Graduate Features

Graduate Feature: Carmella Smeir

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

My name is Carmella Smeir. I was born in Jerusalem and then raised in Dubai, where I lived for 24 years. My family and I moved back to our home country, Jerusalem, to start our own business in event planning and wedding planning. I finished a bachelor’s degree in Marketing Communications from the American University in Dubai. I then started working and gaining experience in that field, but it wasn’t enough.

I looked for schools that offered both event and wedding planning in one course. That’s when QC Event School came into my life and made me the internationally-certified planner I am today! We now own a small business – Carmellita Events – in Jerusalem. We not only offer planning and designing, but many more services that fit our customers’ and clients’ needs.

I love learning new things every now and then. I have recently started sketching and painting courses as well. I’m a very artistic person who enjoys good music, romantic movies, good vibes. I love creating new things and styling around the house. Flowers have been my passion ever since I was a little girl, so that is one big aspect that I love the most in my work!

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Why did you decide to pursue career in professional event planning?

As I mentioned, my love to styling, designing, and planning started at a young age. My love for flowers and decorations has been there for as long as I can remember, too. When I started working in the marketing field, I felt there was something more in me than a person who sits behind a desk. I needed to be out on the field, making magical events come true!

Your business, Carmellita Events, is family-owned. You operate as both the Founder and Creative Director. Your mother and business partner, Rose Smeir, is the Detail Designer. In your experience, how has it been launching and running a business alongside a family member?

Launching a family-run business has been challenging. My mother and I have very beautiful connection. I’m an only child. Therefore, my mother has not only played her role in that, but also became my best friend and sister throughout my life. Building this business with her has been challenging, of course, but where’s the fun in something that’s easy going?

Yes, we argue over details and how we want to do things around the business. But by the end of the day, we both need each other to complete a magical event. I wouldn’t have done it without her support, help, and creativity. We encourage each other to be better. We always find new challenges that can help us both grow – not just with the business, but closer to one another.

Why did you decide to attend an online event planning school over a physical school to earn your professional certification, and why did you ultimately choose to enroll with QC Event School?

Honestly, I wanted to attend a physical school originally. However, the circumstances that I had didn’t provide me with a good chance back then. I have no regrets now, though! I have 2 amazing certifications with me. One is in marketing communication, which helps me with running the business. The second is QC’s International Event and Wedding Planning Professional™ (IEWP) certification, which really just completes the picture for me completely.

I found many schools for event and wedding planning. However, they’re two areas that typically require separate courses. Luckily, I found QC’s website after a long search. It fitted what what I needed and more! It offered me something that was really just like a missing puzzle piece.

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You graduated from QC Event School back in 2018. In what ways have your professional training and certification benefitted your event planning career?

There have been countless ways! Mostly, I’ve benefitted from knowing how to create public vs. private events. Now I know many holidays and religious ceremonies, as well as how I should design them. I know how to better run an event management company, and how to do my budgeting techniques. It even helped me get in touch with some of the greatest event companies back in Dubai, where I met some incredibly talented people who still inspire me to dream and think big day after day.

Your business offers a wide range of services to your clients, such as: event planning/styling/designing, digital design and marketing services, and home and office styling/designing. In your professional experience, why do you feel that offering this larger array of services has brought your company greater success?

All of these services are correlated in some way. When you can style and design a whole event, looking at a small space becomes like a fun puzzle that you want to put together. My digital designs and marketing services have also helped develop many social media accounts, so that other businesses can grow and become better. What I love in both of my fields is that they go hand-in-hand. When I learn something in one, it benefits me in the other, too. I have such endless opportunities to grow my client base and do even more!

You’ve been growing your online presence quite nicely, especially on Instagram. What is your #1 piece of for aspiring event planners looking to establish a name for themselves on social media?

Going through many event planning companies’ profiles made me realize how messy pages like ours can get. Each event requires special colors, effects, and more. Therefore, I have decided to use a technique where I have it fixed up through each event and its corresponding colors. I find that setup attractive and easy for the eyes to follow. This way, my clients have an easier way of viewing my work. They can can see all of the details without collapsing one event into another.

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You just released the official commercial for your shop/office. This is very exciting! What has this process been like so far, and what do you hope this commercial will achieve for your event planning business?

This has been one of the most exciting things I have ever done (after opening our shop)! As we have all witnessed the crises of the pandemic this year, everyone all over the world has been suffering greatly. I took this opportunity to work on my office/shop and open it just in time after the lockdown. The video is our official company’s video, mentioning all the important details and services Carmellita Events has to offer. It will not only be a way to reach our clients and to let them know that we are open now – it’ll give them the right information of what we are here to do, and what we want to create with every client.

What was/is the most difficult part about starting (and then running) your very own event planning business?

It’s very stressful and challenging; knowing all the payments that needs to be done, and the very small details that you have to always keep an eye out for. I would say that money-wise, that’s been the most difficult part to control. Everything else is simply a challenge for me in terms of how I can make my way to clients, grow a good base, etc.

What has been the proudest moment so far for you in your event planning career?

Every day is a proud moment. When I hold the key to my office and open the door to a new day, I always have a new opportunity to grow. However, my proudest – or lets say,  my happiest moment – is after I finish an event and know I have done a good job. Looking at my clients’ smiles and happiness is the best part.

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Why would you recommend QC Event School to anyone with dreams of working professionally in the wedding and event planning industry?

It was something very useful and helpful to have, in order to grow in this field. The way the courses are designed is so user-friendly. They help students achieve what they want without technical difficulties. It has interesting topics and lessons to teach students that are going into this field. I believe it is the perfect foundation, and the first logical step for any person looking into this industry to take.

What’s in store for Carmellita Events in 2021 and beyond?

Hopefully bigger and many more events to come. Fingers crossed! First we must make it through this rough pandemic, so we can start building more beautiful events for our clients day after day. My goal for next year is to build a stronger client base. I want to get closer to people around Jerusalem and become better known to them. I want to show the world what Carmellita Events truly has to offer!

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Ready to start YOUR event planning journey? Until October 30th, 2020, get THREE professional courses for the price of ONE!

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