Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Megan Woonton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Megan, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share a story that illustrates an important or relevant lesson you learned in school

I was one of the lucky ones who knew what I wanted to study at a young age, before I even started college. My major was hospitality and event management. On one of my first days of freshman year, in one of the intro classes, the professor asked something along the lines, “How many of you don’t want to work weekends, holidays, early mornings, or late nights?” A few hands went up, and he said, “If that’s you, you might want to reconsider this major.”

It was such a clear reality check, that the event world runs on everyone else’s big days and milestones. Instead of deterring me, it cemented my decision. I knew I wanted to be the person behind the scenes making those moments happen, no matter what hours it took. That lesson has stuck with me ever since as it taught me early on the dedication this career requires, and that loving what you do makes the sacrifices worth it.

Let’s talk M&A – we’d love to hear your about your experience with buying businesses.

This question relates to co-owning a venue with my husband. We own a wedding venue in Maine that is in a beautiful renovated barn with 3,200 square feet, multiple ceremony or cocktail sites, and an estate house that sleeps 22 guests. We purchased the venue and business in December 2024, so it hasnt been a full year yet. We got married somewhere where we had the venue for the entire weekend and it was amazing. We knew we wanted to own a venue someday, and we keep our eyes peeled on the market. We came across Whitney Farm Estate and knew it was the perfect place. They had been operating this venue since 2019, and wanted to retire. They wanted to sell to a person/couple that had passion for the industry and that would continue carrying on with the venue, and I think they liked our passion for the industry and how much we wanted to host couples on their best day ever. The day we closed, we got to work and started on updates immediately!

How’d you meet your business partner?

I met Steve, my business partner and husband onsite at an event. It feels only appropriate since we’re both in the industry. We have two slightly different versions of how we met, but ultimately, on an event together a former client set us up and next thing you know we’re getting drinks together. Now married with a toddler.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.29pine.com
• Instagram: @29pine
• Other: Our other business is @whitneyfarmestate, https://www.whitneyfarmestate.com/

Image Credits
Brit Perkins, Matt Teuten, Jenn Emerling, Castillo Holliday Photo and Film, Emma’s Perspectives