Meet Elizabeth Gawel of Frolic Events

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Gawel.  

Hi Elizabeth, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been working in the events industry since I was a sophomore in college at Eastern Michigan University, where I worked for the catering department. My college major was in Hotel and Restaurant Management, but through that program, I was able to take a couple of catering and event planning courses. This is where I decided that I wanted to pursue events as my long-term career. After graduating, I worked a couple of other hospitality industry jobs, eventually accepting a position as an event planning assistant at a local catering company. I was promoted to Catering Sales Coordinator within my first year. This role, while focused in catering, involved full-service event planning, including coordinating event rentals like tables, chairs, and linens, and recommending other vendors, such as DJs, photographers, etc. In this position, I worked on both corporate and social events, but weddings were always my favorite. I loved getting to know the couples and being hands-on in the day of preparation for the events. This led me to the decision to take a course to become a Certified Wedding Planner, which I completed on my own time while still working 40+ hours a week. Unfortunately, after almost 4 years, I was laid off from my catering sales position as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. After taking some time to think about what I wanted to do next, I decided that I wanted to keep doing what I loved but to do it for myself! While I enjoyed working in catering, I was ready to take a step back from the food side of events and focus more on the finer details. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest challenge has been the process of building a business from the ground up. When I decided to pursue the idea to start my own business, I had no idea what that really involved and had to do a lot of research on how to become a registered LLC, file taxes, get business insurance, and all of those details that I had never had to think about before. It was definitely a learning curve for me, but I was able to find some great resources to help me. The next biggest challenge has been getting my name out there and finding clients. It was a slow start, but I was very lucky to have some great friends who trusted me with their own events so I would have something to show for myself. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Frolic Events is a boutique event planning, coordination, and consultation business located in South East Michigan. We offer full-service wedding planning and day of coordination, but we also offer hourly consultation for those who have already put in the work of planning on their own but need a little help pulling all the details together. We are also available to plan other social events, such as graduation parties, anniversaries, milestone birthdays, and more! We are proud to have over ten years of experience in the event industry which gives us the intuition needed to plan and execute near-flawless events. 

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I do my best to stay on top of my social media game by posting on my business accounts but also by being involved in event industry groups. I love to use social media to keep in touch with other vendors and to encourage them as they build their own businesses. There are some amazing people out there who inspire me every day! 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.froliceventsmi.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/froliceventsmi
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/froliceventsmi