Today we’d like to introduce you to Camille Dillard
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My business started off as a homework assignment my freshman year of college at the University of Tennessee.In 2015, I was in an introductory entrepreneurship class and our professor asked us to make a BUGS list. If you’re not familiar with a BUGS list, it is literally a list of things that bug you. My professor asked us to make a few columns for our list. The first column was things that bugged you, second was ways you could fix those things, and the third column was for things you could take the things that bug you and make a business out of them. I hated things that were poorly planned, that started late, that were horribly decorated, and were unorganized. And that’s where I came up with the thought of being a wedding planner.
After presenting my list to the class, my professor came up to me and told me I should give this a little more thought as it sounded very natural and very fitting for me. I worked closely with that same professor the next four years of my undergraduate career. He introduced me to people that allowed me to shadow them, resources to learn more about what it took to become a wedding planner, and pushed me to compete in competitions that helped me get funding to start my business. He ended up helping me get my first internship, where worked as an unpaid intern for over a year. That’s when I knew I really wanted this. You know you really love doing something when you do it for free. I didn’t mind the long days, the way my feet ached after running around all day, all I cared about was the feeling of accomplishment and pure joy after the event was over. I knew I had found my passion and my purpose.
It wasn’t until 2018 that I officially started my business as a junior in college. I asked my boss at the time if there was an opportunity to take on more responsibility and possibly getting paid and she fired me. From there I ran into the constant challenge of people not wanting to hire me as out of fear that I would become their competition. So I did just that. I became the competition. It also made more sense for me to start my business because by then I had become obsessed and determined with being a wedding planner and I was investing a lot of my own money to master my craft that I learned I could write off on my taxes.
Because I was so young when I started my business, I felt like there was a lot I needed to learn about being an adult in general in addition to learning how to be an entrepreneur. It’s taken almost seven years to really find my footing, but I still have the same determination to be successful that I did in 2015.
The bumps in the road have helped me solidify what I truly love about planning events. From meeting new people, exploring different venues, trying new foods and cocktails, helping people make hard decisions, and just being apart of special memories that people will never forget. It hasn’t been easy, but it has truly been worth it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing about this road has been smooth. But that is how I’ve been able to learn so much. From starting my business as broke college student, to people not wanting to hire me because they didn’t want to train their future competition, to the world shutting down two years after after I started my business. We could be here all day.
I also struggled because of my age. When I would go to conferences I was always the youngest person in the room. I let that get to me. I would look around and say “some of these women have been in business for as long as I have been alive.” I had convinced myself that people wouldn’t want to work with a planner who was half their age. Fast forward to now, a lot of my clients are literally my age or around it. I still can’t believe I EVER doubted myself solely because of how young I was at the time.
Another struggle I had was setting boundaries and being more assertive. I’m a natural people pleaser. I do not mean this in a bootlicking way, but in a way that I never truly want to upset anyone. There were times I could have been more vocal with brides about things I knew in my head could be potential issues. For instance letting their friends and family “help” with setting up decor, yet they moved crucial elements around that I ultimately got the blame for. As a wedding planner, I am the ultimate scapegoat. So now I’ve learned not to let certain things slide because if something goes wrong it is my name and reputation that are on the line. While I still have a genuine aim to please, sometimes that means I have to be the person that tells you what you need to hear even it is not so pleasant. That is something I am still struggling with to this day.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Dreams by Dillard Weddings & Events, LLC.?
I am a full service wedding and event planner. I am also a floral designer. So I can plan your wedding AND make it look beautiful. I am known for my ability to connect with people and to make everyone feel special and celebrated.You don’t have to have a huge budget to work with me. The fact that you trust me is enough for me to give you my all. I also think being a millennial helps a lot too. A lot of planners in the Memphis area are older and I think more people are wanting to work with people more similar in age to them if they have that option.
I offer full planning, moderate planning, day of coordination, and hourly consultations. In terms of florals, I do bouquets, centerpieces, altar arches, boutonnières, whatever a clients wants to hire me for. That’s what keeps things interesting. No two events are ever the same.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Don’t give up and don’t be too hard on yourself. I am still way harder on myself than I need to be and it sets me back. I can’t get out of my head sometimes. I get what you call “analysis paralysis”. You can’t have that. You have to just be able to embrace the ugly and take the risks.
You also want to set realistic goals for yourself. When I was about to graduate college I thought I was going to be a full time wedding planner the day after I graduated. That wasn’t true. And sometimes I still beat myself up about what I did wrong and why I wasn’t as far as I thought I would be by now. If I hadn’t placed all that pressure on myself I wouldn’t have been so disappointed that it didn’t happen as fast as I wanted to.
Be patient and don’t compare yourself to others while you are waiting on your turn. There are people I competed in competitions with at UTK that were able to do their businesses full time after graduating. I still ask myself what did they do differently and what did I do wrong when in reality everyone’s journey is different. As long as I don’t give up on myself and my dream, I don’t care how long it takes. I know I will get there if keep going but not if I quit.
Pricing:
- Day of Coordination starts at $1,500
- Moderate Planning starts at $3,000
- Full Planning starts at $4,500 and it’s based on the total hours it takes to complete the event
- Hourly rate is $100/hours
- Florals are based of market price of the flowers and cost of supplies
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dreamsbydillard.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamsbydillardevents/p/DCrnQoPRjnJ/
