We recently connected with Melissa Millour and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Melissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positively so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively?
My mother and father moved from Puerto Rico to Saint Petersburg, Florida, after having my oldest brother. They arrived with nothing but two giant duffle bags and my oldest brother, who was just one year old at the time. Within months, they secured jobs, a car, and an apartment. Eventually, they bought a house, and soon after, my other brother and I were born. Shortly after I was born, they learned that I was hard of hearing and would need to wear hearing aids for the rest of my life. What I always appreciated is that they never treated me differently than my brothers. They were strict about teaching manners, but supported us in our athletics, academics, and passions. Their marriage continues to show me what hard work, love, perseverance, and faith can cultivate.
My parents also took my older brothers and me with them everywhere throughout our upbringing. They brought us camping, to amusement parks, on road trips to different states, backpacking through Europe, to church, and even on audio tours around museums. My father is a copper artist in Saint Petersburg and took me to his studio whenever he worked on his pieces. I was able to explore the hallways where dozens of other artists passionately pursued their crafts. I would attend galleries almost monthly and watch my father explain his techniques to admirers without revealing the secret steps. I learned early on that I wanted to be an artist in some capacity. Since my parents took me with them everywhere, I felt there was so much to learn about the world and different cultures. I was also able to witness how much they gave to others and served the community.
Lastly, my parents celebrated every milestone. One celebration that impacted me the most was my Quinceañera. This Hispanic tradition marked my fifteenth birthday and symbolized my transition into adulthood. What I remembered most was not the dancing, the food, or the attire, but the fact that my family flew in from Puerto Rico and gathered together in one place for the first time in my life. My two sets of grandparents greeted each other like the old friends they were, smiling from ear to ear. My parents laughed with their siblings, and my cousins played tag with one another. I knew then just how impactful an event can be.
With my rich artistic background and the skills I developed throughout my athletic pursuits, travels, and education, I cultivated a passion for bringing artistic vision to life in the world of event planning. I recognized that coordinating and designing events requires a similar attention to detail, creativity, and conceptual thinking as traditional artistry. This passion stems from my parents, and without them, I would not have started my own business in Wedding & Event Planning.
Melissa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a Certified Wedding & Event Planner and the Owner & Unique Event Artist at Be YOUnique Events, LLC! I graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a Bachelors degree in Resort & Hospitality Management with a concentration in Event Management. I worked for various luxury hospitality companies such as The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, The Don CeSar, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Royal Wellington Golf Club, and Hotel Contessa. I gained valuable experience in job roles like Venue Coordinator, Food & Beverage Manager, Assistant Banquet Director, and Regional Event Manager. Being detail-oriented, communicative, and adaptable were essential characteristics in these positions. Throughout my professional career, I planned a myriad of events including weddings, rehearsal dinners, holiday parties, corporate meetings, conferences, tradeshows, and social events.
I started Be YOUnique Events to celebrate each couple and their unique love story! When I planned my destination wedding in Puerto Rico, I hired a local wedding planner there to take the stress from us since my husband and I worked full time jobs. We got married civilly at first and postponed our wedding due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I knew I needed someone on the ground in Puerto Rico to help me navigate the uncertainty around events. Working in tandem with my wedding planner, my guests were able to appreciate each custom detail and the way we took care of them during the wedding weekend. They even exclaimed ‘this is so Alex and Melissa!’ I am most proud of my wedding because it was such a positive, emotional, and impactful event. It was also the last time I saw my abuela, who inspired the decision to have the wedding in Puerto Rico. After my wedding, I knew that I wanted to convey the same feeling to other couples by incorporating my upbringing in the art community and my passion for personalizing each event element to the client!
Be YOUnique Events is a standout wedding and event planning company based in Tampa Bay, Florida. Our mission is to immerse each guest in a unique event experience organized by dependable event artists who will ensure every design element clearly tells the story of each occasion. We provide individuals and organizations with personalized products and services by supporting local businesses and utilizing sustainable methods, enabling each client to create an authentic, timeless, and extraordinary masterpiece.
I offer planning, design, and management services for weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings. The wedding services I provide include full-service planning, partial planning, elopement coordination, and assistance for do-it-yourself brides and grooms. Often, newly engaged couples do not know where to start with the wedding planning process and find coordinating their wedding daunting. Therefore, I help alleviate the stress of wedding planning through the various packages I offer! I also assist companies with planning and designing brand activations, retreats, galas, holiday parties, and conferences. The social events I coordinate include engagements, bridal showers, birthday parties, baby showers, and more! Whether orchestrating a grand affair or coordinating an intimate elopement, I ensure every element is executed with exceptional precision, charm, and sophistication. I genuinely enjoy customizing each detail for the client and transcending trends!
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
For managing associates, I am a strong advocate of having an effective training program! There are too many companies that do not focus on training employees, which leave new hires feeling anxious, confused, and unsupported. I am sure everyone knows what it feels like to be “thrown to the wolves” and unprepared to handle situations that arise. Therefore, introducing associates to the company, its history, and its culture should always be the first step.
Having tutorials on how to use essential software required for work can set associates up for success. If the associate does not need to perform computer work, giving a step by step guide on how to complete their job tasks will also foster consistency and confidence. I like to note that different people are visual learners, auditory learners, and kinesthetic learners. Therefore, be sure to train associates with videos and written steps as well as have them perform the work by themselves with confirmation they are doing it correctly. Creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) will also ensure everyone is on the same page and understands the expectations! Making sure these SOPs are written down and accessible to all associates will reinforce the company culture! Dedicating a couple weeks to their training will pay off in the long run and reduce turnover, costs, and low morale.
With proper training and SOPs in place, I empower my associates to make decisions on their own, and reach out to me when they need assistance! Keeping an open door policy, encouraging feedback and mentorship, and celebrating small wins are essential! I also think it’s imperative to give tasks that complement your associates’ strengths.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
The wedding and events industry can be pretty saturated, but for a wedding and event planner, it is imperative to find vendors that are like-minded, responsive, and customer service oriented. My company standard is to respond to all emails (except spam of course), phone calls, and texts within 24-48 hours. I also expect the same from the vendors I partner with and recommend to my clients!
I hosted a Grand Opening event for my company, which included a styled shoot of four mock wedding settings and a celebration open to the public after the shoot with live music, light bites, dessert tastings, and raffle prizes. I knew I needed to coordinate an event to show the market what I can do since wedding and event planning is an intangible service.
How I began planning this event was contacting other event vendors to ask if they would be willing to collaborate with me. Some vendors never responded and did not acknowledge the request, some politely declined, and some actively tried to assist me with the event. For those who did not respond, I thought about my future clients and whether they would treat them the same. For those who politely declined, I still kept in contact with them since I appreciated their candor and time to respond! For those who chose to collaborate with me, I gained the opportunity to work with them and learned about their services throughout the experience!
In preparation for the styled shoot and Grand Opening celebration, I actively listened to my preferred vendors to learn how I can be the best wedding and event planner for them. They informed me how much time it takes for them to set up, what information they like to receive before the event, and what questions they had about the venue. I used the information they provided me to create an effective timeline for the day of the event, an event shot list for the photographers and videographers, and a diagram that clearly showed where each vendor would set up. I answered each vendors’ question in a timely manner, touched base with them on a regular basis, and explained where to park for the event. I also promoted their companies on social media to encourage event attendance.
On the day of the event, I greeted each vendor, answered their questions, helped them set up, and updated them on the weather and contingency plan. I supported them throughout the process, kept everyone on schedule, and changed the outdoor set up due to inclement weather. We proceeded with the celebration and the event resulted in a success! I mailed hand-written Thank-You cards to each vendor who collaborated and asked for their feedback after the event. They appreciated my calm demeanor throughout the day and the way I handled the inclement weather. They were also happy to receive the marketing images and videos from the styled shoot. Lastly, they thank me for the opportunity to network with engaged couples and other vendors in the community.
Through this experience, I established relationships with exceptional vendors and gained a following on social media. My Grand Opening and styled shoot not only showcased my commitment to collaboration and exceptional service, but also strengthened my network of like-minded vendors, enhancing my brand’s visibility in the Tampa Bay wedding and events industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.beyouniqueevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/be_younique_events/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556314317922
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-younique-events-llc/
- Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MelissaMillour24/
Image Credits
First three images (Febus Films), Second three images (Alicia Pesco Photography), and last two images (Gema’s Photography, LLC).