Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Miller
Hi Lauren, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I made my debut in the wedding industry about 13 years ago as a wedding photographer in South Florida. I had been growing my business while doing a year-long volunteering stint with AmeriCorps. A few years later, I made my way to the DMV where I continued my passion for documenting love.
But it didn’t take long for me to grow tired of the overtly traditional, buttoned-up weddings that rarely showcased the diversity (in people, style, and budget) Baltimore had to offer. I felt very strongly that weddings could feel momentous without the stress of managing (and funding) a massive event.
And so about three months before the pandemic hit, I (luckily) launched The Tiny Wedding Collective as a way to curate smaller weddings without having to skip out on personal style.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We opened our doors in November of 2019 and the pandemic hit in March of 2020. In some ways, I feel really lucky to have had a head start while most large wedding companies had to scramble to pivot. While big events were being shut down, small, intimate events were on the rise. Not only were we able to give couples a chance to celebrate their love, but our team was able to keep working. While companies were letting people go, we were hiring.
Still, starting a new business in the middle of a pandemic had its challenges; we had to navigate updated rules and regulations and manage numerous date changes due to illness all while keeping customer service in the driver’s seat. Which wasn’t always easy – people were suffering which meant emotions were running high. It was a great exercise in staying calm, managing expectations, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. We managed to do fairly well in our first two years of business but we knew it wasn’t truly indicative of our future success as a new business. Did our business only serve as an interim option until larger events were permissible again? We’d soon find out!
We had a few setbacks at the beginning but it turns out, the pandemic gave couples the permission to stray from the traditional. We learned through countless inquiry calls that couples – despite their varying budgets – want to spend more time with their guests in ways that are unique to their relationships and values. They want a wedding that feels monumental without feeling over-the-top, and the freedom to be themselves.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Tiny Wedding Collective offers all-inclusive micro wedding packages for events in Baltimore with 50 or fewer guests.
Each base package includes an officiant, day of coordinator, photographer, and florist as well as a small celebration cake, a bottle of champagne, and lots of add-on options. We believe weddings should feel monumental without the stress of planning and managing a colossal event. Our weddings are fun, intimate, and stylish, without being overly complicated or exorbitantly expensive.
Even though our services and deliverables have a clear-cut formula, we believe that weddings should be a direct reflection of the couple’s personality and we delight in finding ways to inject that special sauce into each wedding entrusted to us. We strongly believe that “love is love” and so do our brand partners. Our process is clearly defined, stress-free, and smooth. Bigger isn’t always better—but bigger personalities? Bring it on.
Within the wedding industry, the challenges of brand recognition and relevance are not unique to the Tiny Wedding Collective. Our society has culturally normalized investing in a massive wedding with large, 150+ guest counts and multi-course meals. Between social media, Pinterest, event spaces, and celebrity media, engaged couples are constantly bombarded with a “more, more, more” mentality.
We prove to couples that a small wedding doesn’t just have to be a jaunt to the courthouse.
Our packages allow for a celebration that feels intimate without feeling small. With us, couples save thousands of dollars while commemorating their love surrounded by their closest friends and family and still get a sense of the traditional wedding experience. With stunning florals and a cake that looks as good as it tastes, our newlyweds end up with the photos they’d want from a full-scale wedding with a fraction of the stress.
Our portfolio and professionalism balanced with a sprinkle of spunk that dares couples to do something different allows us to stand apart within the wedding industry. Our clients come to us for an experience that is different but still reverent of their commitment to each other. With smashing photography and a brand voice that is experienced but excited, efficient but helpful, we attract our ideal clients.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I’m probably the least surprising person – I’m extremely open and I love to chat so there’s very little I won’t share with colleagues and clients. I strongly believe that true intimacy requires vulnerability and authenticity – that dropping the “act” and being myself leads to deeper connections, which is something I strive for when working with my team and clients. I pride myself in maintaining my professionalism without compromising my personality.
Pricing:
- Weekday Base Package $4475
- Weekend Base Package $4990
- Partial Planning $1500
- Full Service Planning $3500
- We also offer additional florals, a larger cake and more time with both the photographer and day of coordinator
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tinyweddingcollective.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetinyweddingcollective/
