Meet The Interns

The summer has been nothing short of a busy season, and with the help of these lovely ladies, it's been a great one! All Buttoned Up Events proud to introduce our Summer 2016 Interns. While they have been hard at work since mid-May, we finally found the time this week to catch our breath and reflect on the past few months before heading full force into the lively month that is August!

While most of our days have been packed full of client meetings and polishing final details for our events, we found some time to play (and learn)..work hard, play hard, right??

With big thanks to the variety of wonderful vendors around Grand Rapids, we were able to incorporate hands-on training days where the team set out to learn more useful skills in the wedding industry!

(left to right) Catrice, Mikayla, Olivia, Whitney, Allison, Kelly, and Carrie

We kicked off the beginning of our summer season and training days by getting a behind-the-scenes look at the JW Marriott in Grand Rapids.

Whitney, JW's Event Coordinator, took us under her wing for an afternoon of seeing what's inside of the venue's Corporate Events, as well as allowing us to explore all of the beautiful event spaces the hotel has to offer.

(top left) Olivia (bottom left) Catrice (right) Mikayla

Kate Spade once said, "I think playing dress up begins at the age 5, and never truly ends." Her words certainly held true during our visit to Bridal Elegance, located in Grand Rapids.

This venue was kind enough to invite our team to come to the shop and learn more about what truly goes into picking the perfect dress and what to look for. And of course, we couldn't go into a bridal boutique and not try on a few of their gorgeous gowns!

(left to right) Elizabeth, Mikayla, Catrice, & Allison

Up next was a trip to Posh Petals, where Elizabeth provided us with some hands-on floral design training! Our love for their fabulous centerpieces and other floral arrangements was certainly in full bloom.

With every adventure considered, we sat down with each of the girls and asked them to share an experience they loved this summer, as well as a piece of advice for future interns of All Buttoned Up Events.

So, without further ado... Meet the All Buttoned Up 2016 Interns!

Catrice

She is a fellow laker from the GVSU's Hospitality Program! Catrice is driven, kind, and hilarious. Her independent study through All Buttoned Up Events was being our social media guru.

Favorite Memory:

"My favorite memory working with Kelly over the summer has to be when we hung lighting at the first wedding we did together. At the time it seemed like a disaster and Kelly was too scared to climb up on the ladder, but now looking back it is kind of humorous. We learned never to hang lighting from a barn again and how to think on our feet. Overall it was character building and made me respect how Kelly has to fix things out of her control all the time just like any event! At the end of the day the lighting looked amazing and all of our hard work fixing it paid off."

Words of Wisdom:

"Attend as many client meetings as possible and dive into your independent study to get the most out of the internship! I wish I would have been able to attend more design, final details, and vendor meetings because of how valuable they are in the long run. For my independent study I really enjoyed marketing and creating relationships with other vendors and clients. Also, never ever skip a training day because those are an absolute blast! And last but not least always bring leftover dessert back after a wedding."

Mikayla

This is Mikayla's second internship with us, and we just can't get enough! She is creative, a leader, and adaptable. Mikayla is also a Laker in GVSU's Hospitality Program. This summer, her independent study has been focusing on our rental items.

Favorite Memory:

"My favorite memory is really hard to choose but probably either making boutonnieres at Posh Petals and meeting the awesome Elizabeth and learning about how she started her company and does what she loves! Or of course, trying on wedding dresses at Bridal Elegance! Workshop days are amazing ways to learn more about the industry as a whole."

Words of Wisdom:

"If I could give one piece of advice it would be to always be confident with yourself, even if you're not always sure what the client is asking. Also, to do your best to gain as much experience as you can by attending meetings, helping at events, and meeting other vendors in the industry. This is where you get the knowledge of what to do, and not to do in a situation. Kelly is an amazing planner and a great teacher."

Olivia

The dedication Olivia has is unmatched as she drives from Kalamazoo 2-3 to be a part of our team. She is a Bronco from WMU's Marketing Program. She is passionate, creative, and diverse. This summer, her independent study has been being the voice of our website, blog, and Etsy shop!

Favorite Memory: "My favorite memory has to be the days we have spent in the office. On office days, that's where everything happens. We are either completing paper product orders, putting together details for an event, or running around Grand Rapids. I feel like I learn the most from our training days where Kelly focuses the day around a specific part of the job or meeting other vendors around town!"

Words of Wisdom:

"Be observant and stay on your toes while working an event. From the beginning of a 10 am set up to tearing down the reception at midnight. Event days are long, but it is where everything you've been trained on is applied. It's an exciting part of the internship and a great way to gain experience. "

Thank you ladies, for all of your hard work throughout this past summer! All Buttoned Up has been so lucky to have you.

To find more shots from our interns' summer adventures, browse through our Instagram page: @allbuttonedupevents.