5 Things I Learned in My First Year at Rebecca Rose Events: Madison Miller, Marketing & PR Manager
Hi everyone! Maddie here, with some reflection on the past year as we head into the winter season. I wrapped up my first full year as Marketing & PR Manager at Rebecca Rose Events this past September, during the week of my own wedding. Though much of that year was nothing any of us could have expected - ahem, COVID - I am beyond grateful for this team I’m fortunate to call friends and the support, guidance, and celebration they’ve shown me during what I can’t believe has been already been a full year.
Though I could write a much longer list, I opted to narrow it down to a few of my favorites:
Photography by Perry Vaile
5 Things I’ve Learned during My First Year with Rebecca Rose Events:
It’s never too late to learn.
I applied to the Marketing & PR Manager position knowing that I wasn’t necessarily a 100% match to the job description. But I also knew that I had an applicable background in marketing, a willingness to learn, experience in wedding and events, and a desire to translate that experience to the wedding industry. Becca has been instrumental in showing me the ropes and introducing me to the world she’s become so well-ingrained in over the past 11 years as a business owner. And in the time that I’m not planning content, analyzing ad spend, or strategizing new marketing tactics, I’m listening to industry podcast interviews, familiarizing myself with industry leaders - both on the planning/design side and in the editorial space, and researching tools and best practices from leaders in the marketing world at large. This is the type of role where you can always be learning, and it’s one of my favorite parts about the job.
2. No matter the weather forecast, always pack waterproof mascara and a pair of rain boots.
Because of COVID wedding postponements, our first wedding of the year didn’t take place until August, and we produced that destination wedding at Half Mile Farm, a luxury country inn by Old Edwards. This beautiful property is located in Highlands, North Carolina, which also happens to be one of two temperate rainforests in North America, averaging 80 inches of rainfall per year. As a team that plans, designs, and produces destination weddings, we know we have to be prepared to adapt and excel in various climates, temperatures, and surroundings. It’s wild that this particular location is a mere four hours drive away from our own studio in Winston-Salem, NC, but has such a vastly different mountain climate! Miraculously, the rain didn’t impact the actual wedding events, but it did impact the production process. My clothes may have been soaked through, but the two items I was most grateful for during a very rainy wedding installation and teardown process? Waterproof mascara and rain boots.
Photography by Heather Beerman
3. I love industry workshops.
Before joining the team, I’d never attended any industry workshop. The first Artful Wedding Production Workshop took place my third week on the job, and after those two impactful days, I was hooked.
Since then, through our sister brand, RRE Method, we’ve hosted two additional workshops - one in-person and one virtual, and we are gearing up to host our fourth - the Virtual Artful Wedding Production Workshop, February 23-24, 2021. There’s nothing quite like meeting with and learning alongside incredible groups of wedding business bosses to get you fired up about elevating our shared industry, and if you are a wedding planner or designer, I hope you consider joining us in February!
Photography by Heather Beerman
4. This team knows how to celebrate!
Knocking my own wedding out of the park was a given. But from birthdays, to babies, to book publishings, to all the little things in between, this team does it up right! We all truly do value the timeless art and beauty of celebration, and I’m proud to be part of a team that takes our mission statement to heart in every way.
5. A roll of cookie dough and a ROM COM marathon can power you through just about any task.
I’ve been fortunate to work on site at some incredible destinations with this team, from New Hampshire to Highlands to Annapolis to our own backyard. And while we make a concerted effort to enjoy at least a bit of these destinations with every stop, we undoubtedly put in the long, hard hours to get to the glasses of wine and bubble baths waiting for us on the other side.
Much of the heavy lifting during the days leading up to the wedding revolves around floral design, and on a heavy processing day, the whole team pitches in - but not without a decent helping of cookie dough and chick flicks to fuel us through our tasks. Some of our team favorites: My Best Friend’s Wedding, You’ve Got Mail, and It’s Complicated - just to name a few!
Excited to see what this next year has in store!
XO,
Maddie