Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Fingerlin and Cara Goset .
Hi Alex and Cara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
After several years in the industry, we felt there was a need for a wedding planning service that specialized in weddings that weren’t quite luxury, but also much more than “day of coordination” . It was important to us that we offer a more hands on approach to those clients that enjoy the planning process – but also need extra guidance to help them execute the wedding of their dreams.
Both Cara and I are like-minded when it comes to our planning styles and business model…. so it was a no-brainer that we should team up to start a brand that was wholeheartedly authentic to us.
After a few months of brainstorming, Everly was born! We launched our business right smack in the middle of the pandemic, which was definitely a little scary, but we ended up finding that were several couples that were lost in the middle of their planning and needed our assistance more than ever.
Fast forward 2 years, and we have over 150 wonderfully executed weddings under our belt, and a full team of rockstar planners. Each planner on our team is over the top talented, and we are so blessed to work together.
We could not have ever imagined the success we would have in Southern California, and have since expanded to Tennessee where we have started to grow our team. We have fallen in love with the Tennessee wedding community, and are so excited for all our upcoming weddings this year!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Surprisingly, it has been a super smooth road for us. Having a business partner really is the key to our success. We are able to fully support one another and be there for each other if we need a day off or even a week off. It’s really been such a valuable part of our business to avoid burnout during these extra busy wedding seasons. It has also been extremely helpful to have a full team. We all encourage and inspire each other daily. Having a team has also been beneficial to our clients during this pandemic. There have been a couple of scenarios where a planner was sick and unable to be on-site at a wedding. We were easily able to provide a back up (experienced) planner to jump in and take over. I know those clients were super grateful that it was such an easy transition.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Everly by MGE is a wedding planning company that specializes in Wedding Management and Partial Planning. We pride ourselves on providing services that are tailored to our client’s needs and budgets. While we aren’t a “day of” service, and are not a luxury planning service – you can find us somewhere in between. 🙂
Our business was born in CA, but now Alex is residing in the great state of Tennessee and growing our company out here. We work primarily in Nashville, Knoxville and surrounding areas.
Everly has become known for our team! Each one of us offers unique talents + styles, while all staying within the same business model. There is an Everly planner for everyone!
We are definitely most proud of our growth. While we were confident in our business plan, we could have never expected such immediate success. We owe this all to consistent referrals from our vendor friends and past clients. We have been so humbled and grateful for all of their support!
While our business continues to thrive in California, we are SO thrilled by the warm welcome we have received from the Tennessee wedding community. We have had some amazing Nashville weddings in 2021, and already have a pretty exciting 2022 in the works.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Our biggest piece of advice would be to stay connected with your local wedding community. We are very engaged with our vendor network, and are consistently involved with educational events.
Building and maintaining these relationships have been a huge part of our success.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@everlybymge.com
- Website: https://www.everlybymge.com/
- Instagram: @everlybymge
- Facebook: @EverlyByMGE
- Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/everly-by-mge-knoxville-tn-2044638
Image Credits
@brianabroylesphoto
@brianabroylesphoto
@haleyowenbeyphotography
