Welcome to our “Day in the Life” series! We feature wedding and event planners worldwide with many different levels of experience. If you want to be featured, download our questionnaire here and email your responses and photos to info@plannerslounge.com. We are excited to feature Yvonne Unubun from New York.

Name:  Yvonne Unubun

Business Name & Location:

Events by Mayven, based in New York, serves clients in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut areas.

Years Working in the Event Industry: 7

Years Owning Your Event Planning Business: 5

Website: https://eventsbymayven.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eventsbymayven/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/eventsbymayven/

What is your typical day like?

As someone who runs two shifts – meaning, I have a traditional 9 – 5 job while also running the business; two things help me stay on track: putting everything on my calendar and keeping a to-do list for every area of my life. I start my day between 6 am and 9 am. First, I get my prayer/devotional time in before checking emails on my phone, then school prep and drop-off, a quick shower, and breakfast. From about 9:30a – 3:30p, I’m in meetings and working the first shift, and between 3:30p to 5p, I wrap up the first shift and respond to/send out emails related to wedding/event planning. I sometimes also use this time to research, whether sourcing vendors or looking up design ideas for a client. From 5p – to 7p, I take consultation calls, client planning sessions, or vendor check-in calls. 7p – 9p is reserved for my girls’ dinner and bath/bedtime routine. I then hop back online between 10a – midnight to finish any
pending tasks or deliverables for the next day. Working from home allows me to do more, be present with my kids, and get through business errands locally, like meeting with clients/vendors.

How did you get started in the industry?

My background is in advertising and public relations, and at the time, I worked at a digital advertising agency providing account management/client services to Fortune 500 clients who we managed their digital and integrated marketing campaigns. As part of my PR side hustle, I also planned and hosted industry-type events as part of Social Media Week NY, New York Restaurant Week, and award shows (Nigeria Entertainment Awards and Nigeria Centenary Awards USA). However, I was motivated to start Events by Mayven after planning my wedding. Seeing all the different pieces come to life on a wedding day, knowing all the work that had gone on behind the scenes over months of planning to make it all happen, brought a rush of excitement that I wanted to relive over and over. I figured why not combine my professional skills with my first-hand experience of being a bride and planning my own wedding to help other couples navigate this journey and manage the wedding day production on their behalf. This way, couples can truly be present and enjoy every moment of the day that they worked so hard for!

What inspires you?

Creatively, Instagram and Pinterest are great platforms that inspire me. From a business
standpoint, seeing other planners/coordinators doing their thing and thriving motivates me, and getting
awesome reviews/feedback from my clients on how much they appreciate and value the service that my
team and I deliver feels rewarding. Lastly, wanting to make my daughters and my Mom proud fuels me.

Aside from wedding and event planning, how do you spend your time?

I love to travel. My favorite trips have been to Greece (Mykonos, Santorini & Athens), the Bahamas, and Cabo, Mexico. Places on my travel wishlist are Jamaica, Paris, and Bali. In my free time (which is rare with 2 kids under 4), you’ll find me watching TV or binging on Netflix with a glass of wine or a snack. As part of self-care, I try to hit the gym twice a week or at least walk to get some fresh air and clear my head.

Yvonne, thank you so much for sharing your story and a day in your life. If you are a wedding or event planner and would like to be featured, download our questionnaire today and email it along with a photo. If you aren’t sure about being featured, take a few minutes to read how it can help your business.