Wedding planners and those planning for weddings have a new ally, and it’s a company called Fêtefully, a play on the French word for celebration or festival, “fete” that connects wedding planners and clients digitally. From a young age, GiGi McDowell, CEO and founder of Fêtefully, knew her future was in event planning, and was supported by her mother to pursue her dreams. Years of persistence, perseverance, and hard work paid off. Members of the Denton Angels recognized the startup’s contribution to the wedding industry and moved forward with funding Fêtefully after GiGi pitched to the group in early 2019.
No stranger to promoting her company, GiGi approached the Denton Angels with a fully-fledged startup that had undergone iterations and expansion, along with proof that clientele for Fêtefully existed and would continue to grow.
Her advice for a startup seeking investment?
“Know your numbers like you know your name. Be able to tell the story of what you’ve done and why, whether it’s building a product or service, and have your vision for the future of your business ready, detailed, and actionable.”
GiGi has been featured on ABC Family, FOX, and Huffington Post for her work in the wedding & event planning industry and is a recent graduate of Silicon Valley's prestigious Women's Startup Lab Accelerator and was voted “Best In Class” by the Founder Gym Accelerator.
Denton’s First Angel Investment Group
“Investing in local entrepreneurs who can make a global impact”
Formed to provide capital to high growth, early-stage startups, Denton Angels is an accredited investor group, administered through Stoke Denton, a coworking space and entrepreneurial hub located in Downtown Denton. Denton Angels make individual investment decisions and do not invest as a group.
On the impact that he hopes Denton Angels to have, Marshall Culpepper, part of the energy and planning behind the group, co-owner of Stoke and co-founder/CEO of Denton-based satellite startup company, Kubos, says “For the foreseeable future, it’s really just getting capital to innovative startups in Denton so they can build their business here — that’s the most immediate thing I want to accomplish. For the long-term vision ... a self-sustaining economy in Denton that’s based on technology and that has high-paying jobs for a lot of people.”
The Need for Fêtefully
Engaged couples surf the web for 80% of their wedding planning (linked). 66% use a wedding planning app. Knowing the struggles and stress associated with the process after working with brides as an event planner, GiGi founded a company at the intersection of the wedding industry and technology, initially named Wed Ally, and eventually becoming Fêtefully.
From the start, GiGi’s focus has been to empower small business owners and event planners who might not otherwise be able to connect with those who need their services due to location or lack of awareness. From the user perspective, Fêtefully makes it possible for newly engaged couples to connect with planners who suit their needs and budget no matter where they are. With the Fêtefully interface, users can chat with their planners, share their vision, and use tools that alleviate some of the stress of planning.
How Fêtefully Works
Based in Dallas and Los Angeles, Fêtefully has over 200 planners and is used in over 30 cities across the US, Mexico, Canada and the Carribean, so how does it work?
Before becoming a member and choosing your membership level, you’ll take a quiz to determine your style and needs and find potential planners with whom you can work.
“Packages start at $99 a month for a basic planning guide and meeting with a planner, all the way up to $179 a month for a more comprehensive and inclusive package. The goal of the service is to provide access to wedding planners anywhere in the country, and give customers the option to pick the best fit for their budget. [Fêtefully doesn’t] charge wedding planners to be on the service, but rather take a percentage of the money brought in for services.”
Fêtefully planners use your style and design choices and can help manage vendors and logistics for your wedding. Fêtefully planners can handle details like selecting linens, centerpieces, invitations and more based on what you discuss during the virtual meetings, making sure to find the best quality and best priced items for what you’re looking for. Perhaps the most appealing part about some of Fêtefully’s services is that they’ll find available and capable vendors within your budget, as well as review and advise you on the fine print of vendor contracts.
With funding from the Denton Angels, GiGi will be able to continue to grow Fêtefully by onboarding over 1,000 new planners, offering day-of coordination in select markets, and continuing development of the platform.