We were lucky to catch up with Suzy Marrero recently and have shared our conversation below.
Suzy, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I first started this business with an objective to bring something new & fresh to the wedding & creative community. I always had a niche for design& creating. Even as a little girl at the age of 12 I was rearranging furniture in my mom‘s house. I looked at our home as my canvas. In my younger years, we didn’t have much as I was growing up, I grew up in a single parent household, with a single income, but still I always had this dream of being a designer & owning my own business. I would draw sketches & collect paint swatches from the hardware stores to create design palettes, that’s how my love for what I do began.
I had worked very briefly for a local business that was within the wedding industry just before Covid. I was also working as a cocktail server at a casino but I still yearned for creativity. I was a young mom and I wanted to be able to spend more time with my daughter. So during the brief timing while working for a wedding vendor, it inspired me & I saw potential to bring life into the wedding world but more from a creative scene. Weddings need the creative rebels to think outside the box, that’s what inspired me to start Pepper Lavender Events, an event rental & design boutique.
I first chose the name for my business in 2019 but I didn’t officially launch it until September 2020. I did the styling and set up for a friends wedding and the rest is history. Shortly after my launch, I started having trouble in my marriage. It was very emotional time for me & I soon after got a divorce from my daughters stepfather and I was only about five months into my business & a single mom. This honestly fueled the fire that was already burning inside me. I poured myself into my work, and into my creativity. I started networking and reaching out to other vendors and other creatives. Working on so many different projects, and pushing myself to do things that I have never done before. It’s opened a lot of doors for me. I was able to open a second business, which is a PHOTOGRAPHY and CREATIVE Studio, which I started in 2021 with a PHOTOGRAPHER friend Tia Leigh Photography, called Studio 515 SCRANTON in Scranton, PA. We opened up our studio for for photographers, workshops, entrepreneurs, & other creatives throughout the industry. This then opened up yet another door for me to step into. I was able to dive into the world of creative concepts & I noticed the more I did this, the better my work got, my installations got bigger, and my creativity was expanding as I was networking with other people within that industry.
I’m so proud of the foundation I’ve built this business on & how far I have come. It was far from a walk in the park. From storing my furniture (rentals) in a basement to a storage unit & now a studio space that we get to share with multiple creatives! I couldn’t do it with out all the love & support of my lovely family, stellar friends, fabulous clients & this amazing community.
Suzy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Pepper Lavender Events is not your run-of-the-mill event rental boutique. Think of us as the rebels of concept & event design – turning your visions into unforgettable uniquely ‘you’ experiences. Because let’s be honest, life‘s too short for ordinary celebrations. We’re not just crafting events we’re conjuring up groundbreaking concepts for your personal moments & artistic direction. Say goodbye to the mondane – we’re the renegades of wedding design, ditching the ordinary playbook to dive headfirst into the extraordinary.
I’m all about curating a vibe that’s uniquely you. Our rental inventory? It’s not just stuff; it’s a collection of textures & patterns, carefully chosen for that perfect fun aesthetic. We love connecting with local suppliers & creatives to artfully bring your vision to life – because celebrations should be as unique as the people behind them.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I ditched the idea that my designs had to be Instagram-perfect. Sure, I love a good filter, but my creations needed to scream “ME.” So, I let my artistic freak flag fly and started designing from the heart. Quirky, imperfect, and oh-so-me.
But it’s not just about the designs; it’s about the stories they tell. So, I spilled the tea on my creative process. I share a ton of BTS on my social media, before and after, & moodboards vs. reality. I’ve learned to embrace the chaos & all the quirks that come along with it.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Collaboration became my middle name. I’d team up with photographers for shoots that were practically visual symphonies. Their snaps made my designs sing, and voila. Networking isn’t about awkward handshakes and forced smiles. It’s about finding the people who share your visions and they match your energy. It’s a two-way street. I’d throw some design magic their way, they’d refer clients to me like we were in some secret society of creativity, in the best way!
I am a firm believer, that the right clients will always find you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pepperlavenderevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pepperlavenderevents?igsh=MTU3eXpwNHM5Znkyeg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063559210952&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@pepper_lavender_events?_t=8je3yA6FqHL&_r=1
Image Credits
Gianna Leo Falcon Maggie Kraser Tia Leigh Photography Rosalie Reyes Photo