Today we’d like to introduce you to Nadia Ali.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nadia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Carrollton, TX and graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with an advertising degree. From there, I went on to work at a string of corporate jobs, trying to find the best fit. Although my professional story doesn’t begin as a wedding and event planner, you could say that something has been nudging me in that direction my whole life.
I’ve always been a planner, it has always come very naturally to me. When I was younger, my dad was an entrepreneur in the entertainment industry, and through his work, he was able to give me my first real-world experiences. I learned the ins and outs of putting a production together by shadowing him at his events. You could say that I’ve been in event planning since the age of nine!
Even though planning was such a big part of my life, it took me a while to even consider making a career out of it. When I realized that there was something special I could bring to event planning, I got really excited about tapping into that potential. So, I went back to UTA to become a Certified Wedding and Event Planner, because I could see the value in learning from others and getting recognized for taking the time to do so. After completing the coursework, I took the plunge and launched Party of Two, a Texas-based full-service wedding and event planning company.
Great, 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?
The struggle is real as a small business owner! As someone who has always worked in a corporate setting, it was difficult to completely shift gears into being a business owner. You basically have to take a giant leap of faith and just hope that everything goes smoothly and keep working even when it doesn’t.
Maintaining a full-time corporate job while starting a business is not for the faint of heart. There have definitely been times when striving to do both took a heavy toll on me, both physically and mentally. But, I am lucky enough to have a strong support system that has kept me on track. My parents and family played a major role in me starting my own business, and they have encouraged me every step of the way. I have learned to appreciate the power of taking breaks to enjoy time with friends and family and focusing on my health, all so I can return to my work and give it my all.
One of my rocks is my cousin, Hena Husain, who interned for me while finishing school at the University of North Texas. She assisted with all my graphic design, photography and social media. Although her internship with Party of Two technically ended a year ago, she’s still by my side every day. Hena manages our social media on a daily basis, and she’s the sounding board for all my ideas. I’ve also been able to lean on a couple of other friends who have assisted on site for weddings. Weddings are typically 15+ hour days for us and I’ve been fortunate to have a team that’s willing to hustle on those days with me.
Owning a small business is all about self-promotion! I owe a lot of my success in launching my business to Instagram. However, learning how to grow my follower base hasn’t always been easy, because it can be a challenge to consistently find meaningful content to post. It’s hard not to get caught up in the trendiness of super aesthetically cohesive feeds, so I try to focus on posting for people instead of perfecting Instagram as a medium.
Please tell us about Party of Two.
Party of Two is a Texas born and bred, full-service wedding and event planning company. Although we’re based in Dallas, we’re willing and ready to travel anywhere in the world for our couples’ big days. Our mission is to create curated experiences. We want every wedding and event to be a unique extension of our client’s personality.
These days, weddings can seem like a competition to have the best of everything. Our name, Party of Two, is to remind our couples that their day is about THEM! In the end, the most important thing is not the flowers or the cake or the dress, it’s that you’re marrying your person, and the two of you are becoming one. Planning a wedding should be fun and exciting for couples, and the key to that is making the experience as stress-free as possible.
Pricing:
- Pricing begins at $1500 for Wedding Day-Of Coordination. We also offer Partial Planning and Full Planning Wedding packages.
- We also love other celebrations like birthdays, showers, engagement parties, etc. – pricing for social events begins at $150.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.partyoftwoevents.com/
- Email: nadia@partyoftwoevents.com
Image Credit:
Cristy Angulo Photography, Esther Huynh Photography, Hena Husain Photography, Lynnet Perez Photography
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