Meet Marci Guttenberg | Invitation Stationer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marci Guttenberg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marci, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
For me, it goes back to my wedding. Though I had been planning weddings for others in the catering sales arena for years, I didn’t know much about the invitation world. Based on the experience my fiance and I had during our search for invitations, I thought what could I do to improve it for clients. I wanted to make the experience a little easier and provide more knowledge of what I have learned over the years to those who needed the advice. Those who come to me do not know much about the invitation process, nor what options and enhancements could introduce the client’s vision of their event.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I think I learned early on that listening to your clients is critical. Often they may not answer a question directly, but if you listen to the nuances of their responses, the information will usually give you a view of how to best help your client. In my early years as a teenager, I worked in market research and was active in youth organizations. My work experience helped me understand asking questions and probing for responses. Though many clients may not know what they are looking for and their budget, soliciting answers with probing questions can often provide a better insight into the experience.

I also understand that things do not come to you, you have to be persistent and work at things. To stay organized, I
have always subscribed to the idea of batching tasks. This helps me to create pockets of time dedicated to task completion. It helps me to stay on track, meet and exceed deadlines, and have a clear head to listen to others.

I am proud to say I have been in the event industry for 30+ years, of which, I have owned my business for 15+ years. I am a certified professional in catering and events (CPCE) from National Associational for Catering and Events and a certified wedding planner (CWP) with the Certified Wedding Planner Society/The Bridal Society.

For any entrepreneur, risk-taking is part of the bigger picture. We give up security and structure to create and develop our system in building our brand and business. Our destiny is to establish a sense of fulfillment through our immersive being to develop and set forth the best of who we are to impart our expertise to others.

Education and networking is a huge factor that sets me apart from others! I am constantly striving to increase my knowledge and continued growth as an entrepreneur and industry expert to help my clients. By attending webinars and conferences, taking certification courses, being an active member of an industry networking organization, and, more importantly, taking on a local/national role on the board or committee. I currently serve on a national-level for certification and education committee for the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE), as well as past president/advisory council of NACE Greater Broward and The Palm Beaches (formerly the South Florida Chapter). This role has provided me with great opportunities locally and nationally. It provided a foundation to continue learning and relationship building beyond our academic years.

It is also important to me to get involved and get active! Staying current helps provide more insight into the industry through education and enhanced relationships with industry peers.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I showed a friend around for a week here in South Florida, I would break up the week into blocks of time, much as I do with batching my work. I would choose activities in the tri-county area, but in my true fashion, I would ask my guest if there is anything specific they would want to see or any experiences they wish to have and try to incorporate them into the mix of the week.

Depending on our time in a given area, I might incorporate some area hotels and shops, beaches, and restaurants. I have worked hard to get healthy, so dining out is about the experience and finding options that speak to my lifestyle.

One or two days would be in PALM BEACH COUNTY.
Worth Avenue with lunch on the patio at Renato’s and afternoon shopping
Tour the Breakers Hotel
Dinners at both La Nouvelle Maison in Boca Raton and Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach

Another day or two would be in BROWARD COUNTY.
It’s about the beach! It would be a couple of days dedicated to working on our tans. Relaxing between the busy excursion days. We would dine at some local fish and taco restaurants in Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale Beach, and Hollywood Beach. I’m a big fan of Sashimi, and I would take them to one of my favorites – Tee Jays. Thai Sushi Restaurant on Federal Highway.

One day would be MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.
We would start in South Beach with brunch at the Faena Miami Beach. Following brunch, we would walk it off with some sightseeing and shopping on Lincoln Road and, if time permits, Brickell City Center. Time for an afternoon break with some Cafe Con Leche at the Versailles Room in Little Havana. From there, we would check out the local art vibe at Wynwood Walls. Finally, we would drive to Bal Harbour Shops for more shopping and dinner at Carpaccio.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have always wanted to work with people to create the best first impressions for their guests. It started many years ago when I was a young girl who helped my mother get the house ready for holidays, events, and in those days, home entertaining. She would carefully plan a menu, clean the house, choose entertainment or activities, and cook and bake. My grandmother would teach me the tips of baking that would aid in my ability to learn from a young age that feeding one’s soul would show your care for others. Growing up, my sister Kim and I would develop and play restaurant business to provide a personal touch to the dining experience. It later morphed into entertainment shows, with my cousins planning for the family and friends during holidays or visits. My father instilled in me a great sense of work ethics at a very early age. Watching him achieve his goals encouraged me to reach mine. I’ve had many mentors along the way that have led me along my path. With the inspiration and support of my husband, Mark, it became my desire to start my own business after years of working in the hotel, country club, and fine dining scene, planning events and conventions. It felt like a natural progression to become an entrepreneur and share my expertise with others. He and I discussed an excellent experience with our invitation/stationer when we got married, but we felt there was an opportunity to improve the experience. That is when I got serious about starting my business by educating myself on the language and the available options. Learning about the development, planning, products, process, and production of creating the best first impression was my goal to provide my event expertise, education, and the invitation knowledge I had researched to my clients.

Before I started my business, I worked endless hours for someone else. My time was accounted for by the time I was in the office. Now, I can balance my day according to my actual priorities. This allows me more freedom with my time and scheduling more opportunities to have a productive day.

Website: WWW.ANAFFAIRTOREMEMBERBYMARCI.COM

Instagram: WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/ANAFFAIRTOREMEMBERBYMARCI

Linkedin: WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/IN/MARCIGUTTENBERG

Facebook: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ANAFFAIRTOREMEMBERBYMARCI

Pintrest: WWW.PINTEREST.COM/ANAFFAIRTOREMEMBERBYMARCI

Podcast: Co-host for Award-Winning, Behind the Veil by Keith Willard Show & Podcast www.youtube.com/c/BehindTheVeilPodcast 

Live on Tuesdays at 2:00 PM ET on YouTube or after 5:00 PM on most major podcast stations.

Contact: Marci Guttenberg, CPCE, CWP • Phone: (954) 306-5999 • Email: HELLO@ANAFFAIRTOREMEMBERBYMARCI.COM

Pricing: Invitations are priced ala carte since the needs of each couple vary from couple to couple.

The pricing below indicates rough starting prices for only the invitation and blank main envelope:

Image Credits
Headshot by Jeff Kolodny Photography.