Meet Ilana and Kelly of FairyTail Pet Care!
Meet Ilana and Kelly of FairyTail Pet Care AND their 3 amazing dogs: Cooper, Grizzie and Rowdie! // FairyTail Pet Care helps couples include dogs in weddings. Cheers to having your “Dog of Honor” by your side on your special day! // Photo by AGoldPhoto
So excited for you to dive into the wonderful journey of Ilana Karcinski and Kelly Maronpot of FairyTail Pet Care! They’re been best friends since they were in middle school and have bonded over a shared passion for animals & music ever since.
Ilana & Kelly not only became first time business owners in March of 2015, but they created a whole new category of business! The Wedding Industry is worth over 73 billion dollars, but miraculously enough, there wasn’t a way to easily and safely include pets in weddings.
Cut to animal lovers, Ilana and Kelly, who saw a need and carved out an incredible space for themselves and couples all over the U.S. who want to include their “Dog of Honor” in their big day! Enjoy getting to know these babes! xo -Gina
Ilana and Kelly hanging with Jude! Jude got to be part of humans’ wedding at Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete // Photo by Marc Edwards Photographs
Tell us about yourself and what you do!
Best Friends & Co-Owners of FairyTail Pet Care: The Nation's first Wedding Day Pet Care Company!
How did your business begin?
The idea for our company came to us while working for a Tampa-based hotel in 2015. We saw a need in the wedding industry that spoke to us; couples wanted to include their pets in their special day but quickly became overwhelmed. Our pets are our family and we couldn't imagine them missing out on such a special day.
What's 1 challenge you've faced and how has it effected your business? What did you do to overcome it?
When we started our business, there was no other company offering the services we knew these couples needed, so we paved the way & created what we’ve now coined as the Wedding Day Pet Care industry! It was difficult in the beginning to introduce this very unique service, to vendors & couples alike. We worked extremely hard educating & perfecting our service. It’s been so incredible to watch as wedding pet care has become an option for so many couples across the world!
What's 1 success you've had since you’ve created your business? How do you feel when you look back on it?
Quitting our other jobs to go all in full time. It was the best feeling in the world but SO terrifying. Looking back, if we hadn't taken the leap and made that commitment, there is no way we would be where we are today!
What's the best piece of advice you could give someone looking to start a business?
Don't be afraid to ask for help! As a business owner, you constantly face challenges that you've never faced before, and new job titles you suddenly have to learn and take on. No one person can do it all alone. There are SO MANY resources out there, from county or state run programs to local networking groups (oh hey Babe Crafted!) filled with educational tools, mentors, and support. Sometimes as entrepreneurs we get caught up in feeling like we have to show a brave face to the world and pretend we know it all, but there is no shame in asking for help!
What a lucky French Bulldog! Rocky enjoyed kisses by his humans and captured unique footage with FairyTail Pet Care’s GoPro during their wedding day at Nova 535 // Photo by Abundant Grace Photography
What's a pivot you've made in your business?
At the beginning of the pandemic, we started a sister company. It was a terrifying time as weddings came to a complete halt, and we were worried for the future of our business. We sadly watched our entire year filled with bookings disappear into cancellations and indefinite postponements, as the "Virtual" weddings & elopements started to take place. We realized we had a skill that could help couples during this "new normal" of weddings at the time, and it was a service that was not being offered anywhere yet. We could help couples still move forward with their intimate micro weddings, while keeping their friends and family safe with a virtual live stream & reception. We launched our sister company, "FairyTail Weddings" where we would manage the online event for them.
From helping them set up the right angles, highlighting certain virtual guests for toasts, and even creating "reception table" break out rooms and creating time blocks to move the couple from each room so they could actually spend time with all of their guests from all over the world. One of our first weddings was actually for Mr. Wonderful, Kevin O'Leary from Shark Tank! He did a Wedding Rescue Giveaway where he was the officiant for a couple whose wedding had to be cancelled due to COVID-19. We coordinated the entire event here in Tampa, FL in partnership with Kevin & Honeyfund, while the actual wedding took place in California, and Mr. Wonderful was in Canada!
We have since closed the doors to this sister company as so many wonderful entertainment and tech companies have evolved since then to create all inclusive services to help with this, and luckily FairyTail Pet Care is back up and running with plenty of elopements and micro weddings, but it was such an amazing experience and wonderful way to make the best of a very weird & scary time.
Mya Sue and Buddy sharing some love on their humans’ wedding day at Don CeSar in St. Pete // Photo by Marc Edwards Photographs
When are you at your happiest?
When we are loving on and giving your dog the best day ever at your wedding!
What do you tell yourselves when things get difficult?
Breathe. Get outside and take your dog for a walk. Think of 3 things you’re grateful for!
Whats 1 personal goal you've set for yourselves this year?
To stop, take a breath, and celebrate the little moments! To accept that this a crazy, unprecedented time and we can only control own minds & actions. It's hard in a year like we've had to not get disappointed or frustrated, making goals is nearly impossible when we don't know what tomorrow holds. Staying positive and celebrating every little win is so important!
Kelly and Ilana of FairyTail Pet Care with their three dogs: Cooper, Grizzie and Rowdie!
What's 1 business goal you've set for yourself to accomplish this year?
To learn to say “No.” To figure out what opportunities really matter to us and our brand, and accept that not every opportunity that comes our way is necessarily the right fit and worth our time and dedication. We tend to go all in and are very opportunistic - which we certainly intend to keep being - but just with some new boundaries to ensure we aren't stretching ourselves too thin.
What's the first thing you do on a Monday morning and why?
Drink a full glass of water & take the dog for a nice long walk (with earbuds on and some good music!) It’s the best way to start the week with some fresh air, a clear mind, and a positive outlook before I get back to the computer and dive in.
Where can you be found + what will you typically be up to on a Friday night?
Likely pet sitting a dog at a hotel for their humans' rehearsal dinner, or including them in their Friday wedding - or if we aren't working (pre or post pandemic of course) attending a concert!
Finish these sentences:
Our go to karaoke song is... “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae
Our signature drink is... “Naked & Famous,” a yummy tequila/mezcal drink!
Our favorite quote is... Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.
Disclaimer: Ilana and Kelly are members of Babe Crafted.
