We recently connected with Maggie Marsh and have shared our conversation below.

Maggie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I got engaged in December of 2021 and I immediately dove straight into wedding planning. I went into the planning process a little nervous and apprehensive because up to that point, all I had heard from friends & social media was how overwhelming & stressful wedding planning could be. We even see this in movies where the engaged girls have breakdowns from the stress of wedding planning (LOL). I quickly learned that that was not the case for me, I LOVED IT. I’m a girl who loves lists & especially the kind that I can check items off after they are completed, so this is how I approached everything. Along the planing process, I also learned that I loved the creative outlet wedding planning gave me. From designing my Save The Dates, invitations, and creating my own wedding crest, I realized that this was something that I not only enjoyed, but I was very good at it. I loved the design aspect of wedding planning and creating my vision board to showcase my floral inspiration, table set up, and reception decor.

When I went to my reception venue the day before my wedding, I felt like I was thriving as I got to go around the room and decide where I wanted to set up my decor items – it was so much fun! On the morning of my wedding, my amazing Mom & sister went back to the venue and completed the set up of all my items while I got my hair and makeup done.. I felt like my wedding weekend was absolutely perfect, and my mom & sister did an amazing job setting up my decor, but if there is anything I could go back and change, I would have hired someone to decorate the ceremony & reception space for us so I could have my mom & sister with me while I was getting ready. On the morning of your wedding, you want all your special people to be with you – that’s how it should be!

As my bridesmaids and I were getting our hair and makeup done, I was looking through my wedding binder, which I jokingly referred to as my “wedding bible” because it had everything anyone could ever need throughout the wedding weekend. I created my wedding day timeline, hair/makeup schedules, contact lists, and a list of decor items for our clean up crew to refer to at the end of the reception and put it alllllll in my binder. A couple of my bridesmaids asked to look at it and as they flipped through it, they told me that this was something I should actually pursue & do for others. My wedding coordinator even told me I basically did her job for her by creating this binder. I owe it to my bridesmaids & coordinator for the confidence they spoke into me that morning.

A couple weeks after our wedding, I was sitting in prayer while reading my bible and I asked God to show me my next steps. I truly missed wedding planning and the creative outlet it gave me and I wanted to know how I could turn my love for planning & design into something more. On November 16th, as I was journaling, God spoke the words “Blessings & Growth” and I decided to write these words down, knowing they were prophetic words from God. I cut the piece of paper out of my prayer journal and taped it to my fridge as a reminder of the words God spoke to me. 2 weeks later, Maggie Marsh Events, LLC was created and a dream was born.

I knew Maggie Marsh Events would be a success because of how big the wedding industry truly is. Couples are always getting married and the need for a planner and coordinator isn’t something that will ever end. There are so many planners out there, but each one of us has a different personality and we each bring something unique to the table, making it a thriving business to work in.

For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc, what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.

Absolutely! I love love and everything about weddings. I believe the planning process should be ENJOYABLE and that a couples wedding day should be the one day that they don’t have to worry about anything. I want to help couples plan their special day and be that person that handles everything for them. I want for them to be able to enjoy every second with their loved ones.

I offer three different packages – Event Management, Partial Planning & Full Planning. The vendor industry is huge and there are so many wedding planners, so I knew I needed to do something different to really stand out from others. This is when the idea of a wedding decor inventory & personalized wedding crests came to me.

During the planning of my own wedding, I accumulated a LOT of items, and since then, I’ve added even more to my inventory. Each package includes a certain number of decor items, and if a couple wants to use more than their package allows, they can rent the other items. I’ve learned that one way the costs of weddings can really skyrocket is from the cost of these items. You don’t really think about this when you attend weddings, but everything from picture frames, easels, card boxes, bud vases, candle holders, table numbers, cake stands, table runners, etc….it REALLY adds up. Providing access to my inventory saves my brides money and takes multiple things of their long to-do lists.

When I was planning my wedding, I of course searched all over Pinterest for DIY wedding ideas, and I came across wedding crests. Instead of purchasing an already-customized crest, I decided to be creative and design my own. I used my crest on my invitations & framed one to use as decor on our bar, and I received so many compliments on it. A friend of mine got married a couple weeks after me and asked if I could design one for her, and she used hers on stickers for her invitations. It was in that moment that I realized the potential for the uses of wedding crests. When a couple books with me, they can have a personalized crest made (at no charge). These crests are completely customizable and really showcase the couples style from the font, floral design, and colors. It’s been so much fun to see how each couple chooses to use their crest at their wedding – the options really are endless!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

One of my wedding planner friends, Hannah Strickland, has been so kind & helpful as I’ve started this business. She’s given me so much advice and support and for that I’m super thankful. One of the tips she gave me was to just keep posting. Social media is such a great platform and so many people are always scrolling, so continuous posting is what really puts your business on people’s feeds more and more. Shortly after starting my business instagram account, I partnered with a florist friend of mine, Wildflower Florist of Greenville NC, to do a giveaway. This giveaway helped me gain more followers and 3 of my newest brides found me because of the giveaway.

Through my Instagram, I’ve reached out to multiple planners, vendors and venues to introduce myself and make that connection. With so many wedding vendors, it’s important to get your name our there. As tiring as social media can sometimes be, I also believe it’s the biggest way to share your services and connect with others.

I’ve asked my brides how they heard of Maggie Marsh Events, and a couple said through mutual friends or word of mouth, but the majority said through my Instagram and Facebook! So keep posting! Even when you feel like it’s not doing much, it really is.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Of course! I went to college at ECU (go Pirates!!!!!) and I majored in Special Education. I taught for 2 years, but I realized that teaching was not for me. Leaving teaching was such a hard decision to make since my whole life, my dream was to teach. I felt like teaching was my calling, and since I left, I felt like I had failed. After leaving teaching, I got a job working from home, and I’m still with this company today. Although I love this job, I was really missing the aspect of serving others through my work. Although I work with others virtually, I missed the connections I was able to make when actually working with people. If you know me at all, you know that I am constantly moving & I thrive in situations where I can talk and work with others.

I believe that God calls us to love and serve others, and starting Maggie Marsh Events was really a “ah ha” moment for me. I realized that being a wedding planner and event coordinator could give me the opportunity to meet different people, serve couples, and use my communication and problem solving skills in real life while planning and coordinating weddings.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maggiemarshevents.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/maggiemarshevents?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088832204892

Image Credits
Details photo of invitations & wedding crest – Kristen Jones – Photographer Framed Crest photo – George Creatives – Katherine George Branding Photos – Allie Nichols Photography