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

Alright, Kathey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

We’re seeing more pets in weddings, whether the pets appear in photos or are included as part of the ceremony.

We recently assisted with a “Surprise” appearance of a special pup. The groom secretly arranged for the couple’s dog to show up for photos. This was a surprise for his fiancé. She had no idea he planned this. He planned everything from the pup’s floral collar, to having us pick up their pet and take it to the venue and returning the pet home. We hid until it was time for the big reveal. We wish we could see and help more with more of these kinds of surprises!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Wagnolia Bells was created after the marriage of our first daughter. She had her black Lab, Archie, attend. The original plan for Archie was for him to be present for photos and to be a part of the ceremony. As luck would have it, it rained on my daughter’s wedding day, and at the last minute we were told that Archie was not allowed inside our venue. This meant that he could not be present for most photos, nor could he be part of the ceremony. He was basically cared for by different members of our family, kept in our car during the ceremony, and then taken to the in-law’s cottage prior to the reception. Not having a designated attendant for Archie was a misstep on my planning.

After Archie’s wedding, I realized that there may be others who don’t have a Care Plan for their pets’ wedding day. I researched it, and there was no company my area who offered this service. I became pet CPR-certified, took online marketing and business courses, and opened Wagnolia Bells. Now in our third year, we’ve grown from one chaperone in one small area, to nine chaperones that cover three states: MS, TN, and areas of AL (Huntsville and Birmingham). Growth for us is important, but it’s also intentional. We make sure we hire dedicated and responsible chaperones who want to work with, not those who think this would just be a “fun” part-time job.

My goal is to do two things: First, we offer a necessary service to pet owners who plan to have their pets included in some way in their wedding weekend. We’re not your typical pet sitter in that our focus is strictly on care during a wedding weekend. We strive to care for and keep our Wagnolia Bells pups as comfortable as possible so that our couples can enjoy their wedding weekend stress-free. We do that by providing transportation for our wedding pups to and from the event venue. We also make sure each pet is ready for photos by being dressed in any designated wedding attire left by the client. We also coordinate with our clients’ wedding coordinator and photographer to get on their timelines. We want to make sure we’re always in the correct place at the right time.

Secondly, we “Give Back” by donating a portion from each service’s total to a shelter of our wedding couple’s choice. It’s our small way of thanking our shelter workers and volunteers for the work they provide to our sheltered pets. One of our daughter’s pets is adopted, so we love that we get to share the work done by our shelter workers.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I started Wagnolia Bells right when Covid hit. I had no idea the impact that Covid would have on the wedding industry. My initial plan was to contact and arrange appointments to meet venue managers, wedding and event planners, and photographers face to face. I had researched dates for bridal expos in the areas where I wanted to advertise and was ready to enter my information to attend. I definitely had to pivot. Instead of meeting face to face, I contacted the above the old-fashioned way: via phone calls and emails. A block of my daily time was spent making calls introducing myself, and a block was spent sending emails. I connected and sent my business literature so that these contacts would have my information when Covid regulations were lifted. Little did I know that it would take six-eight months.

I focused my “Covid-time” on building my social media presence, primarily on Instagram. I scheduled photo shoots so that I would have content to batch, and I took my own photos with my phone. It was tedious and often expensive, but it was necessary.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My background is in education and retail. I have a M. Ed. in English. My husband was in the military for twenty-eight years, so we moved every two to three years throughout his career. There were times when the move was so quick that I was unable to find a teaching job. I discovered that I loved retail. I worked for Talbots, during various moves, over a period of seven years. I love that Talbots’ focus in on customer service. I think that this taught me exactly what I need to know to serve my current clients. So many think that a career will be linear, and it’s anything but that. We have so many trials, so many situations that challenge us and direct us to another path.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wagnoliabells.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wagnoliabells/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WagnoliaBellsWeddingDayPetService
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wagnolia-bells?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

Image Credits
Kate Anthony Photography (Archie) Taylor Square Photography (Saber) Amelia Catherine and Co (Roman and Leroy) Sam Slay Photography (Kathey and Homer)