Welcome to our “Day in the Life” series! We feature wedding and event planners worldwide with many different levels of experience. If you want to be featured, download our questionnaire here and email your responses and photos to info@plannerslounge.com. We are excited to feature Megan Fioto of Boynton Beach, Florida.

Name:  Megan Fioto

Business Name & Location:  Megan Ashley Events, Boynton Beach Florida

Years Working in the Event Industry: 15

Years Owning Your Event Planning Business: 4

Website: www.meganashleyevents.com

Facebook: facebook.com/meganashleyevents

Instagram: @meganashleyevents

What is your typical day like?

After I drop my 3 kids off at school, I head back home and try to get in a Pilates or Yoga workout before starting my workday at 9 am. I begin by checking emails and answering inquiries, then depending on the day and what events are going on, I’m typically in meetings or working on important tasks like developing design boards, creating timelines, and communicating with venues and vendors, among other things.

During the slower seasons, I begin reaching out to new venues and vendors to expand my approved vendors list and make new connections, and try to attend networking events. My workday ends at 3 pm when it’s time to pick up the kids from school. I have two boys and one girl; they are all very active and full of energy! We usually go to the swimming pool, soccer field, or Taekwondo gym for training. I do not offer any evening hours currently due to this. My weekends are reserved for events or family time. When I’m not working at a wedding or event, I spend time with my family – we love the outdoors and Disney World!

How did you get started in the industry?

While in college, I began my journey in the event industry and interned for the university’s alumni center. I also studied hospitality tourism management as my undergrad major and knew I wanted a career in the events industry. After earning my Bachelor’s degree, I continued my education and earned my Master’s degree (MBA). I worked with a fundraising company and a meetings & conferences company for two years. After this, I began a trade show event manager career, which required a lot of traveling and demanding hours. I did this for almost 8 years when Covid hit. While everything was shut down and I found myself jobless, I began researching ideas for at-home event jobs because I loved the flexibility and being home with my kids. That’s when I stumbled upon The CWP Society (which was known as The Bridal Society at this time). I registered to earn my certification in wedding planning and wedding design fundamentals and applied for my LLC shortly after. When I completed the first certification, I knew the wedding industry was where I was supposed to be. I love every aspect of this industry and helping my clients wedding dreams a reality! Since then, I’ve earned my Master’s Certification in Wedding Planning as well as a few other certifications to help give me a distinctive edge in the industry. My latest adventure has been helping the CWP Society expand its reach in the industry as we now offer a membership for all wedding pros (not just planners) and raise industry standards as an Industry Advancement Director.

What inspires you?

The CWP Society is a big source of inspiration and resources for me. Their website is www.thecwpsociety.com Wedding Planner Today: https://www.weddingplannertoday.com/
My family is another source of inspiration for me! My husband is incredibly supportive, and my kids keep me motivated.

What are your favorite online resources for your business? 

1. The CWP Society – The CWP Society is more than just a certification program. It offers a community and safe place for planners and pros to come together in unity and help raise the standards and expectations in the industry. I highly encourage any planner to join! www.thecwpsociety.com
2. The Wedding Pro Podcast – can be found on Spotify or Apple Music
3. Wedding Industry Insider (Podcast) – can be found on Spotify or Apple Music

Aside from wedding and event planning, how do you spend your time?

I’m spending time with my family when I’m not planning or managing weddings or events. We love to go to the pool, explore the outdoors, and visit all the theme parks, but we love Disney World! We also love to play games; my kids always entertain us with shows and performances at home. We love all things Disney, so every Friday night, we have a family movie night and watch one of our favorite films together. We are blessed with our family living nearby, so we get together with our families often for play dates, dinners, and BBQs.

Megan, thank you so much for sharing your story and a day in your life. If you are a wedding or event planner and would like to be featured, download our questionnaire today and email it along with a photo. If you aren’t sure about being featured, take a few minutes to read how it can help your business.