We were lucky to catch up with Tiffanie McCoy recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tiffanie, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?
GO BIG OR GO HOME TREND!
The biggest trends we’ve seen in the wedding industry post COVID is that weddings are bigger! What do we mean by that? During COVID, stay at home order and capacity limits couples and clients got creative with their design and decor doubling the budget by adding floral installations, backdrops, luxe decor and more… While this seemed simple while doing weddings during a time when guests count decreased from 200 to 50 it was not, the pricing of services, labor and delivery was the same, if not more as prices began to creep up. Which means they were spending the same amount and possibly more for less guests. In 2020, we felt the effects of the inflation starting with flowers, floral budgets quickly went from $5K to $10K, with everything else soon to follow suit. However, this has not slowed down the wedding industry.
In 2021, wedding and event professionals saw the biggest increase of business as we were recovering from little to no business, high numbers of rescheduled weddings, we were then hit with new business. Budgets continued to rise as the luxe and “go big or go home” trend continued to soar as luxe weddings were going viral via Tik Tok, wedding publications showcasing jaw dropping gowns, tablescapes, floral installations, beautiful furniture rentals in golds, colors and more… This tells us that this is here to stay because couples, clients, vendors want the jaw dropping affect, the WOW factor. Now we’re finding that clients aren’t complaining as much about the florals being $15K- $20K, because they’ve seen it, they’ve seen the WOW factor and they want. They aren’t saying that’s too much for a wedding or they are but still paying it!
Tiffanie, 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 the founder and owner of Bird of Paradise Events, affectionately known in the industry as Tiffanie “Event Planner.” I’ve been planning and designing weddings and events for over ten years! In 2023 I will celebrate fifteen years of doing what I love!
Bird of Paradise Events was born out of the fact that I supported some of Baltimore’s top Presidents and CEOs, at the executive administration level. In the role of executive assistant, I had to expect and demand a certain level of customer service to ensure everything was seamless for meetings and events. I carried this unique skill set to my business, Bird of Paradise Events, when I started it in 2008. Knowing the importance of customer services and logistics, my customer-centric approach and a consistent level of excellence has earned my company an esteemed reputation. Bird of Paradise Events is ranked as one of the top wedding planning companies in Baltimore according to The Knot, past clients, and industry colleagues.
In addition to running Bird of Paradise Events, I mentor rising planners through my mentorship program, “The Tiffanie Event Planner Experience.” The goal is to inspire them to lead exceptional brands with authenticity and integrity by sharing my experiences and best practices. Guiding my mentees on their journey ensures I am paying it forward. I also get the amazing opportunity to share the knowledge that I’ve been blessed to gain in this industry, so we can continue to flourish as entrepreneurs, together!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
What helped build my reputation, not only in Baltimore but in the DMV area? I own the rooms, that’s what has been said, and I’ve learned to accept it. My authentic personality makes me approachable.
When I arrived in this industry there were so many scarred vendors, photographers, caterers, venue staff etc… I acquired this information because when I would say I was a wedding planner the response would be, “Oh, you’re a wedding planner,” almost with disgust being naive I would ask why do you say that? Wedding planners had the reputation of being bossy, demanding and operating as if they were in charge instead of operating as a leader, leading a team! Since I was new it was my goal to not be perceived or thought about as one of those planners.
I began and I still operate as a leader and a team player in the same capacity. The wedding planner is the leader of the event, the orchestrator of several moving parts. My leadership is vital to the success of the wedding, am I assertive at times during the planning and design process and on the wedding day? Absolutely, however it’s done in a way where everyone understands the end result, we must have happy clients, we must’ve done our best to ensure everything was done effectively.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Absolutely!
I’ve been working since I was 13 years old. When I started Bird of Paradise Events in 2008, I had no idea what it was going to be or how it would impact others, including me and my family. All I knew is that I wanted to own my own business. I never considered my business as a side hustle or a hobby, it has always been my business, my baby!
As my business grew and began to escalate in numbers, clients, and accolades, transformation was imminent. The increase in magazine features and working with some of the DMV’s top wedding professionals, gave me deeper insight. I didn’t want my business to fail because I wasn’t able to give it my full attention. I became a full-time entrepreneur in 2015, I had close to twenty-five weddings on the books. At the same time, I was going through a divorce, it was extremely challenging. I decided to go back into the work force in 2017. However, working a full-time job and running a business doesn’t mean you diminish your skills, your niche, your purpose, or your passion. It’s a means to an end. I never treated my business as if it was a hobby, hustle or “a little business.” If anything, I considered Bird of Paradise Events as my full time! I was literally working two full time jobs!
In 2022, I became a full-time entrepreneur again, but this time was different. Some people put a plan in place to become full-time, some have the support of spouses/partners, and some step out on faith. My transition was all God! He said, “It is time!” This is what I consistently asked for and I was continuously shown that at this stage of my business I could no longer just try to fit what was supposed to be my full-time job, in my life. It is time to make it The One!
My purpose is bigger!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.
birdofparadiseevents.com - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/ birdofparadiseevents/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/ BirdofParadiseEvents/ - Other: Winner of the Knot’s Best of Weddings, 2016 – 2020 and Hall of Fame, As seen in TheKnot magazine, TheKnot.com, Munaluchi Bride and Zola just to name a few. Founder, The Tiffanie Event Planner Experience, the online learning experience geared towards being An Exception Wedding Planner! https://the-tiffanie-
event-planner-experience. teachable.com
Image Credits
Nick Tettey, JB Elliott Photography Website: http://www.