When you can’t find it, make it. The story of Lemon & Bear

Lemon & Bear is a bridal party and wedding supplier that specialises in bridal robes, pyjamas, hangers, and champagne flutes for female couples about to tie the knot – Mrs & Mrs galore!

The faces behind the brand are Megan Birnie, aged 28 and Amy, her wife. For Megan, crafting acts as purely her side hustle as day to day her job is a call handler for the North West ambulance service.

The story behind Lemon & Bear all began back in 2018 a month after Megan and her wife tied the knot. Whilst in the whirlwind of wedding planning they found it really difficult to find items suitable for a same sex wedding which fit their colour theme, everything seemed to be all rainbows and pride flags, which just didn’t fit their wedding aesthetic of peonies, blush pinks, whites and silvers (heart eyes)!

It was here they spotted a gap in the market knowing that they wouldn’t be the only frustrated brides out there. Wedding guests also remarked how they too had found it really difficult to find suitable gifts for two brides, and one family member even had to buy two sets of the same gift just to take the ‘Mr’ mugs out!

Even with no prior crafting experience the couple decided it was imperative that they solved this problem for brides everywhere and this is where Lemon & Bear really began. 

So where did Cricut come in? 

Megan says: “Cricut machines make up 90% of my business and I started to use them straight away, Lemon & Bear would not exist without my machines.”

She discovered Cricut when initially outsourcing designs for someone else to produce, and looking back says she was completely in the dark but had an idea and was passionate about making it work. Eventually, after working with a designer, Megan realised this was becoming costly and if she wanted to produce everything herself she would have to find a brand that could help her do this – enter Cricut!

Today Megan owns two Cricut Explore Air 2 machines which she has named (don’t ask) Luna and Penelope. She says: “Once you have done your research and practiced they are so simple to use and the possibilities are quite simply endless. You can design and personalise pretty much anything – I also find weeding really therapeutic.”

For Megan seeing brides on their big day wearing her products is a feeling she won’t ever get used to. She loves that people trust her with such a big part of their lives. Another highlight has been making the finals of the Great Northern Wedding Awards this year: “To be nominated and reach the finals in just 18 months of running our business was pretty awesome.”

When Lemon & Bear first started they were making a loss, but Megan is pleased to say that they aren’t anymore. Her plans for the next 5 years for her business are big. “The plan is to have a hiring range to provide venue dressing alongside the gifting range. We are also working on a new clothing line which should hopefully launch in 2021 which I have really good feelings about.” 

Of course it’s not always been easy though. Remember how we said that Megan also works for the ambulance service? Balancing a busy job alongside a business can be time consuming.

Megan only works for the ambulance service part time now, working 3 days a week which leaves 4 days to run her business. “I try to make sure I have one day off a week and Amy does a lot of the production side too which is good as it means four hands instead of two.

“I started at the ambulance service back in 2017 full time and reduced my hours to part-time in 2018. It’s a great job – of course it can be stressful at times and a little upsetting but the team I work with are amazing so that makes it easier.”

Covid threw a spanner in the works too, speaking to brides on a day to day basis who are having to change wedding dates or reduce numbers is heartbreaking for Megan. “I’ve also had to redo a lot of orders with corrected dates which is totally fine, but seeing your completed products turn back up at your office to be redone is a little sad.”

Looking back on her journey so far Megan says: “My advice for anyone thinking about starting a business, whether that be Cricut related or something else, firstly would always be ‘go for it’. But secondly, it would be to do your research and make your business yours. I am an admin of a Facebook group and a lot of people join asking ‘what shall I call my business’ or ‘what should I start selling first’ – I truly believe Lemon & Bear is as successful as it has become in such a short space of time because of the passion behind it. I love the name and what we produce and that’s because we started something from an initial vision. A pipe dream come true!”

Check out Lemon & Bear’s website here

And give them a follow on Instagram here