I love what I do, and that is what drives me.
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?
I am a wedding planner, and I named my business Paper Rings Weddings. The name “Paper Rings Weddings” was inspired by a Taylor Swift song that I love. Specifically, the lyrics, “I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings.” When you think about the person you are choosing to spend the rest of your life with, I hope you know that the only thing that matters is you and them saying “I do” at the altar. Let me worry about the rest. My goal is to relieve couples of the pressures of their wedding day to make it fun-like it’s supposed to be!
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
My attention to detail and the service aspect of what I do. My favorite thing that happens during a meeting is when I bring something to the client’s attention that they hadn’t thought was important until that very moment. It makes me feel like I am making a real difference.
Pricing:
- starting price: $1,500. Includes: 2 meetings leading up to the wedding date, timeline Creation, Daily e-mail/text communication, Rehearsal Coordination, Ceremony/Reception, Coordination Decor set-up ,and breakdown, Vendor relations/communications/final payments as received. 10 hours of on-site availability
- package 2: $1,800 3 meetings leading up to the wedding date, Daily e-mail/text communication, Vendor recommendations, Timeline creation, Rehearsal Coordination, Ceremony/Reception Coordination, Vendor relations/communications/final payment as received. Decor set-up and breakdown, 12 hours of on-site availability
- Additional fees apply for travel outside the houston area.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://paperringsweddings.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paperrings_weddings?igshid=NzNkNDdiOGI%3D
