Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Lee.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I graduated from Clemson University, my goal was to go into publishing. I wanted to live in New York and work for a large, glossy magazine. What happened instead was that it was 2009, the height of the recession, and those jobs were hard to come by and notoriously low paying. I ended up working for a small Charleston, South Carolina (local to me) publication that had a concentrated and loyal following. We curated unique articles and hosted events for dedicated subscribers. I was the editor, a writer, and the event planner for these subscriber events. While I thought my passion was in writing, it quickly came to be that my passion was in the event planning. I threw caution to the wind and abandoned my dream for a new one. After about 5 months of freelancing and job hunting, I found myself resituated at a Charleston, South Carolina event planning and design firm. I began in their marketing field (seeing as I had no experience in weddings), but within the year had moved into a coordinator role. I never looked back.
In 2015, a friend of mine was living in Houston, Texas and working for a bourgeoning landscape architecture firm. This firm was seeking to diversify their brand and add sister branches to the main landscape design trunk of their business. They hired me on as a client concierge to work with their affluent clients to plan their events, style their florals, and work with them on their general design and hosting needs. This was a particularly niche role that, as it turned out, wasn’t as needed to their clients as they thought. So, while we struggled to get that off the ground, the Houston wedding community welcomed me with open arms. I became very busy with parties and weddings, establishing that firm very soundly in the Houston weddings market. In the summer of 2018, I decided home is where the heart is and returned back to South Carolina, opening my own business. It’s been a scary, hard, and glorious 3 plus years of Vero Events.
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?
Definitely not. Anyone who owns their own business who says they’ve had a smooth road is lying to you. There are high points, but the vast majority of being a business owner is pedal to the metal and don’t look up until you crash or take off. I launched my business in September of 2018. I got married in November of 2019. In March of 2020, COVID struck. In January of 2021, I had my first child. It’s been a roller coaster to say the least. If I didn’t have my husband and parents, I would be lost. If I didn’t have such a solid wedding community of friends and colleagues, I’d be lost. It’s true that it takes a village.
COVID was a struggle, and I believe that’s all anyone needs to hear. Because it encompasses everything. The ripple effect from COVID lasted long after mask mandates and stay-at-home orders were lifted. 2020 was a scary year, but 2021 was a hard year. Hard to staff, hard to execute, hard to make money – just hard. But my team and I pulled it off, we pivoted and readjusted and just kept the pedals going. Now we’re heading into a rebrand and continuing our way with a confidence that only comes through knowing you’ve been through hell and back and are still standing.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We are a floral design and planning firm. I started my career in events as a wedding coordinator. I moved into floral design. And now, I’ve bridged the gap and found a way to blend the two in the best way possible for my business. I’m incredibly proud of what my team is able to produce. I think as far as florals are concerned, our aesthetics leans heavily into textures. We play with lots of petal shapes and greenery varieties, but we’re rooted in a traditional scope. Nothing too avant-garde or excessively artistic, but just your simplistic beautiful pieces that focus on bloom variety, textures, and the way to make these pieces sing. We cater to high-end planners and clients looking to make a statement at their wedding or event. And as planners, we’re the same way, leaning into the logistics knowing the design is about 20% of it. Making a smooth-running day is key.
What may set us apart is the fact that on any given weekend we are either the vendor or the curator of the vendor (i.e.: the planner). We have a unique understanding of what is needed of the client and the team, and we have a good way of pulling all of that together.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Intimate weddings aren’t going anywhere. COVID taught us the value of keeping things simple. It taught us that you get more bang for your buck when you have a smaller wedding. Budgets haven’t moved, but guests counts have. And I am totally here for these fun and bite-sized weddings that allow for stunning tablescapes, stunning photography, and delicious wine!
Contact Info:
- Email: megan@veroevents.com
- Website: https://vero-events.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vero.designs/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/verodesigns0004/_created/
Image Credits
Reagan Events
Virgil Bunao
Lindsey Boyce Designs
Sarah Ingram
The Drifter
Marni Rothschild
Meagan Warren
