Today we’d like to introduce you to Ilana Karcinski & Kelly Maronpot.
Hi Ilana and Kelly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Best friends since we were 13, we met in middle school and instantly bonded over our two favorite things: music and animals. We were college roommates, where we rescued our own dogs and started trying to figure out what exactly we wanted to do for a living. The idea for our company came to us when we got our first out of college jobs, both working for Hilton. We soon began to see a need in the wedding industry that spoke to us; couples wanted to include their pets in their wedding day, but it was just too stressful. Our pets are our family and we couldn’t imagine them missing out on such a special day. We have a deep affection for animals and knew this was our calling! We jumped at the opportunity, combining our hospitality experience with our love for animals. There were no other companies in the United States offering this service at the time, so it was certainly a bit of a challenge! We essentially had to figure it out as we went along, listening to our client’s needs and concerns and building our entire company from scratch. It was lots of hard work and countless hours, but we are so proud of what we have built today. We knew we wanted to not just start a business but also make a difference in animals’ lives. That’s why our mission here at FairyTail is to treat your pet like they’re our own while helping rescues find their homes. This means that all of our handlers volunteer at local animal shelters. As a company, we donate a portion of our proceeds back to these shelters for whatever they need most: covering adoption fees, sponsoring medical bills, dropping off food and supplies, etc. Five years later, and while based in Florida, we now offer our services nationwide. We’ve included over 300 pets in weddings, donated over $13,000, and volunteered over 800 hours of our time to these animal shelters!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
When we started this business, there were no other companies in the United States offering anything like it. Coming up with an entire industry, from the structure and pricing to the liability and hiring, was extremely intimidating. Not to mention, when we told people back in 2015 about our business idea, half of them thought we were crazy. We had to push through the skepticism and doubts and keep going. We knew this was a need in the wedding industry, even if not everyone could see that yet, and we believed that people would eventually “get” it. Sure enough, the perseverance paid off. Now, most pet owners can’t imagine not including their pet on their wedding day. We feel fortunate to have found this niche market when we did, but if we hadn’t stuck with it and put in the work, we would never be where we are today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Pets are family and we get that. We help couples include their pet in their wedding day, ensuring both the couples AND their pets have the best day ever! We also offer our services for any special events and assistance in including pets in photo shoots. These events are the first time in many pet owner’s lives where everyone they typically trust with their pet is suddenly unavailable. They don’t want to ask someone they didn’t invite to watch their pet, so unless they are comfortable with boarding, they are left overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. That’s where we come in. We recognize that every wedding & every pet’s personality is completely unique, so we customize each of our wedding packages to perfectly fit their needs. It can be as simple as making sure their pet is getting the love and care they deserve and bringing them by for a couple of photos, including them in EVERYTHING and having them walk down the aisle! We provide round trip transportation, any attire they may need, coordinating with all of their vendors, helping their pet pose for photos, and even in-home or in-hotel pet care the weekend of their wedding. What sets us apart is our work with the community and programs with local animal shelters, as well as our “Dog Of Honor” Videography. We provide video service on the day of your wedding, all from their pet’s perspective! This special point of view shows some of the most genuine moments of the wedding day. From the puppy snuggles & kisses when the Bride & Groom are getting ready to them walking down the aisle during the ceremony. There is nothing like the smile on guest’s faces when they walk up to the venue, only to see the couple’s dog waiting to greet them with a wagging tail. What we’re most proud of as a brand is our mission, and therefore our work with our community animal shelters. This also gives us a unique opportunity to work with rescue animals from all walks of life. This provides us with the confidence and experience needed to feel comfortable working with all species, breeds, sizes, and energy levels!
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
We love Tampa! Our city was actually ranked as one of the top cities for female entrepreneurs last year. We grew up in the Tampa Bay Area and love that we are able to continue living our lives here and following our passion. We have to say the only negative thing about our city is the traffic on I-4. We often travel to and from Orlando for weddings and it’s quite the nightmare.
Contact Info:
- Email: woof@fairytailpet.com
- Website: www.fairytailpetcare.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/fairytail_petcare
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairytailpetcare
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/FairyTail_Pets
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/fairytailpetcare
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fairytail-pet-care-tampa-2
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@fairytail_petcare
Image Credits
In Order Of Appearance, AGoldPhoto Pet Photography, Cornelia Zaiss Photography, Kelsey Cole Photography, Marc Edwards Photography, Regina As The Photographer, Victoria Angela Photography
