BOSS Spotlight Feature: Marnetia ReFour Manning

The journey to becoming the business owner of Sincerely, Tied. has been a very rewarding and purposeful one. Immediately after deciding to change careers and become a wedding planner, knowing almost nothing about the industry, I became engaged. So here I was a “professional” wedding planner and DIY Bride at once. There were times when I felt more DIY Bride than a professional planner. But every experience I had on being both shaped me to be the best possible founder of my business. As I attempted to DIY my wedding, I started with a $15,000 budget and ended up spending over $30,000. We were shocked to find that the simple yet elegant wedding that we wanted would cost so much. I found it almost impossible to find vendors within my budget, a florist that didn’t cost a fortune, and rental items that didn’t seem way overpriced. It was very frustrating for me as a Bride but so much more eye-opening for me as a planner.

Though most industries are money driven- I mean how else would people make a living- I realized the wedding industry was exceptionally so and that left a huge divide between Brides who could and could not afford it. It seemed unfair because every Bride deserves to have their dream wedding. Or at least, that’s what I believed. Years later, after having been a planner in the industry for almost 10 years, I decided I was ready to bridge the gap and Sincerely, Tied was born.

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What were some obstacles that you faced in the beginning process of starting your business or career?

Our biggest obstacle was getting our ideal clients to relate to our brand and what we offered. We broke into our industry with an unheard-of service that no one else was doing, a service that offers virtual wedding designs for a fraction of the cost of hiring a Wedding Planner-Designer. It's a service that's been offered in the interior industry for quite some time but put it into the wedding market and it seems uncomfortable. It took a lot of time educating our clients on what we offered and how we were the right option for them. We had to get over the initial hurdle of, sure, you have to execute your design yourself but isn't that the same thing you're planning to do now. Once we broke that down to our couples, they understood. How we helped them was by using our vast inventory of design and rental pieces which we were able to competitively price to create a wedding design that would be guaranteed to be designed to their aesthetic and within their budget without the hassle of them having to go through the trial and error of piecing together an affordable design. Winning the grant through the BOSS Network with the help of SAGE has helped us tremendously with this and has allowed us to invest in aggressive marketing and outreach toward our ideal couples. 

What inspired you to break into your industry?

I've been planning and designing weddings for well over 10 years now, so I've seen a lot of trends come and go and one that has managed to stay consistent is the ever-rising costs of weddings. What would cost the average couple in 2015 $20,000 for their wedding now costs $35,000 and I realized that couples were drawing the short end of the stick every time. Why? Well, because incomes haven't increased at the same rate. I have always been a planner who is very sensitive about my client's budgets because I know how hard they've worked for their income, whether they have $60,000 or $600,000 to spend on their wedding. So when I realized the gap between the couples that could afford an "Instagram-worthy" wedding and those that couldn't be widening, I knew I had to do something to tip the scales. 

How do you balance your personal and professional life, or have you been able to find a balance?

I have rules and I find myself checking myself on them all the time, especially being in the wedding industry where everything can feel like an emergency or an immediate to-do. My first rule is I try not to work after 6pm. That's my cut-off time and that gives me enough time to relax for the evening, grab a healthy meal, spend time with my family, and get a good night's rest. This goes for responding to emails and phone calls from clients as well. Unless it's urgent, I respond the next day during business hours. The last thing I want to do is to set the expectation for my clients that I'm available around the clock. And I always make my clients aware of this...aware that my husband needs his time with me also. As a planner who is married, I feel it is important for me to show healthy boundaries when it comes to making time for my other half and all of my clients have understood this. The second rule is I only conduct meetings, consultations, and site visits on Tuesday-Thursday. This has done wonders for leaving my weekend open for an enjoyable time with my family but also giving me the Monday off if I'm just coming off of a wedding during that previous weekend. These two rules have helped me to find a healthy balance over the years. 

What is an inspirational quote that you live by?

This is a new one I've added to my repertoire but "Those that show up, go up" hits home. Thank you, Cameka and the Boss Network for coining that one. 

Who were some influential people or mentors that helped or encouraged you along the way?

We are really inspired by Emily Newton of If I Made, Amy Jones-McCord of Flower Moxie, and Grace Lee of Birdy Grey. All of these women were trendsetters in their industries that blazed new paths and became wildly successful. Emily Newton was one of the first women to launch a wedding-focused blog called Once Wed before blogging took over the industry. She later sold that blog and became the owner of If I Made  Amy, who's a florist, created Flower Moxie which offers florist-grade flowers to Brides who can't afford or choose not to hire a florist. Emily Newton was one of the first to launch a retail brand specifically for Bridesmaids all priced under $100. 

What are your "must-haves" to keep your career or business going strong?

Having a strong brand, especially in our society which is highly driven by social media and aesthetics with an added layer of transparency between companies and their buyers, is super important to keep a strong, healthy business. Consumers want to see that they are buying from companies that have a face, a confident point of view, and unwavering high standards. 

What is your definition of a BOSS?

A woman who shows up for her business even when it's hard. 

Provide us with two words that describe you.  Wedding Expert

Learn more about Marnetia at https://www.sincerelytied.com  Instagram: @sincerelytied