Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Greta McNebb. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Greta, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

It all began, nearing the end of 2019. An acquaintance of mine in the wedding planning industry luckily referred a client to me. The lovely couple, who had a smaller budget, were eager to find an experienced wedding planner that met their needs. As I was just starting to plan weddings under my own company, Nova Events, I was excited at the opportunity to work for them and build my portfolio. After our first meeting, I soon learned that they selected Nova Events to plan their event! I was so excited, having booked my first client under Nova. Right as I felt things were moving in the right direction, little did I know that Covid 19 would unfold, and take over the entire world/industry, leading to a full global shutdown. However, I didn’t lose hope, as I was comfortable moving through times of uncertainty and finding a way for my clients to pull through, with evolving restrictions no less. We adapted the wedding plans/expectations of what could be achieved, given the circumstances and forged ahead with a new vision. The guest count was adjusted to 25 from 125, and changed the venue to a lovely rooftop building in Brooklyn, NY. Our team had to be creative with the food and beverages, and staff services. As such, we ordered custom designer masks and sanitizer, and were fortunate to pull off the wedding in August of 2020! I cannot tell you how proud of myself and my team I was. We booked some business, but that wasn’t what was most important. What mattered most is that we did it! I planned my first wedding under Nova Events, and my company was a real thing in the making.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Nova Events by Greta McNebb is a full-service boutique wedding + event planning company. We create, plan and execute unique events (weddings, birthday celebrations, engagement parties, corporate galas, private family celebrations to name a few) that are a true reflection of our clients, their dreams, and their values. We are thrilled to work with authentic, fun loving couples and individuals looking for someone to guide them through the entire process of event planning and design. Our clients aspire of having an event that echoes who they are while allowing them to genuinely enjoy the celebration in the moment, and that is exactly what we strive to provide.
Our signature process and overall goal is to produce an authentic event that is personable, designed and curated with intention and detail. We believe in providing high quality customer service that is based on more than 17 years of experience. Our clients rest assured knowing that our extensive expertise will guide them to their desired result. To us, creating an event is a collaborative experience and true team effort. We strive to maintain highly valued relationships with our clients, vendors, and staff.
We are truly focused on designing beautiful experiences for our clients and love hearing: “This was the best day of our lives” at the end of the evening.
Our wedding and events specialty style is whimsical and chic, industrial with a modern and elegant twist, but we would design anything our clients are dreaming of.
We believe that it takes the beautiful combination of authenticity, inclusivity, and collaboration to achieve our clients desired results, and we weave those values into the fabric of everything we do.
Our services include Design and Full-service Planning, Partial Planning/Event Management as well as Month of Coordination. We offer Destination Wedding Planning as well as hourly Consulting for those Clients who need guidance to the process but are not ready to fully commit.
I am most proud of my brand as it represents me and who I am as a person.
I truly enjoy teamwork and strive to lead NOVA to success.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

Yes, we do! Since we plan many destination weddings and events, we were advised to obtain an IATA Travel Agent number. Booking hotel room blocks is part of the services we offer to all of our clients. So now when we do that, the hotels pay us 7 to 10% commission on the rooms booked. We weren’t sure if it was worth it, but our minds were changed after receiving a check in the mail from one of the hotels in South Beach. That is supplemental revenue that comes to us now after every event.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Referrals! We receive several new clients through word-of-mouth referrals as well as (preferred) Venue Vendors list. We also have established great relationships with Venues in the greater New York and Miami areas and they refer our services when an opportunity presents itself. We have also been paying extra attention to the social media marketing and that has been a huge help. Showcasing our work is paying off. We stay consistent and have a designated Social Media Manager, who posts and creates reels, ads, etc to keep Nova’s image and info updated and on trend. Definitely worth the investment.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.novaeventsinc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novaeventsinc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/novaeventsbygretamcnebb/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nova-events-by-greta-mcnebb/
• Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/nova-events-by-greta-mcnebb-miami-fl-2032424 https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/nova-events-by-greta-mcnebb/843c152d3c0d7de8.html https://www.partyslate.com/event-pros/nova-events-by-greta-mcnebb

Image Credits
@josesavant @doubleknotpictures @_mattlim_ @carolina_guzik @jckcandco