Good Neighbor Podcast: Pittsburgh

E26: If Weddings had an Easy Button: Professional Event Planning with Tonya

• Leila Carter & Tonya Edinger • Episode 26

Share episode

What makes Tonya Edinger with Weddings of Pittsburgh a good neighbor?  

Ever wonder what happens when a DJ business transforms into a wedding planning powerhouse? Tonya Edinger's journey from helping her husband's weekend DJ gigs to building Weddings of Pittsburgh reveals the power of identifying needs and creating solutions in the events industry.

Tonya shares how a modest $14,000 investment against their 401k in 1999 grew into multiple businesses including Weddings of Pittsburgh, Events of Pittsburgh, and Event Rentals of Pittsburgh. Her story demonstrates remarkable business acumen and adaptation, particularly during COVID when she pivoted to larger venues and complimentary rentals to keep celebrations alive while maintaining safety protocols.

What sets Tonya's approach apart is her design-focused, highly communicative planning style. She conducts detailed consultations that pinpoint exact preferences, creates venue mockups to visualize concepts, and maintains monthly check-ins throughout the planning process. "When people are telling you no, we're finding a way to say yes," she explains, highlighting her commitment to advocacy for her clients. Drawing on psychology and sociology training, she skillfully navigates complex family dynamics that often emerge during wedding planning, gently reminding parents that "it's not a redo for them" while honoring their desire to contribute.

For couples considering the DIY route, Tonya offers valuable perspective: "Yes, you can DIY, but then at the end, who are you going to give this baby that you've been nurturing to?" Her insight underscores the importance of having trusted professionals handle the culmination of months of planning, even for budget-conscious couples. Ready to explore stress-free wedding planning? Connect with Tonya through Instagram @PittsburghWeddingPlanner or at weddingsofpittsburgh.com for a consultation that could transform your special day.

To learn more about Weddings of Pittsburgh go to: 

www.weddingsofpittsburgh.com

Weddings of Pittsburgh

(724)968 7135


Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Lila Carter.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of a wedding and event planning company? One might be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Tanya Ettinger, with Weddings of Pittsburgh, Tanya how's it going? Fantastical. How about with you, lila? Very well, thanks so much. We're excited to learn all about you and your business, so tell us about Well in 1999, my husband worked for a tech company and I was a stay at home mom.

Speaker 3:

And he came home from work one day golfing with his buddy, who was a DJ, and he said, hon, I think we want to, I think I'm going to be a DJ. And I was like, oh, you're going to keep your other job, though, right. And he said, yes, I'll work on the weekends and stuff. So him and his friend went and started DJing in Catanning and different clubs and stuff like that, and he was learning the ropes. And we took a small investment loan of $14,000, which made me nervous because I was like, oh my goodness, like we borrowed against our 401k and I was just really like not loving that. But it really turned out like my husband knew the tech and the electrical and his buddy was already a DJ, so he knew that part of it, and so the two of them made a perfect puzzle and they fit together great. They learned from each other and helped each other and his friend had so much overflow that Sean was my husband was able to take over and DJ Sean birthed ultimate entertaining and so we started with that. We started with that and grew from there. I was like, how can I add more value? And that's really kind of like always my question that I go back to how can I add more value for this client? And when we started DJing I was like, okay, could I? You know, this was in the 1990s, early 2000s most fire hall. We were doing fire hall weddings then and I would go in and turn on the lights and open the cheese trays and set that out and light the candles and that kind of things like that. Just prepare the place where, like now, they have venue coordinators. But back then you would go to the fire hall and that's what would happen. So I added value, like that, and called myself Tanya's reception planning services. And so then after a while, um, I met a coach at the uh chamber of commerce and in uh Cranberry and she said we need to get you a real name. And I was like, okay, and so thus was birthed Weddings of Pittsburgh. Because I thought, well, I will keep it simple and I want people to know what I do. And then, shortly after that, I wanted to appeal more to corporate and social. So we have another website, events of Pittsburgh, and that is where a sister company of ours does corporate events and anything social like birthday parties, quinceaneras, mitzvahs, anything that you would need socially or corporate.

Speaker 3:

During COVID we had to still do weddings but be compliant. But then so much more was needed and so how we were able to service our clients, we took them to big barns and bigger areas in Mercer and West Virginia and Ohio so we could spread out, still have the events. But then we needed all the rentals so I gifted those to my clients just to say like, hey, if you're willing to still have your wedding, then we'll do your rentals complimentary. So that's how Event Rentals of Pittsburgh was born, seeing a pattern here. I love creating businesses and fulfilling needs that clients have, and I'm a master draper, my son does floral design, trevor and our family all works together. We're a family-owned business. We love the decor and rentals and I love designing and it brings me very much joy to be a part of your special day and just make sure it happens without a hitch.

Speaker 2:

Oh, spectacular. What are some myths or misconceptions in the wedding industry?

Speaker 3:

A lot.

Speaker 3:

So one myth is yes, you can DIY, but then at the end, who are you going to give this baby that you've been nurturing and now the baby is the way you want it and you have to pass it off to somebody?

Speaker 3:

Why not be somebody that you trust, Someone that is well known in the industry that can literally help you? Yes, it's great to DIY and you can possibly save money if you do it properly. I would suggest a consultation, because then we can talk things out and I can guide you in the way to go if you're going to DIY. But you definitely still need somebody in the end, whether it's a month of planner or someone that you're really going to delegate not your maid of honor, because the maid of honor is there to help you through the day and make sure that everything's good, not to make sure your vendors show up on time and things like that. This would, if you're going to do, if you a month of planner is not in the budget, then I would delegate a very good friend that you don't have in the wedding party.

Speaker 2:

That's a good thought. So whenever you're thinking about who you want to sit down with and consult, who are your target customers and how do you attract them to the business, so one of my favorite things that lights me up is design.

Speaker 3:

So when I'm looking for a client, I want somebody that wants to walk with me hand in hand and share their design of what they want. But they're not a DIYer, they want everything done for them, they want everything pampered. This is where, like, our concierge part comes in and the consultation would be. We sit down, you tell me all your desires and wants and wish lists, much like a realtor. You're telling them what kind of house. I need a garage door, I need a man door, I need to grow a stall garage, I need three bathrooms, like, however that is. So you tell me I like these colors. What color of blue? Blue is so variant, every color is so variant.

Speaker 3:

So we get really specific and I spend an hour with you designing what it's going to look like and then we can add on a mock-up where we go take pictures of the venue that you're going to have your event in and then we put all your ideas in there and it kind of brings it to life of like what it's going to look like. And then we get to do the Joanna Gaines reveal on the day of your wedding, and I don't know. It just lights me up. It makes me so happy that I was able to produce what the client was looking for, and I really try to stay in communication with our clients.

Speaker 3:

The other thing that really sets us apart is we have monthly calls with monthly check-ins. You can reach us, you know, if there's an emergency or if you're worried about something. You just want to have an anxiety call or get something off your chest, of course, but we do have monthly check-ins where we're making sure, like here's the Tanya way, here's the process, the way we do things. Have you done this? And if not, that's okay. We understand you're working and you're busy. We can walk you through that on our check-in.

Speaker 2:

I can tell that you really love what you do and that you have so much information to share. Since we know that marketing is the heart of the business, have you ever thought about communicating your heart's work through a podcast?

Speaker 3:

No, not until you reached out to me a podcast.

Speaker 2:

No, not until you reached out to me.

Speaker 3:

Excellent. Well, outside of work, what do you do for fun? For fun, I love to work. I do like to read and I crochet. I just I love woobles. They're these little people or like animals that you can crochet and they have like penguins and pumpkins and hats and funny little things. But I also like to crochet big pieces, like. I crocheted this lap blanket here that sits on my lap sometimes, and then I've done blankets. I did a starfish for my baby, but I love my grandbaby. I love just, I don't know relaxing and not thinking and just zipping away with my crochet.

Speaker 2:

Very fun. I love to crochet also. So please tell our listeners one thing that they should remember remember about Weddings in Pittsburgh.

Speaker 3:

One thing is that one call to me and the rest is easy. Like again, what sets us apart is the communication. If you want somebody that will make sure that you get what you want, I will be your advocate. My team and I work very hard to. When people are telling you no, we're finding a way to say yes to you because I don't like no.

Speaker 2:

It's very good. And how can our listeners learn more about Weddings in Pittsburgh?

Speaker 3:

You can find us on Instagram at Pittsburgh Wedding Planner and you can go to our website. And you can go to our website, weddings of Pittsburgh dot com, and I am very transparent and communicative, so my phone number and my email will be at the top of the website. But it's Tanya at Weddings of Pittsburgh. You want to email me and learn more or have a chat? We also do consultations where I can just talk to you about your wedding. Maybe you don't need my full services or maybe I can't help you in that way, but you can get on a consultation call and we can talk through what immediate problem is bothering you at this moment. Maybe you just need to vent and you just need to talk to a trusted advisor that can guide you on how to do this.

Speaker 3:

I actually took some college courses on psychology and sociology and that has tremendously helped me, because the dynamics when you have a wedding can get volatile. Everybody wants things their way and you just have to remember like this is your day. Yes, your parents might be paying, and that's again where it helps to have a wedding planner, because they can advocate for you and help your parents to remember that it's your wedding and also to it's not a redo for them, and also to help them understand that of course they want the best for you, but they're getting, they're getting out in the weeds worrying about, like, is this the way I want it to look? But it's not really supposed to be about that. And so we can gently be the median person telling them like hey, remember, this is about your kid, this is, you know, making their day as special as your day was, and so that kind of puts a little different look, look on things.

Speaker 2:

Right. Whenever people want an easy button for their wedding day, they just call you Tanya huh, yes. Well, Tanya, I really appreciate your time today and having you as a guest on our show. We wish you and your businesses the best moving forward.

Speaker 3:

Thank you, I receive that.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPPittsburghcom. That's GNPPittsburghcom, or call 412-561-9956.