Meet Haley Kelly | Owner and Creative Director, Haley Kelly Events

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

Hi Haley, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and I think from high school age I knew I wasn’t going to fit the mold of someone who had a desk job and worked for someone else in an office all of my life. My grandfather owned his own business and seeing the return on investment when you bet on yourself always felt like the best track because I will never let myself fail (which might not be the best trait!). Out of college I worked for a high-end venue and it was the best way to learn all the ins and outs of weddings and events, after that I worked for another wedding planner but had my own clients so it was the perfect step before starting my own.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I was creating my brand I knew I wanted it to be bold and stand apart. I chose red for my branding colors and I just find it to be so memorable, whether you are a fan of red or not! From a design perspective, I like to take chances, I like color and I like a well-balanced mix of patterns and textures.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh wow, well first things first, you know I would have an itinerary! In my friend group I am the one that starts the shared note, breaks things down by the day, makes reservations and has back up options in each category (things to do, coffee, bars, restaurants). I am a huge foodie – my parents wrote a cookbook together, I went to culinary school after college and cooking with family and sitting around a dinner table is such a core memory for me. My schedule for traveling usually includes local coffee spots each morning, I am not a big brunch/breakfast person so something light to tie over before lunch. I love a walk in the morning to sight see! And likely each day I would have a lunch reservation, a planned bar for pre-dinner cocktails and a dinner reservation! I like a mix of a neighborhood spot that isn’t plastered on advertising as well as a Michelin star experience.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have many female role models in my life – the first is my mom who was COO at an international rug company – as a child my memories are of her still being at everything school related, she was room mom, on the PTA and neighborhood committee. It was my first lesson that you can have it all, but you have to work for it. The second was my first internship in college with a wedding planner in San Francisco, Pamela Cianci, I learned so much from her and a few mistakes I made there are still lessons I think of weekly in keeping a certain standard as a brand. Last but not least, Melissa Williams, was the owner of A Charleston Bride and where I was a lead planner before starting my own business. Melissa was no bullshit and work hard, play hard. She taught me that as much “fun” as design can be, the logistics behind everything is way more important. What good is an amazing custom bar if you didn’t have your layout to scale and it doesn’t fit. We often said WWMD, what would Melissa do. Sadly, Melissa passed away a couple of years ago so I’m thankful she taught me so much when I am wondering WWMD I can now figure it out myself.

Website: https://www.haleykellyevents.com

Instagram: haleykellyevents

Facebook: haleykellyevents

Image Credits
Justin Brown
Gately Williams
Anne Rhett
Marcus Jolly
Jake Anderson
Virgil Bunao
Maggie Braucher
Christi Clark
Niki Marie