Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Mays.
Hi Emily, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After being a wedding planner for 8 years and having my 3rd child, I was ready for the next big challenge. I was sitting in my parent’s living room talking with my oldest brother, John and my dad about the future. I brought up building a wedding venue on my parent’s property (for the millionth time) and my brother said “Yeah, why aren’t we doing that!?!” My father respond saying that if I was serious and could show him a business plan he would consider it. So I went home and wrote up a fully detailed business plan full of national, regional & local market statistics with financial projections 5 years out. After that, it was full steam ahead!
We spent 2018 refining our vision, dreaming up details, planning, bank hunting, and hiring a design team. We had our first curveball early on with my mother’s cancer coming back. So we sold the property we were originally designing for and God found us the location we are at today in North Conroe. So in April 2019 we signed on the dotted line, bought the future home of Forever 5 Events and hit the ground at a jog. We ran into a lot of red tape right at the beginning before we could even start demo of the existing building. That fall we finally had the green light and started moving steadily forward. It was so rewarding watching the old come down and the new begin to take form. Then covid hit and put a major delay on construction. We ran into material shortages, workers taking off, and so much more. So 2020 was a slow and steady wins the race kind of year as we pushed back our grand opening date to March of 2021.
2021 was the year of pivoting. It came with so many trials and lesson but also, so many wonderful events and memories. We hosted our first weddings – reminding us why we started this in the first place. But it also brought a lot of heartaches. We lost my mother, my cousin and my brother-in-law over a 3 month period right before our biggest wedding season last fall. Being a family-owned venue has its perks and its challenges, because while we love and are so grateful for each and every client and couple it also means when we are grieving we still must smile and push forward. We grew our first year in business in more ways than we could have ever expected. We grew closer as a family, we grew up from newbie venue owners to more experienced ones, we learned when to put or foot down and when to give more, and most importantly we learned and proved that we are in this business for all the right reasons.
These last few years have been some of the hardest and most rewarding ones in my life. I am passionate about the wedding and events industry and I couldn’t envision my life in any other career. That is the biggest blessing in life to love what you do every single day. I don’t “have to” I “get to” do this job and it’s a dream come true.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, not at all. But then again nothing good is ever easy, right!? Sometimes taking the hardest path leads to the greatest views and that has definitely been the journey for Forever 5. One of the things that keep us going at the end of every day is that we are doing this in honor of my nephew, Garett, that passed away at 5 years old from DIPG. He has been our biggest guiding force and our reason “why.” And if that wasn’t reason enough to keep going knowing that this wasn’t my dream alone, that my whole family – my dad, mom, brothers, husband, kids, even my in-laws believed in this dream with me so giving up was never an option.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Forever 5 Events is truly a one-of-a-kind venue. Outside of our modern design set in a picturesque landscape, we are a venue with purpose. Every year we donate a portion of our profit to childhood cancer research through 3 of our favorite charities such as, Defeat DIPG, Alex’s Lemonade Stand and The Cure Starts Now.
It has allows been at the core of our brand to give back and keep family at the heart of everything we do. That is probably what we are most proud of.
A few of our venue facts are:
- We hold 200 guests
- Provide and set up tables & chairs
- Rental period is for 14 hours (10am – midnight)
- Get ready suites available – The Willow Room & The Olive Branch House
We only hold one event a day to allow a personalized experience all about our couples & clients!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Oh, I could talk about this one for days! I LOVE to read and listen to podcasts! I am such a fan of some that I have made friends with the podcaster :)!
Some of the podcasts I love and recommend to other vendors:
- She Creates Business (My #1 fav!)
- The Venue Podcast
- Weddings For Real Podcast
- Goal Digger
Books I love:
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
- ANYTHING Brene Brown
- Crushing it by Gary Vee
- Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson (My mom made me read this and I immediately understand why. It is simple thought but such a game changer!)
- The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab
Apps that I can’t live without for the business:
- Canva
- Planoly]
- Podium
- InShot
- Lumos
- Calendly
Pricing:
- Starting at $3,500
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@forever5events.com
- Website: www.forever5events.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/forever5events
- Facebook: facebook.com/forever5events
Image Credits
The Cotton Collective
The Bledsoes Photography
Jennifer Sanders Photography
Emily Figurelli Photography
Ellen Renee Photography
Weddings Unlimited
Alexander Cross Photography
