Elizabeth Tulipana Owner of Anticipation Events
A fun, fearless leader with foresight on wedding and event trends. Prior to founding Anticipation Events in 2009, Elizabeth worked as an event planner for four years at one of Chicago’s most beloved cultural institutions, Shedd Aquarium. Yes, she even planned her own wedding this year! She stays busy in her free time with a variety of creative pursuits—she’s written pieces for the likes of Marie Claire Magazine and Conde Nast Traveler, and she continues her globetrotting adventures every chance she gets.
Anticipation Events is a boutique event planning and styling company specializing in atypical and stylish weddings, social occasions, and special events. Anticipation Events is crazy good at making sure every detail is in place down to the last disco ball. Their attention to detail and ability to organize, paired with an eye for style mean anyone gets the best of both worlds: planner and designer.
With hundreds of events planned, dozens of crises averted, and countless candles lit, Team AE is a secret weapon to a stress-free event. When they’re not at a party, they dabble in music, food, interiors, and travel to keep their senses honed and inspiration flowing. Anticipation Events call Chicago home, but anyone can book them worldwide.
How did you get into wedding planning?
I was working at Shedd Aquarium planning events, which I loved, but after several years, I craved a bit more of the creative side of event planning. I am insanely detail oriented and organized but also really love aesthetics and styling. Weddings fit that bill for me and I love getting to do both!
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
I knew I wanted to keep planning events, but I also knew I wanted a variety a traditional event planning job wouldn’t give me. I was young and naive which helped immensely. I encourage it. Now, and once I realized wedding planning was a niche that fueled me creatively, I stay motivated because the wedding world can be insane and we enjoy finding clients looking to plan an atypical and nontraditional party of a lifetime.
What does a day in your life consist of?
My life is something totally different every day. Client calls, proposal writing, timelines, walkthroughs, social media, business planning, working with the team, rehearsals, industry events, designing, researching, communicating with vendors, working up floorplans, searching for inspiration, executing wedding days and like most entrepreneurs answering a whole lot of emails while drinking a whole lot of coffee!
What are your hobbies or non-work-related activities?
Travelling, reading, swimming, shopping for antiques and vintage things, and exploring new places in Chicago to eat and drink. I love new places and seeing other cities, cultures, and corners of the world. I also enjoy working on the home (I now share with my husband!), life “styling” and working on the interiors of homes.
As an entrepreneur do you have innate qualities, or is it something that you learned?
I think a lot of the qualities that make me a good entrepreneur can be helpful and hard just being a human. I’m a perfectionist, I work extremely hard and have a great work ethic and I can just keep going and going, it’s hard to say no to things.
What tips or advice can you give to couples who are in the midst of planning?
Pretend your wedding is two weeks before it actually is and finish all of your big projects and don’t take any new ones on. I always say there will be no typing ribbons the night before your wedding. I also think an important thing to keep in mind when hiring vendors is to take social media with a grain of salt. Some vendors are really great at social media but that’s a whole different ballgame than what you actually might be hiring them for (catering, floral, etc.) You are going to be grateful for vendors who are responsive and direct when it gets down to it. Also, make sure you actually like (as people, along with their work) your photographer, videographer, planner, etc. They are going to be with you ALL DAY on your wedding day and if you don’t like them, it’s going to be a tougher day than it needs to be.
What do you do when you’re not working?
Traveling! I love new places and seeing other cities, cultures and corners of the world.
Discipline and creativity: are they two forces in opposition, or are they complementary?
I think they can be both, I do some of my best most creative work under pressure. When I am working at an event and something goes wrong (it usually does) I have to come up with a creative solution instantly to solve it. While I never want things to go wrong, I am excellent at “McGyvering” things, as I call it. I also can find myself in situations where I cannot come up with something, usually when I am trying to figure out the next paint color/wallpaper/furniture piece and I have to wait until the vision comes to me.
What sacrifices have you had to make during life as an entrepreneur and a leader?
Time mostly. I always have to be on, checking email, checking in and available. Weddings are a big deal to people (and they should be, they are damn expensive) so I feel like I can’t ever really turn off. That’s a hard mindset to live in some days and definitely annoys the people closest to me sometimes.
What is your life motto?
“Under promise and over deliver.”
How would you describe your work style during the days?
Efficient and focused. Everyone is always befuddled at how I can do so much and get so much done. Make a list and knock it out. I am of the work hard/play hard school of thought, I can really get into work mode and not have a day of for months, and then I’ll definitely take a two-week vacation and check out as much as possible.
What popular entrepreneurial advice do you agree/ disagree with? Why?
This might be controversial, but I disagree with the notion that you always have to know what your competition is doing. 1. I don’t have time, 2. If you are always comparing yourself to someone else you are going to be miserable, 3. Most of my peers have completely different brands/clients/business plans than I do and luckily we work in a market that has room for all of us.
If you had one piece of advice to our readers to those just starting out as a business owner, what would it be?
Take a week off before you begin! You’ll be glad you did because it’ll probably be the last for a while!
Check out Anticipation Events if you are looking for an event planner!
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
Join the discussion!