Do Businesses Get to Have Funerals? A Eulogy to My First Company.
The very first Pop Wedding was outside in the middle of winter. It was completely free, a prototype of this new wedding framework, and while I was quite sure it would work, on that freezing winter morning, my twenty-three-year-old, pink-haired self might have been the only one.
But not for long. Whatever you call them—Pop Weddings, microweddings, tiny weddings, flash weddings — the idea turned into a full trend before we knew it.
There was lots of skepticism. My partner/co-founder and I heard from many people that a new framework for such an old tradition might be a hard sell, but from the very beginning, our couples were in for Pop Weddings. And the city loved the idea, too. We were welcomed by just about everyone, except the occasional museum :)
And as the years went by, these fun little tiny weddings grew into a pretty good-sized company. A company that taught me a career’s worth in just a few years. And now, on the eve of its end, a few of the most important lessons from Pop Wed Co.
Being a novice can be an advantage. My day job is as co-founder and creative director at a creative agency. I’ve never worked in weddings full time — so I’m not always the most familiar with the way things “should” be done in the wedding industry. We designed Pop Weddings with totally fresh eyes, which felt new and adventurous in an industry full of hundred-year-old lace.
Tension can be great for business. The wedding industry is built on so many outdated, expensive traditions — which left us a ton of juicy tension to dig into when building our service offering, and the brand itself. In the middle of an industry that thrives on stress, we offered a service that saves money, saves time, saves stress, and is objectively extremely fun.
The more people do something because they’re “supposed” to, the more room there is to create something different that people can do because they want to.
Brand is magic. Our website proved to the world that we’re a real company before we deserved to be. Our brand showed our audience that we’re here for adventure. And our clear, human messaging helped position us as unique, new and different in a saturated wedding market. (Shoutout to a different Maggie for making our beautiful logo 🤓)
Experience design makes 1+1+1=5. Ultimately, Pop Wed Co was just the pairing of a photographer, officiant and wedding planner. But we designed it as an all-in-one wedding package — and the experience design wrapper made the whole thing feel much bigger than the sum of its parts.
Our default response was “no.” Limiting ourselves to our single, core idea of tiny weddings allowed us to differentiate from other companies and offer something truly unique, while keeping costs low and efficiency sky-high.
We designed the business around our life. Which worked pretty well, and led us to a service offering we never would have found otherwise. (This doesn’t mean I’m not a huge workaholic. But I’m trying.)
We loved having a niche audience. Many of my closest friends and family told me candidly that they never understood the idea. And honestly? That’s totally ok. We always said we’re not for everyone, and that means when we clicked with a couple, we really clicked.
In this world of “blands” trying to be for everyone, our couples appreciated something just for them. It felt exclusive, personal, and built long-lasting loyalty.
So why shut it down?
For seven years, this amazing little company has been limited by one thing — me. For the life of the company, I’ve had a very much full-time job that I very much adore. In fact, the original goal of Pop Wed Co was to help me balance the workload of my full-time job and my side adventure in weddings. We were never able to grow the company simply because I didn’t have the mental capacity to do both.
Then, January Third was born. And I went from being an employee at ISL to a co-owner of a creative agency with my business partner overnight. Responsible for the careers of a handful of my favorite people. Two months before a worldwide pandemic. It’s mentally all-consuming, physically exhausting, and lights up my whole life. And there’s not much room for any other work.
As I close this chapter of my life, I’m left feeling so thankful for so many folks who have crossed paths with our little company.
To every couple who chose us to be part of your wedding day — thank you, thank you, thank you. We had the most fun with every single one of you. Every wedding was a grand and tiny adventure, and we are so glad we got to share your first day of marriage with you.
To our photographer partners, Barbara, Rachel, Porter, Lauren, Kanayo, Adam, Lindsay, and everyone else: THANK YOU. You captured each wedding day so beautifully, soulfully, joyfully, and made the whole adventure so much more fun.
To all the small businesses who hosted Pop Weddings over the years, thank you for inviting our couples to start their marriages with you. From Miss Pixie’s and The Renwick to Rose’s Luxury, Bluejacket and DC Brau, we’ve done weddings basically everywhere, and have enjoyed every single one.
I’ve learned so much from these past seven years. About a building brand, about growing a company, about what happens when you try something crazy and stick with it till it works. I hope that my next adventures are as incredible and strange and lovely as my time with Pop Wed Co.
Love,
Maggie
