Today we’d like to introduce you to Reilly Wilcox
Hi Reilly , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I moved to Australia and dabbled in a few events here and there, but when the pandemic hit i was forced to move back to the states. I started out in the wedding industry at a wedding venue, and got so many weddings under my belt that way! sometimes 3-4 a weekend! I was busy. I learned the ins and outs of a foundational wedding event. I then moved onto a luxury wedding planning company where i was a lead planner, and head of sales. It was a great into to owning my own business and learning how to be self sufficient and independent in my work. the owner really allowed us to let our personalities shine with each of our own clients. It was great! I took a break to plan my own wedding, and boy its a different beast planning your own wedding! Even a wedding planner needs some support planning their own wedding! I truly never thought i would own my own business, i dont have a college degree, and dont know the first thing about business 101. But in todays world thankfully there are so many resources you can use to help you on your journey! It certainly doesnt make it any easier though. Once i finished planning my destination wedding in arizona, it ignited the passion for planning again, and a passion to create a business that was fully mine that i could make and run how i desired. My husband was the catalyst for this, he believed in me and saw the potential in this business and me! I told him okay, i will start something but he needs to create the name and logo. and he did just that! He used our brand that he created for our wedding that has our initials that also made a cowboy hat upside down! He came up with the name as well and the rest just fell into place with many late nights, ups and downs of feeling imposter syndrome, not knowing a thing about taxes and legal documents… but we made it where i am today! Only a year in business and i have been to 5 states this year and many more to come next year and countless weddings in dfw and beyond on the books! I work so hard to make sure my clients have the best experience, and i have been blessed with amazing clients who understand that i am human and i have a life of my own to live and that owning a business is so hard sometimes. I have never been as busy as i am now and i am loving the adventure!! My team is growing and the impact my business makes is growing and my goal is to make people feel loved, served, secure, celebrated, and that i am in their corner the whole time! I am notorious for staying friends with my clients after their weddings, and i always say its because my clients are the absolute best!
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?
no road in life is a smooth road! especially when you know nothing about owning a business and you start from grown zero. i have spent hours upon hours building this business. working from 10am to sometimes 2-3am basically nonstop! Having HDHD helps when im fixated on something and thankfully that was in my favor but i do have struggles with staying consistent and getting my admin tasks done. Because if you know anything about HDHD you have major slopes where the tasks feel debilitating and overwhelming, so essentially i work 10x harder to make sure that happens very minimally and that i dont experience these crashes. i also have to make sure i take care of myself so i can be my best self for my clients! its been a big self love journey for sure!
We’ve been impressed with Hats off Events Co. LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Hats off Events Co. LLC is a wedding and event planning business. We mostly plan weddings but LOVE to venture out and keep our selves busy with all the things! We work with most budgets and strive to create their vision within their budget. i believe there is a lot of artistry in that… it takes creative thinking, out of the box ideas, breaking the mold to create what they are envisioning. we love templates because it gets us started but will always encourage breaking the mold. We believe that weddings and events are not just about the venue but also about crafting a narrative or theme that resonates with guests and tells a unique story with every detail.
i would say im most known for creating deep relationships with clients, and i hope that is always what im known for! this life is too short to be surface level, and not make deep connections with people. I am most proud of brand wise for how authentically i present myself, i spend alot of time through social media and have gotten alot of praise for it so i am proud of all my hard work!
I would love people to know that there is no idea too hard to accomplish!! i take it as a challenge accepted. Package wise, we have a wide variety to fit the specific needs of each person since every couple, every client, every event is so vastly different. For weddings/events we have a ‘day of’ coordination, ‘month of’ coordination, partial planning, and full service planning! We also have destination wedding packages, elopement and micro wedding packages to choose from if thats your jam.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
To give myself grace and to give the people i work with and around grace. We are all going through life together and planning an event can really be overshadowed by life’s struggles, but i strive to create and make space for the event planning journey to be a peaceful sanctuary for both me and the client! Event planning should be fun and light hearted, a space to forget about your troubles for a little while and enjoy creating an event that will eventually be a sanctuary fr your guests day of too. but if and WHEN they mix together i am here to provide support and encouragement and be someone they can rely on to listen and encourage them.
Pricing:
- Coordination Packages starting at $1200
- Planning packages starting at $3000
- Additional event planning starting at $250
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hatsoffeventsco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hatsoffeventsco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HatsOffEventsCo/
Image Credits
@madisonkelnerphoto, @marissamphoto, @dougandashleyphotography, @leahbreezephoto, @kayleenshearerphotography, @yoderand.co, @luxeandcophotography, @hatsoffeventsco
