BY LORRIE WALKER
| LORRIE WALKER COMMUNICATIONS
EVENTRICS.COM
Surf the cable channels these days and it’s plain to see the art of a wedding
has become an industry unto itself. For many, weddings aren’t simply events;
they’re productions. And just as a good theater production requires a
director, so does a wedding for many couples.
Eventrics Weddings - a division of Eventrics, the full-service corporate
event planning company created in 2006 - has emerged as the wedding
planner of choice for a growing number of brides in central Florida.
“Before last year, people weren’t talking about wedding planning as
a business here,” says Amy Wiggins, the Chamber’s Vice President of
Communications. “Now we have the Polk County Wedding Association and
a company like Eventrics Weddings. Everyone is tapping into this growing
business, and while it may not be exploding here yet, Lakeland businesses are
participating in the growth of that industry.”
“The majority of weddings planned by Eventrics Weddings have been
outside of Lakeland, but the company hopes to change that,” says Sherrin
Smyers, President and owner. The company’s clientele has come from the
greater central Florida and Tampa areas, and it continues to expand on its
existing local relationships to produce weddings and social events.
“Local brides should not feel they have to book vendors from Tampa and
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Orlando in order to have a wonderful and one-of-a-kind event,” Smyers says.
“We feel confident vendors locally have the skill set and talent to produce an
amazing wedding.”
Smyers launched Eventrics Weddings in fall 2011. She hired Brittany Ellis,
an events and wedding planner in 2010. Ellis was the driving force behind
this new division’s creation.
“We brought Brittany on board to assist with a number of events we
were planning for the spring of 2011, Smyers says. “But we knew all along
her experience and passion was in weddings. We knew Brittany was the
right person to lead our company’s expansion into the social and wedding
markets.
In light of shows like Bridezillas, people might question why Ellis feels so
passionate about working with emotional brides on a stress-filled event. A
big part of it is dispelling the myth that weddings have to be stressful.
“Through my experience working with brides, I like to show them that the
process of wedding planning doesn’t have to be complicated and stressful,
but can be enjoyable,” she says. “This is one of the most important days in
their life and is a blending of two families. We strive to make it a satisfying
and memorable experience for the bride, her groom, and their families.