It seems that after each wedding season, more and more wedding decorators, photographers, organizers appear. For some of them, it is the fulfillment of a long cherished dream, and for some, the desire for something more creative and beautiful in their life. But what is it like to work in the wedding industry and how did you end up in it, LĪGAVĀM asked one of the best-known representatives of this field in Latvia.
The company is built little by little, without rushing the growth
Wedding decorator and organizer Iluta Piternika / MintDeco says that although she has always considered herself a creative person by nature, she has worked for most of her life in positions where creative expressions have been quite little to do with.
"I have even managed a construction company and a state capital company. Although I received a good salary, my heart did not rejoice. I have always helped friends with organizing events and weddings, but it was at the level of a hobby, never thinking that one day it could develop into a full-time job.
In the fateful year of 2013, I went on maternity leave and decided that finally, at the age of 34, I want to change my life and work only in a job that will make me really happy. And again, helping friends with wedding planning and decoration, I realized that I really like it. If many wedding planners have learned their skills by working in agencies, but then created their own companies, I have gone through it all independently and slowly.
MintDeco I build little by little without rushing the growth. Every year I set new small goals, for example, one year I decided - now we will also decorate ceremonies, another year - lighting, etc.
And so in five years MintDeco has been established as a company that already offers a wide range of services. Many people ask me where I learned it. And I answer - nowhere," says Iluta Piternika.
Iluta admits that more clarity and experience has come through each decorated wedding. “A girl once Instagram asked me what kind of school I had to graduate from to work as a wedding decorator. To that I had to answer honestly and with a smile - a master's degree in business management and good taste. This is exactly the story about me, because my education and previous work experience were in no way related to artistic or creative spheres," admits Iluta.
The idea of the wedding industry - the eternal celebration
Iluta regularly receives messages with requests to lead master classes or, for practice purposes, to be allowed to work at weddings organized or decorated by her.
"Today, when wedding photography is at such a high level, of course the work of wedding planners and decorators is portrayed as particularly beautiful, so the image of this industry for many is an eternal celebration of stroking flowers and posing under beautifully decorated wedding arches.
Actually, there is a lot of physical and emotional work underneath. It must be admitted that the wedding industry is quite closed and not so open to young aspirants. I'm really not afraid of competition, because I believe that only those couples will come to me who really want to work with us and who will be attracted by our style of wedding organization and decoration," says Iluta.
To share my experience and inspirational story, 28.01. in the evening at the restaurant Koya Iluta will conduct a lecture I want to work at a wedding .
"I am repeating the lecture for the second time, because I see that there is interest and demand for this kind of meeting and information. At one time, I did not have any inspirer or mentor who would encourage me to take bold steps in the direction of my dream job. I would definitely like to be someone like that, because I owe the universe that it has been so beneficial to me with wonderful couples and beautiful weddings," admits Iluta.
The biggest risk – finances!
Wedding photographer Miks Šēls calls his focus on wedding photography as getting the stars in the right places. He was influenced by, as he himself admits, a kind of crisis of his thirties, the birth of his daughter and 10 years of experience in paid work.
"In my case, it all started with taking pictures of my daughter at home, but Iluta Piternika opened my eyes to the wedding industry. At first, it didn't seem possible at all, but after seeing the appreciation of friends and social media followers, I started to believe it.
The decision was certainly not easy, as the future was not clearly visible. The biggest risk – finances! My primary task, however, is to support my family. When I realized that the bookings for the next year are so stable that the income will not change - only then did I make the decision to change my profession from a paid job in the real estate field to a photographer.
I think that it is much more difficult to do this now, because the Lavia market is saturated with very good European-level photographers, including other wedding industry companies/artists.
The biggest challenge is to continue to develop creatively and discipline yourself year after year, because the wedding industry is changing very rapidly," says Miks Šēls.
Brings the wedding itself into the field of weddings
Wedding organizers Ingu Bērziņu / bannté brought her own wedding into the wedding industry. Until the birth of her daughter, Inga had done various jobs, but none of them gave the desired satisfaction. Inga dreamed of something of her own – a creative job that would make her do something new, unpredictable and interesting every day.
"My daughter was born in 2010, and I realized that returning to my previous job was impossible, and I had to realize my dreams, which were still not clear until the end, because there were no tangible examples in Latvia of exactly what and how I would like to do.
I really started working in the wedding industry in 2013, when I told myself that my dream of organizing weddings and events must be realized this year or it will remain just a dream.
My first project was my girlfriend's wedding in June 2013, which also became the key to my success and future excitement. All my ideas and brainstorming came to fruition and word of this Pinterest wedding spread. I got fired up, and it filled me with inexhaustible energy and adrenaline," says Inga.
Quality rest is needed every autumn
Inga admits that when she started working in the field of weddings, she was a person - an orchestra - she organized and coordinated, decorated, and was a driver if there was such a need. When I started working in the field of weddings, I approved all the projects, I didn't know how to refuse, because being in every process was like a fulfillment of happiness for me.
Despite how happy I was doing my heart's work, I needed rehab every fall. I literally put myself back together in pieces, because in the summer I devoted myself to projects without mercy and without holidays.
Every autumn I was psychologically exhausted, but still happy about what I had done. That's why, looking back on the first three seasons of wedding planning, I don't understand how I did it all, because the weddings were every weekend, both Friday and Saturday, and I was present at all of them," admits Inga. "At the moment, after six wedding seasons, I'm sure of what and how I'm doing. I am confident in what I can offer my clients. I do not exhaust myself to the point of exhaustion and I am aware of the volume of work, I have structured both my time and divided tasks and responsibilities. I have found reliable cooperation partners with whom I regularly work, and the relationship is mutually high-quality, which means that the client, trusting my experience, is only a winner.
I still love what I do, because every season brings with it new adventures," says Inga.
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