We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marian Versalko. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marian below.
Marian, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to say that I truly feel like I am living out my purpose day-to-day through the work that I do! I feel that I am meant to be in this role as a wedding planner offering my couples a partnership that encourages out-of-the-box thinking and urging personalization within an industry that can often feel very “cookie cutter”.
But let me take a step back and explain how I got here and found this “calling”, if you will. I started my career in the media/magazine industry in New York City working on events teams at both established and emerging digital and physical publications. I feel fortunate to have had some really amazing experiences early on in my event planning career that really fostered this love of events — I had a hand in planning events across the spectrum from SXSW activations to music festivals to branded dinners to move premiers.
I got to a point where I knew that event planning was the path for me, but I was burnt out within the media space and was searching for an avenue that allowed me to exercise both the creative AND logistical sides of my brain. It was super important for me to also find a trajectory that would ultimately foster a good work/life balance and sense of purpose.
Simultaneously, I got engaged and started planning my own wedding. While searching for venues and looking for inspiration, I knew that I wanted to host a wedding unlike one that I had seen or attended before. I knew that I wanted it to feel super personalized and special to me and my now-husband. We wanted to be very intentional and proud of every single decision we made surrounding it. And I knew I couldn’t be the only one who was thinking this way….
SO, I decided to take a leap of faith and leave my corporate job in order to start Marian Frances Events — a boutique wedding and event planning company focusing on helping those couples who want to plan an event that feels uniquely them. I use my corporate event planner background to inform how I approach the wedding planning process in order to build an event from the ground up for my couples! And I love that this is what I get to do every day.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
At the heart of it, I am an event professional that now focuses primarily on wedding planning! My goal is to help couples focus on what matters most — celebrating their love for one another. I try to help them center th
I started Marian Frances Events in 2020 in the height of the pandemic….which definitely took a leap of faith to start a business centered around in-person events during a global pandemic, but I just had a gut feeling that the need was there. I remember having a conversation with my now-husband about a plan to fully commit at least two years to this business and then we could re-asses and see how it was going (and if I needed to return to a corporate career).
I am super happy to say that over the past 4+ years, it has proven to be the best decision ever! I love what I get to do every day, I’ve helped over 70 couples with bringing their wedding dreams to life, and it has grown into a successful business along the way.
At Marian Frances Events, we offer Full Service Wedding Planning packages to our couples who are looking for a true partnership in their wedding planning process. we offer everything from venue scouting, vendor sourcing and liaising, budget management, timeline management, design planning, and full wedding weekend coordination. I really view this as a true partnership for my couples, and I get to know them really really well throughout the planning process.
As a small business owner, a wife, and a mom of a young daughter, I also have to make sure that I am balancing my work load in order to maintain a work/life balance. Given that, I now only take on up to 10 weddings per year to make sure that I am giving my clients the time and attention their wedding deserves while also having time to focus on my family and a life outside of my business, which is always a tricky balance to strike!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My biggest piece of advice to others who are looking to start their own business is that you really have to dive in feet first in order to reap the rewards! When I started Marian Frances Events in 2020, I started it while simultaneously working at my full-time job. I was able to lay the groundwork while it was still a “side hustle”, but it wasn’t until I quit my job and dove ALL IN that I really saw the clients pour in. I know that it can be super scary to leave something comfortable in order to chase a passion or idea, but it can be so so worth it!
As a recent new mom and business owner, I have also found that balancing the two can be really challenging and even anxiety-inducing! When I first had my daughter in 2023 amidst a busy wedding season, I had a really hard time taking a step back from work to focus on my new growing family. The lack of time off almost led me to the point of burnout. I wish I had had other female entrepreneurs guiding me and advising me during that time, so I would recommend seeking community and finding help in navigating tough life changes and seasons! Sometimes you have to focus on yourself in order to pour into others.
And lastly, I think just maintaining a sense of purpose and consistently reminding myself of why I do what I do really helps drive me to give my best to all of my clients!
How would you describe your ideal client?
My ideal clients are ones who want to celebrate their love in a genuine way and push the boundaries of what it looks like to host a “traditional” wedding. I love to work with clients who want their personalities to shine through on this day, with my goal being to have their guests leaving saying, “wow, that was so them”! I love to work with genuine and kind people where there is mutual respect as well. We are all working toward a common goal of facilitating the best love celebration possible, and I love for us to keep that top of mind!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marianfrancesevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marianfrancesevents/
Image Credits
Jennifer Austin Photography
Allison Hammond Creative
Taylor Jordan Photography
G&M Visions Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.