“One thing that I am certain played a huge role in the early successes I had in my business was the fact that I spent a lot of time seeking out and getting to know other wedding vendors. Not only have those relationships developed into some of my most treasured friendships…but a vast majority of my referrals come from vendors I work well with. You never know what friends and potential clients will come your way through other vendors.” Corinne of Canvas Weddings shares with us a valuable piece of advice for small business owners, and we could not agree more. We think that connections and relationships are a big deal, and Corinne runs her incredible business with this same mentality. She believes that working hard to perfect a couple’s big day is just as important as her relationship with them, and we so appreciate that! Corinne knows exactly how to make your wedding look and feel wonderful, and it was an honor working with her at the first Chicago NotWedding.
“Corinne is on top of it! She knew just what needed to get done and I never even had a chance to remind her of something because it was already taken care of. She is so fun and full of life and an incredibly hard worker. You can’t even tell how hard she is working with her effortless smile and poise!”
The Chicago NotWedding Team
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Describe Canvas Weddings in five words or less.
Committed. Artisan. Joyful. Soothing. Chic.
What is the best part of your job?
The cake. Just kidding! Although I do love cake.
It’s so hard to pick just one part of my job — I love so many things about planning weddings. But hands down, my favorite part of planning weddings is building relationships with my couples. I think I must be simply lucky, because these deeply cool and sweet people somehow find me and invite me to be a part of their major life milestones. I love hearing about how they met, what they love to do, and how they want to share their love with their family and friends. I love laughing and DIY-ing with them over mixed drinks and setting them up with vendors I know they’ll love. I love reminding them that outside of saying vows before a qualified witness, they get to do whatever they want with their special day. I love that I get to be the one to say to the bride, “go when you’re ready,” just before she walks down the aisle. I could go on and on, but what it really boils down to is just that I love getting to be a part of my couples’ lives during such a special season.
Describe the ultimate bride to work with.
My “ideal” bride is someone who gets more excited about the wedding ceremony than any other part of the day. She wants to express herself, the beauty of her relationship and her gratitude to her guests with her wedding, and wants people to leave her wedding with a greater understanding of who she is. She appreciates and enjoys beautiful and unique things, but when she makes a wedding choice, it comes from her vision of how the wedding should feel, rather than how it should look. She is someone who can treat me like a teammate during the planning process, but then relax and let me handle it all on the wedding day. In short, she is someone who simply can’t wait to be married in the most honest, beautiful and joyous way possible.
What advice would you give to aspiring small business owners?
There’s a lot I could say here, but there are two things I’d share without anyone about to start a small wedding business. One I feel I did well in when I was get started, and the other I didn’t.
First, buddy up! One thing that I am certain played a huge role in the early successes I had in my business was the fact that I spent a lot of time seeking out and getting to know other wedding vendors. Not only have those relationships developed into some of my most treasured friendships (wedding people are some of the best people there are), but a vast majority of my referrals come from vendors I work well with. So, get out there and network! You never know what friends and potential clients will come your way through other vendors.
Second, get help when you’re getting started. There are so many great (and sometimes free) resources out there for small business owners, from classes on business plans and marketing, accounting, legal issues and so much more. As a creative who runs a business, I struggled early on with the financial end of my business, and was too intimidated to take my questions to people who how how businesses should run. I wish I had checked my pride at the door earlier and let other professionals help and guide me.
What is your favorite part of The NotWedding experience?
The whole experience was great, but meeting so many like-minded and fun vendors was my favorite part. Like I said before, networking and buddying up has been a major contributor to my businesses’ success, so it was fun spending time with so many new faces that I could see myself working with for years to come.
Photo Credits:
Woodnote Photography (1 + 2) | Willow & Stone Photography | Paper Antler | Emily Johnston
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