Meet Crystal Mejia | Event Planner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Crystal Mejia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Crystal, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
“In order to be successful in life, you need to have a traditional career with a Bachelors and Masters degree.”

Growing up I always felt the pressure of needing to hold certain standards and choosing a degree that will define my future. The need to graduate college and pursue a Bachelors or Masters degree was something I never desired, but felt pressured from the American culture and from my family. Coming from a Hispanic family of immigrants that became U.S citizens and being an only child, there was this expectation I would put on myself to become the first in my immediate family to graduate from college or university. It took me working about 10 different jobs to move to Colorado in order to find and pursue what I am so passionate about.

Everyone defines success on their own terms. My success is finding something I am passionate about and not doing so for the financial gains or for the American dream everyone talks about, but more so for the joy it sparks in me and creating a business that not only elevates myself, but elevates others.

Whether it takes you 15 years or 15 jobs, it is always worth the pursuit in finding your niche and creating something you can own and share with the world. It is never too late to discover and ignite your passion.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
If I had to broadcast to the world what I do, I would say I help couples and clients take stress off their plate, by taking all handles of communication with their wedding vendors and help in bringing their dream day to life. I never saw myself owning a business, as I always wanted to do something creative and what I am doing now is truly a dream! I always enjoyed hosting and planning events and being a part of something bigger and I get to do that everyday working with dream clients and other creatives.

Now it’s not all pretty and glamorous. As an Event Planner, I wear many hats that can produce a lot of stress.. I play my role by problem solving and figuring things out throughout the wedding planning process, from creating backup plans, solving logistical hurdles, and making sure everything and everyone is on the same page, without bringing stress to my clients.

I have a funny story to share during one of my events. My dear friend Amy and I got soaked moving an entire cocktail inside for a wedding, it definitely took some time to dry up. Being an event planner is hard work from working 16 plus hours on event day, to having triple weddings, it sometimes can be stressful. Even though working in this industry can sometimes feel overwhelming at times, it is so rewarding when my clients and their families give me a hug at the end of the night, saying “thank you for all your hard work and bringing our vision to life, we couldn’t have done it without you.” Not only that, being able to grow relationships with vendors who are business owners like myself, helps me be a part of a large community that prides itself on networking with others. All of this truly makes my day and makes the job worth the challenges that comes with it.

Finding what I wanted to do in life was not easy, I went to college for Ministerial leadership in Lakeland, Florida. Then I took courses in Interior Design while working part time at the YMCA in Colorado Springs, quickly learning that it wasn’t a field I was interested in. It took years to discover my niche and passions. My journey to discovering my interest in event planning was when I reached out to my good friend and mentor Becky (Venue Owner & Manager of Clay Venues) back in 2020. I interned under her for 6 months, exposing myself to various weddings that came to Clay. From there, the interest in event planning grew even stronger, when I had started planning styled shoots. Getting to work with other creatives, and coordinating my first wedding in the summer of 2021, is when I knew I found my professional calling.

Throughout this journey, I have learned that life is not a race, being a business owner is not a race. It is not about competition, it is about community and authenticity. We tend to get so caught up on how well others are doing without really seeing the full picture. As a new event planner in town, I have so much to learn. I continue to surround myself with mentors, leaders and experts who have the right mindset of helping others succeed, and supporting each other in this amazing and giving community.

As I launched my business, I know there is something I am always willing to work towards or create a better and unique approach to what I do. Not just for my brand, but for my clients and vendors. The intention is to create authentic relationships with each client, and show that I care about their special day and being a part of one of the most important days of their life. Experiences like this are difficult to explain or put into words, it’s a genuine feeling that continues to spark joy within me and makes me love what I do.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love when friends come into town because I get to play host and take them on an adventure of a lifetime.

Our trip would involve lots of food, drinks, and all kinds of adventurous experiences in all my favorite cities in Colorado. We first start to get some food and drinks over at Avanti located in Denver and then we’ll have to head over to Maria’s empanadas for some yummy argentine empanadas for the road back to Colorado Springs where I live.

For food places we would hit up Shugas, because they have the most amazing Brazilian spicy shrimp soup and great drinks! For some scrumptious Mexican food we would savor our favorite hole-in-the-wall, Tlaquepaque. For some latin fusion we would go to Piglatin Cocina, everything on their menu is to die for! Sinceeveryone needs a taste of Spain, we must go to TAPAteria, a tapas bar known for Spanish savory dishes served with drinks. This is definitely a sharing of many plates, so you’ll want to grab your friends for this one. Last but not least for drinks, we would go to the Rabbit Hole restaurant and Allusions Speakeasy.

As for places to visit, we would go on some killer hikes and enjoy a glamping experience of a lifetime over at Collective Retreats located right outside of Vail in Wolcott, Colorado. The activities we could choose to experience during our stay would involve horseback riding, white water rafting (if friends are visiting in the summer) ending it with a big bang in zipping lining 1,oo0 ft over a canyon. Collective Retreats truly offers you the whole package deal, served with a hearty complimentary “farm to ranch” style breakfast which is locally sourced and is chef’s kiss.

If friends are visiting in the winter, we would have to do some snowmobiling followed along with a dip in the hot springs. There are so many natural hot springs located in Colorado, it truly is a gem.

Things to check out and off your national park bucket list, would be a visit to the beautiful Sand Dunes and you can also hike these dunes at night to watch a starry experience of stargazing. Another site to see is Mesa Verde National Park. Fun Fact,”The canyons of Mesa Verde is home to over a thousand species, including several that live nowhere else on earth.” How cool is that?!

This itinerary is not for the faint of heart. It truly takes an adventurer to experience this within a week.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are quite a few people I want to shout out that I could not have done it without. I want to shout out to my husband Michael, who has supported me along so many journeys of finding my niche, and continues to cheer for me along the way. I also want to give a shoutout to my friend and mentor Becky Nuttall, who I interned under at CLAY venues and helped me find my passion through the wedding and event industry.

Thank you to Amy Abernathy with Flourish Event Co for guiding me through the fine art of Event Planning, and mentoring me through all the weddings we have worked at together. Shoutout to Sarah and Amber who are amazing event planners themselves, and for being so supportive by giving me great tips and advice through the process.

Last but not least, I want to thank my entrepreneur coach Trinity Albertson, who played a significant role in helping me through the beginning steps of being where I am today. I was able to learn and grow so much through her mastermind coaching program, during a time where I did not know how to begin starting a business. I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to begin their first steps of being an entrepreneur or to those who have been in this business for many years and need a refresh or rebrand.

Website: crystalmejiaeventsco.com

Instagram: crystalmejiaevents

Linkedin: Crystal Mejia

Facebook: CM & Co Weddings and Events

Image Credits
@bschwartz @erinwinter_photo @jennawrenphotography