Event stylist Selina Lee tells us about her experience as a decorator and planner. Despite the difficulties, she perseveres through the late hours and challenges.
Crafting memories through event decor
As an event stylist, Selina Lee has tough times on occasion. There would be events that lasted till late at night. Then there would be the never-ending meetings with clients. The process, though tiring, is what motivated her to stay in the industry.
As an event stylist, Lee shared that she manages the in-depth details of the event as well as the décor. Starting as a newbie in the early 2010s, she established herself through her event company Plushed Event Management, where she handled countless events throughout the years. In addition to social and corporate events, she hopes to do exhibitions.
Lee recalled that in her early 20s, despite her passion for the arts, she had pursued her studies in business.
“I took business studies at the time in order to help my father in his company. When he retired, I decided to take a short course in graphic design.”
Her internship as a graphic designer sparked her passion to create a memorable event for her clients.
“My boss asked me to assist him with the posters for a conference. I then discovered that I liked doing events.”
Despite hardships
Lee was one of the industry’s youngest when she first started out. Clients often thought she was not very good because she was new. However, it was her determination that drove her to change many people’s perceptions by improving herself.
With little experience, Lee recalled meetings with clients who provided negative feedback.
“I took them quite harshly and then treated myself even harsher. I believe I have a standard to uphold, and I hope to achieve it. Whenever I received feedback, I brainstormed ways around it.”
Furthermore, Lee revealed that her parents were sceptical about her career decision. According to her, they did not believe that this industry could bring food to the table. However, her patience and thoughts of success paid off, as many people now consider that having a good event accompanied by décor is an important element.
Lee added that when she had her first daughter in 2020, she faced difficulty juggling motherhood and her love for events.
“I would struggle with the desire to be a stay-at-home mum and spend more time with my children. But at work, I am still the ambitious person I was years ago.”
She also expressed gratitude for her family’s support, which has allowed her to continue in her line of work — the ability to make her clients happy through her handiwork.
Working on weekends
As an event stylist, Lee often gets bogged down with work. She did not mind putting in extra hours to build up her event company.
“I started with things like poster designs. Then, gradually, I began designing and decorating the events. I started as a one-man show. But I had friends who would occasionally help me.
“It was quite difficult back then. But I had the opportunity to learn a lot of things from scratch. I didn’t regret starting from scratch because it allowed me to easily lead my employees, teach them how to do certain tasks, fix things, or find solutions,” she said.
Lee said that it was not until the third year of her event company that she got her first hire. And when she got to her first big event, she felt blessed because she believed there were people who trusted her. Prior to that, she was doing birthday parties.
“I never felt accomplished until someone told me they knew Plushed Event Management and liked my decorations. I still find it difficult to believe. I never thought of myself as such; all I knew was that I was an event planner.”
When asked what her proudest work was, Lee revealed that it wasn’t her biggest event. Rather, it came from a client who was willing to go all out on decorations for their child’s birthday.
“I really enjoy doing children’s parties. So, because the parents had the budget for this project, they allowed us to unleash our creativity, which is always easy to plan.”
Decorations for events were once considered redundant. Today, it is the event’s highlight as many memories were made as a result of the stories told through the elements used. Fast approaching her 10th year, Lee remains steadfast in her goals for the industry.
“When everyone has a wonderful time, it’s really rewarding, and that’s what keeps me going.”
