Today we’d like to introduce you to Cecilia Claudio-Torres.
Hi Cecilia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My beginnings in the wedding planning industry were purely by accident. I was a manager at a bridal retail store when a bride called during her cocktail hour asking for help bustling her gown. I clocked out for lunch, went to help her, dad slipped me $100 for fluff services, and a business was born.
When a good friend asked me to plan her wedding, I asked my best friend if she wanted to help me out, and five days after that wedding took place, my best friend Maria and I LLC’d the business. We’ve now been in business for almost 6 years, and have expanded to Corporate Events, Non-profit fundraisers, and more. It’s been a true labor of love, we are a two-women, minority-owned, veteran-owned (Maria is an Army veteran), company.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not in the slightest but I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ve encountered natural disasters, pandemics, a slow economy, you name it. Our first struggle was that we did grow our company organically, we didn’t have any investors, we didn’t have any nest money, nothing.
We grew the company literally off the skin of our backs and that has made us appreciate every moment even more. The relationships we have created with our clients have span family members now, we’ve been invited to graduations, birthdays, and more because of those relationships. We also experienced Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
My family lives there and we went down for a girls’ vacation and ended up having to spend the category 5 hurricane down there with my parents. It was scary and we lost contact with family in the states for two weeks which was so hard. Friends and neighbors lost their homes, and my parents were without power for months. And of course, along with everyone else, we also experienced the pandemic and how that affected events.
We pivoted and created mini-moon packages that allowed our brides and grooms to still have their weddings taking into account masking guidelines and social distancing regulations, we developed corporate events on a smaller scale being hosted outside. Every struggle just showed us how to better our company so that our customers still received the services they have come to expect from us.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a woman-owned, minority-owned (we are both Hispanic), and veteran-owned (Maria is an Army veteran) small business. Elegant Evening Events is dedicated to providing our clientele with an event planning experience that is genuine, reliable, and elegant. For every event, you get both myself and Maria and we offer everything from planning services to coordinating the day of, officiating, and more.
We believe in developing relationships between our vendors and clients and encouraging the use of local, small businesses at all times. What I am most proud of is that our clients value that relationship. They end up being friends with many of their vendors, they hire us for multiple events in their lives and it speaks to the service we provide and how we carry ourselves.
The main thing I would love the readers to know is that event planning doesn’t have to be stressful, it doesn’t have to break the bank, and it doesn’t have to compromise your vision. Hiring an event planning company that values your vision, your budget, and your time is crucial and what we are proud of.
What do you think about happiness?
Easy, my child. Being a mom is the best title, the best role I have. My child is the reason why I do everything, and why I work so hard at all my businesses and projects. Being able to provide for her, to create experiences for her is what motivates me and makes me happy. Being a mompreneur is what makes me happy.
Pricing:
- Corporate Events: $200/hr
- Non-profit Events: $105/hr
- Wedding Officiant: $175
- Wedding Coordinator starts at $2500
- Wedding Planning starts at $5000
Contact Info:
- Email: eleganteveningevents@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/eleganteveningevents
- Facebook: Facebook.com/eleganteveningevents
Image Credits
Maria Parrilla – Parrilla Photography
