Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Mason.
Hi Crystal, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started university at the age of 16 and chose to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management because it sounded like a career that would see me lead a luxurious life… one in which I would travel the world, LOL. Throughout my studies, it became apparent that my chosen field wasn’t going to be quite what I expected. Nevertheless, I continued, assuring myself that I was young and that I could always pursue something else if I didn’t like it.
My first job out of college was Front Desk Agent at a small business hotel. This role helped me to think on my feet, become better at dealing with different personalities, handle pressure well, and to really hone the customer service skills they taught me in school. However, it involved long work weeks, an ever-changing shift which disrupted my sleeping pattern and standing for most of my shifts. After a year, I was ready to see what was next so I applied for the position of Sales Associate at another hotel within the company.
My title/position did not prepare me for the intensive nature of my new job. As a Sales Associate, my daily duties involved helping people book guestrooms but also helping them plan events. Definitely a case of learning on the job but I soon found myself coordinating weddings, conferences, birthday parties, meetings, etc., managing all aspects of the event that had to do with the hotel from as early as a year out up until the day of the event which is when I would hand over to the Banqueting Department for execution. I did this for hundreds of clients, year in year out for three years. After a while, I realized I loved it and at the prodding of a friend of mine, created an Instagram page for ‘Cryssie Coordinates It’ (now ‘Events by Cryssie’). It hasn’t been easy, but I am now a year in and excited for what’s to come!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I started this business in the middle of a pandemic where social distancing is mandatory and large gatherings are banned. Events in the traditional sense are all about gatherings of groups of people at a specific time in a specific location, so it’s been very hard to plan given the restrictions. In addition, because of the economic impact of the pandemic, people are trying to do more themselves and to cut back on their spending, and this often means cutting out event planners. Nevertheless, I remain optimistic and strongly believe that there’s still a market for my services.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
‘Events by Cryssie’ is a Kingston-based wedding and special events planning company. We plan weddings, birthday parties, baby showers, surprise engagements, bridal showers and are pretty much open to planning any kind of celebratory event. While I have a lot of experience planning corporate events, conferences, and banquets, I chose celebratory-type events because I get most excited about the details involved in these types of events. When I start working on a project, it’s almost as if I’m the client, I make it my own and tend to go above and beyond to ensure their satisfaction. I usually think of it like it is my event and do for my clients as I’d want someone else to do for me.
What I am most proud of is that I’ve stuck with this business throughout the pandemic even though it’s been tough as a brand new company. We recently passed the one-year mark and celebrated by creating personalized Mother’s Day gift boxes, all of which sold out, YAY! (LOL) It was definitely a challenging and rewarding experience, and we hope to be able to come back bigger and better next year. I am also currently contemplating offering birthday boxes and bridal boxes on request, so that’s something to look forward to.
What matters most to you? Why?
The thing that matters most to me is family. I come from a big family. I have nine siblings, six older and three younger and all I want to know at all times is that they’re doing good. I am especially protective of my younger siblings and want to get to a place in life where I am doing well enough to help them, whether by creating opportunities for them or by helping them gain access to higher education which in turn will help them to create their own opportunities.
Pricing:
- We offer 3 wedding packages: Month of Coordination – USD $750
- Partial planning – USD $1000
- Full planning – USD $1500
Contact Info:
- Email: eventsbycryssie@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eventsbycryssie
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/eventsbycryssie
Image Credits
Photo of Bride & Groom’s recession was taken by photographer Courtney Chen Photo of myself giving the Bride a hug was taken by photographer Ishack Wilmot.
