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

Hi Teresa, what do you attribute your success to?
I kept my head down, kept believing in the process, and treated each client like they were a family member.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I founded Simply Couture Weddings in December 2009, after using my natural coordination and design abilities for years before, planning weddings, showers and dinner parties. We believe in creating unique events, individual and streamlined to each couple we works with, and we love to see the little details come to life according to plan. As a team, we work with our couples, our couple’s families, our assembled exclusive-to-their-style vendors and venue to create a flawless vision brought to life. As wedding planners, we have a natural talent to pool our resources, vision, and details, into one extraordinary final product. Each of our clients become our personal friends, that we keep in touch with currently. It was never easy starting out, as most business owners can confirm. It took years of hard work, dedication, and determination, to get where I am today. I learned many lessons, from working 16 hours days for minimal fees, to getting stepped on by vendors who didn’t respect my work, to being taken advantage of by clients as I wasn’t yet sure how to stand my ground. One day, it finally clicked. I wanted the world to know how humble my beginnings were in the wedding industry, and how hard I worked from being a nobody, to having vendors acknowledge me, having brides vie for my services, and having venues reach out to be on their preferred list. I truly did not get where I am today by networking, and advertising heavily, and working multiple expos/shows. I got where I am today, by minding my own business, staying in my own lane, and stepping into my own shoes, and becoming the backbone and voice of Simply Couture Weddings.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My top list of the BEST places in the Palm Beach area: -Norton Museum of Art -Flagler Museum -A stroll down Worth Avenue -A lovely brunch at Sant Ambreous -Hit up the WPB Green Market -Catch a show at The Kravis Center -Visit our beaches -Have a fancy cocktail at The Four Seasons Palm Beach -Enjoy the Spa at The Eau, Palm Beach -Take a bike ride downtown -Have afternoon tea at The Chesterfield, Palm Beach or listen to some jazz music in their Leopard Lounge -Scarf some sushi at Imoto (Buccan)

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 had SO much help from my beginning in the event industry from some wedding pros that I could never not name drop, so here goes: first and foremost, I had so many questions answered, and notes taken by Kawania Howerton Wooten of Howerton+Wooten Events. Kawania went out of her way to assist me and help me understand the value of my worth as a planner. I also wouldn’t be where I am today without my fairy godplanner- truly… the one and only, Terrica Skaggs. Terrica is a Georgia-based event planner (Cocktails and Details), industry speaker and educator, and one of the greatest people I know. She helped me rise from the ashes, and taught me the value of a detailed event timeline, and kept me laughing when I wanted to cry. Her confidence and knowledge are priceless. Last, but surely not least, I want to give a huge shout-out to Megan Ely from OFD Consulting. I hired Megan to help my small business grow from what it was, to what it now is. OFD Consulting is a top wedding relations PR Firm. Megan gave me so much knowledge and inside scoop on the wedding industry, checked so many statistics, reviewed inquiries, emails, and assisted me in creating my “brand,” slowly teaching me who I am as a wedding industry small business owner, in a sea of many. She helped mold Simply Couture Weddings and truly taught me the fundamentals of PR and marketing, and kept me focused and hungry for more. Without these strong, driven women, I would be lacking so much today. I am thankful for each of them, and so blessed to know they are an email or message away.

Website: www.simplycoutureweddings.com
Instagram: @simplycouturewed
Twitter: @couturewed
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplycouturewed

Image Credits
Jessica Bordner Photography Ivan Apfel Photography Merari Teruel Photography Rafal Ostrowski Photography Bottega 53 Photography Karla Korn Photography Shadi Boulos Photography The Big Day Wedding Photography Daniel Lateulade Photography