Kellee Khalil, Founder And CEO Of Loverly Shows Us How To Get To “I Do” In A Brand New Way

After two years of pandemic-related cancellations, postponements and downsizing, weddings are back and bigger than ever due to pent-up demand. And DIY wedding planning platform Loverly is more than ready to meet the moment.

I spoke to Loverly CEO and Founder Kellee Khalil about her career to date, starting and growing a business, navigating the pandemic and creative business partnerships including with shark tank Angel Investor, Daymond John. Oh, and read to the end – there’s a lovely Twist.

Shelley Zalis: You used to work at Engage Media Group. How did you decide to make a career change and start your own business at Loverly? What was your eureka moment?

Kellee Khalil: In 2010 I started helping my sister Leila plan her wedding day and thought it would be a piece of cake. But after spending hours on my laptop searching for wedding inspiration, bachelorette party ideas, identifying the who’s who of wedding suppliers in a flooded market and strategically planning the reality factor of how much I should spend on their budget, I came to the conclusion that wedding planning was not an easy task. Back then I created Loverly, the DIY wedding planning platform for modern couples.

I’ve made it my mission to bring fun back to wedding planning and put my heart and soul into building a brand that resonates with today’s newlyweds and their modern #relationshipgoals. Since then, Loverly has evolved into a digital destination where couples get the complete wedding support they can’t find anywhere else, with access to free wedding planning tools, inspiration, and a guided wedding planning masterclass. We’ve partnered with two industry giants, Bed Bath & Beyond for wedding registry and Minted for invitations and stationery to round out our wedding planning offering.

SZ: Earlier in your career, you left a job in finance to join your sister at her company, Be Inspired PR. How did this experience empower you to start your own business?

CC: Working in finance was a wonderful opportunity to learn how capital can accelerate a company’s growth or be the reason for its failure. After spending four years helping other companies raise capital for their businesses, I was ready to start my own business, but wasn’t quite sure what type of business I wanted to start. Working with my sister in her company was a great stepping stone as I got a taste of what it’s like to work in a fledgling company and an insight into a whole new industry: the world of weddings.

SZ: Before launching Loverly, how much prior experience did you have in the tech or startup industry?

CC: Before I started Loverly, I had limited technology experience outside of my college computer coding courses. As an industry leader focused on digital innovation, I have ensured our platform provides our audience with real wedding inspiration, expert wedding planning advice and free wedding planning tools including a personalized wedding planning checklist, wedding guest list manager and vision boards.

The pandemic also gave our team time to research and build a better platform for our audience, and in 2022 Loverly introduced a premium membership, the I Do Crew, a guided masterclass taught as a couples wedding planner and as a first step their planning trip was conceived. The I Do Crew is a self-service, on-demand platform with plans starting at $29/month.

SZ: What are the pros and cons of making a career change to start a business?

CC: With my previous experience at Engaged Media, I was able to help one of my companies raise $4 million via crowdfunding and saw it as a tool to build an army of brand ambassadors who not only believed in your product, but wanted it to be successful becomes. Based on these insights, I made the decision to start a crowdfund with my current company, Loverly, and received our first investment from shark tank Angel Investor, Daymond John.

SZ: What practical advice do you have for women on how to deal with setbacks?

CC: Learn from challenges and turn them into success stories. Since I founded Loverly, we’re now a brand that has a monthly reach of more than 20 million across all our touchpoints, and we’ve signed key partnership deals with national retail partners to test a new consumer model.

SZ: In recent years, there has been an increasing trend of women leaving their jobs to start their own businesses during the Great Retreat. In your experience, is there a “right” point in time or are there ideal circumstances for a career change? Is it ever too late to make a change and start your own business?

CC: Every industry is different, but it’s always changing – use this to your advantage. Loverly is the perfect example of how the wedding industry has evolved, but so has our business model. Change hasn’t stopped us, rather it has inspired us to continue developing a proven new wedding planning product, authentic content and innovative technologies.

SZ: What advice would you give to women who are looking to make a career change but are feeling discouraged or feel they have wasted their time/career?

CC: Find something you are passionate about. A perfect example is that I was a seven-time bridesmaid when I started Loverly, and fast-forward to now where I’m recently engaged, planning my wedding, and happen to be the CEO of a brand that designed the first of its -friendly wedding planning platforms . Does that sound like coincidence or serendipity? Anyway, I love what I do – making wedding planning easier and more fun for all couples.