We recently had the chance to connect with Lauren Miller and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
I think some people are under the impression that by having a micro wedding you have to give up on style but I’d argue that the opposite is true. When you’re planning a wedding with a smaller guest count, your budget for decor goes much further. Instead of having to rent 150 linens, you only have to rent 50 (or even fewer!) Speciality rentals (like linens, flatware and chargers) can make a really big impact on the overall look and vision of your micro wedding. Same goes with florals – fewer guests mean fewer tables to adorn with centerpieces. Often times, this leaves the couple with money left over for a ceremony floral installation or ground arrangements! Having a micro wedding leaves room for lots of creative design that would typically cost much more when planning a wedding with a large guest list.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Lauren and I’m the founder of Tiny Wedding Co. We take the guesswork out of micro wedding planning by offering couples straight-forward but customizable all-inclusive packages. These packages include day of coordination, photography, personal floral designs, an officiant and a small wedding cake. We set our couples up for success by including planning tools to stay organized and assist with timeline creation leading up to the wedding day. We also offer add ons such as partial and full service planning, additional floral designs and extra hours with our day of coordinators and photographers on the day of the wedding.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I was not a straight A student growing up. Far from it.
I was hyper aware of my short comings and all of the things I was not. I accepted the idea that there was a cap at what I was capable of achieving and those limitations I set for myself hindered my ability to dream big.
I grew up believing that there was only one way of learning because that’s the only option I was ever given: you read, you take a test, and you either pass or fail. You either got it or you didn’t. You were smart or you were dumb.
Deep down I knew I wasn’t, but I also didn’t know how else to prove it. Somehow, I got into a decent college. I went to orientation and a professor stopped to talk to me about an alternative learning program: a program that tested abilities not with multiple choice but by analysis, essay writing, presentations and real conversations. I signed up immediately and I got straight A’s my first year. Not because it was easy but because someone decided to give me a chance to learn in an environment that encouraged me to see and communicate and test the way it made sense for my brain.
Running a successful business wasn’t something I ever thought possible as a young person. It was only at the start of my business journey that I realized that my doubt was fueled by the misnomer that there is only way one to measure intelligence.
Do you remember a time someone truly listened to you?
Before I started my first business back in 2012 I was interning at an alternative asset management firm in New York. It was mostly data entry and filing but my boss who was the Chief Compliance Officer took an interest in my future. She didn’t try and force a career in finance but instead listened to my passions and ideas and inspired me to follow my unique path. I still have the card she wrote for me on my last day encouraging me to stay true to myself and my ideas.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Too many people in the wedding industry use the number of followers someone has on Instagram to measure success. To me, it’s not about the number of followers but who is following you. It doesn’t matter if you have 50,000 followers if half of them aren’t engaged and looking for your services. I don’t focus too much on follower growth but rather getting in front of our niche market. Views and engagement with the right group of people is far more meaningful.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
I think we do a really good job at allowing couples to be unapologetically themselves. We care a lot about our couples and their vision even if that means something really simple without spending a dollar on decor. We don’t get too caught up in the ever-changing wedding trends you see on Instagram. Instead, we get to know our couples’ personalities and their vision and build a wedding on that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tinyweddingcollective.com
- Instagram: @thetinyweddingcollective
Image Credits
N/A All photos were taken by our team
