The objective of New York Dream Weddings: with just one click, your entire Manhattan destination wedding is planned for you – photographer, florist, limo driver, hair/makeup, paperwork, and even the minister.
Founder Harley Hall, who was once a traditional wedding photographer, saw an unmet need when looking at “the big picture.” He noted an increasing number of couples from around the world desiring a romantic destination wedding in New York. However, when planning that event, how do they find and coordinate the very best of everything, without having to sort through endless websites, referrals, and other puzzle pieces – and stay within their budget and schedule?
Harley already knew and worked with the very best wedding service professionals in the city, so he gathered up his network and created his successful New York dream team.
Who actually is the best? When it comes to the arts, it’s often difficult for everyone to agree, since it’s all so subjective. Harley says that most of the solution lies in a rare combination of talent and competence. For instance, an amazing photographer is always welcome, but, in addition to being incredibly talented and creative, the photographer must be personable, charismatic and fun -- somebody who can competently lead the day.
It’s a time-sensitive business, Harley says, which requires a lot of coordination and logistics -- and professionals who know the value of being prompt and who can roll with the punches. Many factors must meet and mesh in order to ensure that a successful, memorable, romantic wedding happens every time. For instance, sometimes you only get an hour to perform the ceremony at a given location, with the next wedding party semi-patiently waiting their turn. If the bride is freaking out about her hair and taking 40 minutes to correct it – uh, that’s a timing problem right there. However, the drama is usually resolved if the wrinkle is ironed out by a caring, knowing professional who has been there and done that. This is how magic happens: an event is planned, coached and guided properly by a competent, communicative team that is aware of stumbling blocks in advance.
As well, global clients don’t have the geographic advantage of meeting vendors personally ahead of time, scoping them out, and seeing if there is chemistry. In most cases, everybody meets on the wedding day, and that can be a scary gambit for the incoming wedding party who may be thinking, “Is this a scam? Are they even going to show up? Did they just take my money and run? What if we don’t get along?” For that reason, Harley’s business depends not on referrals, but reviews.
The incredible client reviews on Harley’s website speak volumes, and help bring more global business. Check them out – along with some of his amazing photos -- here.
Harley also depends strongly on Google AdWords so that his site is sure to be the early bird catching the worm when couples are searching for New York + Weddings + Elopement or anything related.
The next entrepreneurial step for Harley: expansion. His one-stop shop concept can transfer seamlessly to other cities around the world. The catch-22, as all entrepreneurs know, is finding the time to grow while being enormously successful (read: busy and in demand) in your original location. We’ll keep you posted on Harley’s progress as he accomplishes his own New York dream – and beyond.
Find out more about New York Dream Weddings.
