Today we’d like to introduce you to Millie Afeame.
Millie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I lived in a very populated neighborhood growing up as a young girl and there was one function or the other every weekend in my neighborhood. I think it is safe to say it was a very safe and close-knitted neighborhood because we all knew each other and by virtue of that, I was somewhat an errand girl on Saturdays for anyone having a party. Whether it be a birthday party or baby Christening, I was always in the mix helping to arrange chairs, helping the DJ offload his gadgets, lifting poles for the folks mounting the tents and so many more, I loved it to be honest, but I never knew the joy of doing all that will metamorphose into me later on in life helping and serving people one way or the other. This quickly got to a point where most of my friends asked for my help in planning or organizing church events, planning of surprised parties, other celebratory events and also asking for my advice before making major decisions with regards to life.
My enthusiasm for all things wedding and events was tested when the time came for me to plan my own wedding, I wanted something elegant and intimate but there wasn’t any wedding planner in my area at the time who understood the cultural needs for my wedding ceremony and those who were willing to learn about my culture were extremely expensive, and so I decided to plan my own wedding but hired someone to help coordinate and manage my wedding day. I enjoyed the planning process and my wedding turned out beautiful. After my nuptials, I took a certification in wedding and event planning and immediately launched my business and I, fortunately, started booking clients since then. My team includes my hard-working and efficient assistants and my seasonal interns who are all also passionate about making each wedding or event an unforgettable one. We believe that every wedding or event we are privileged to plan, design and coordinate happens once in a lifetime and so it must be done well thus we go above and beyond to ensure that couples and celebrants have the best experience ever when they hire our services.
Has it been a smooth road?
My journey in the event planning industry hasn’t been an easy one at all but I am grateful to God for surrounding me with a few people who believed in my capabilities and encouraged me to pursue my passion, my husband being one of the people who has always been in the front row seat of my journey and is always cheering me on. One of my main struggles along the way was pricing my services for my clients, even though I knew my worth, I had to be real about how expensive weddings are and so in my attempt to charge reasonably for my services I low balled myself unknowingly in the beginning but as the business grew, I started reading and learning more about the business on my own which helped me gained more insight about how to price my services because I felt the things I learned when I did my certification were not enough to sustain me in the industry. Another struggle of mine was to find someone to coach me, the few people I thought I could look up to saw me as a threat in the industry and so they were not interested in being my coach or mentor. But I didn’t let that deter me and so I continued to read and learn on my own and gradually started implementing all I was learning and that has positioned me to make major acceleration along the way. I also found myself having to update my contract after each event because I was doing things that were not part of my job description as a wedding and event planner. My quest to do these things has given me leverage and the business has been growing steadily in the last three years. My advice to other women is that the event industry is not for the faint of hearts and so be confident, relentless and tenacious in your journey, seize every opportunity you get to add more value to yourself by learning every day. Don’t forget to be humble in the beginning and remain humble even when you become big. Also, avoid unhealthy competition and keep your eyes on the prize, which is helping your clients make unforgettable memories and lastly be honest and sincere with your clients because it is the only way to build trust and integrity in the industry.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Ruah’Dior Weddings & Events – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
The business name is Ruah ( pronounced Ru ah) Dior. Ruah means breath of God and Dior means “golden”. We are an event planning and design company that offers full wedding planning services, wedding design services and coordination services. We plan every celebratory event but, we are specialized in planning, designing and coordinating weddings. We are known for our ability to pay attention to details, we are also known for looking out for our client’s best interest and protecting their investments by ensuring that they have their money’s worth by working with some of the most talented vendors in the industry to bring the client’s vision to light. We are also known for making each client feel as though they are the only clients we have at any given time. We don’t treat our clients as just a number to a targeted goal but, we treat them as real people who have names and who are relying on us to make one of the most important moments in their lives a special one. What I am most proud of as a brand is my ability to design almost all the weddings I have had the honor to plan. Most of the designs that I created were also powered by some of the most trusted vendors in the industry.
And lastly, one of the things I am most proud of as a brand is my ability to establish my business with the help of God which has handed me the opportunity to employ young talents in the community. What sets us apart from the others is that, at Ruah’Dior Weddings and Events, we design every wedding based on the unique personalities of our brides and grooms to be. It is our joy and privilege to serve our clients in any way and capacity we can to make them shed tears of joy and satisfaction in the completed work, be it a wedding, social or corporate events, and ensuring that their day is everything they have envisioned it to be and even more.
We believe that every little girl has imagined and dreamed of how her wedding day should be and it is our job and duty at Ruah’Dior Weddings and Events to bring their however many year’s old innocent vision into reality without cutting corners. No two couples or clients are the same, which is why we go above and beyond by pulling every string and tying every loose end to ensure that no two weddings are ever the same.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
I love reading books about business as well as books about wedding planning. I also love reading any good blog post I chance upon, especially if it is talking about how to excel as an entrepreneur. I also love reading books about how to be a great leader. And lastly, I love reading my Bible, best book of all times!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ruahdiorevents.com
- Phone: 2146065018
- Email: askme@ruahdiorevents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruah.dior.events/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RuahDiorevents/
Image Credit:
Images were shot by David Adenuga, Fierre (The grace) Temi Coker, Pharris, Matt O, and Kwene
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