As the 2019 wedding season is starting to come to an end, I have been reflecting on this past year.  And…what a year it has been!  From flower walls to Ferris wheels, hanging flowers to destination weddings, we’ve had quite the adventure.  

Looking back all the way to February right now, and I wanted to share a little bit with you all about my “rainbow” design at The Jam Event (as seen on Green Wedding Shoes).  

The Jam Event is an annual wedding industry celebration (hosted by Wild Heart Events) where wedding designers can be creative, think outside-the-box, and “play around” with upcoming trends to showcase to other industry professionals and couples who are in the process of planning their weddings.  I especially love The Jam because it’s such a fun party - everyone creates beauty together and then celebrates together. As wedding designers and planners, we often operate in our own “silos.”  Being a soloprenuer can be isolating at times.  Events like this, that bring everyone together, are so much fun because we get to share our talents, learn together, and grow together.  

This year, the theme of The Jam was “rainbow.”  It definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone - me and my team naturally lean more towards a timeless, classic, neutral color palette.  But, we had so much fun creating this installation! I decided to design the space with lots of clean neutrals.  From the white velvet linen on the table to the beautiful china from Theoni, I selected design elements that were classic and neutral.  Then, we brought in ALL the color with the flowers.

I especially love the ombre design we incorporated throughout our florals.  In each setting or arrangement, we faded from yellow to orange, then red to purple, and finally from purple to blue.  Color Blocking (or putting like colors together) is a great way to make a “rainbow” palette feel more elegant.  

My design featured two major installations: a dramatic, hanging floral arrangements over a dining table, and a large flower wall staged in a lounge (with white Moroccan lantern accents).  My wife, Taylor, also created some beautiful dried floral garlands and dried floral hanging wall pieces that we featured as accents on the vintage bar.  I love when we can tastefully incorporate dried flowers into the overall design of an event.  

Tyler Speier Events @tylerspeier - Florals, Planning, and Design
Josh Newton + Christianne Taylor @joshnewton @christiannetaylor - Photography
Alexandria Monette Photography @alexandriamonette - Photography
Jake and Necia Photography @jakeandneciaphoto - Photography
Theoni Collection @theonicollection - Tabletop Rentals and Specialty Chairs
Bella Vista Designs @bellavistadesigns - Lighting
Elan Event Rentals @elaneventrentals -  Lanterns (hanging and on floor)
The Tent Merchant @thetentmerchant - Rentals
La Tavola Fine Linens @latavolalinen - Linens
Omni Catering @omnicateringsb - Food Station
Lotus & Ash @lotusandash - Menus
Jessica Yee Calligraphy @calligraph.yee - Calligraphy Details
Florabundance, Inc. @florabundanceinc - Floral Supplier
By Paper and Cloth @bypaperandcloth - Invitation Suite/Greenhouse Sketch for flat lays

While we mainly specialize in weddings, every now and then we get to design and coordinate dinner parties…and this was one for the books!  We had some super fun clients who flew in to LA all the way from China! These clients wanted to plan a memorable birthday celebration for a family member.  They traveled up the coast from LA to Santa Barbara for wine tasting and a memorable evening at a private greenhouse on the Gaviota Coast.  We designed the space with neutral linens and clean modern place settings, juxtaposed with bright blooms and basket lamp lighting.  We curated a beautiful, multi-course meal with Pure Joy Catering, featuring local sea food, meats and farmer’s market produce. As the sun began to set, the guests were transported to the bluffs to watch the sunset with a glass of wine.  This was such a fun night!

And just like that, our season came to an end...and we are now gearing up for the holidays and our incredible 2019 weddings.  But, today, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on this past year.  It was quite the year - we had over 30 incredible weddings and events, met all of our business goals, grew our team, continued to refine our design style, were featured on some amazing media outlets, and  created some of our biggest design installations to-date!

At our team Christmas brunch last week, we each shared a "high" and a "low" from this past season.  We laughed and reminisced about some of our crazy adventures this year, from extreme cases of wind to traffic delays (and all the unexpected things that inevitably come up while planning any event).  

As I was reflecting on my year, I think that my biggest "high" is this:  back in 2009, when my business was brand new, I would spend time dreaming up weddings designs, thinking "what if I could create this."  As the years went by, the "what if" turned into "one day."  And this year, I noticed a major shift in the way I think about my business.  Instead of dreaming about "one day" scenarios, I have the privilege of actually creating incredible weddings TODAY. 

I had a moment at a photoshoot this autumn where I took a step back, looked at everything we were creating, and thought to myself, "this is even better than what I dreamed up all those years ago."  I never dreamed about how much hard work, long nights, (and blood, sweat, and tears) it would take to get where we are, but I am so thankful to be where we are.

And don't get me wrong, I'm still a dreamer, and I have big plans for 2019 and beyond.  But, I am so incredibly grateful to be "living my dream," - working for myself, getting to be creative every day, and getting to work with amazing team members and fellow industry professionals to create one-of-a-kind, beautiful events that celebrate love.  

I am grateful to all of the couples who trusted me and my team with their weddings this past year.  It was an honor to work alongside you to create something beautiful.

I am so grateful for my team - an amazing group of people who work so hard, are so creative, and are so fun to work with.  

I am so grateful for my support system: our family, friends, and community.  I am especially thankful for my amazing wife, Taylor, and our two kids, Lucia (5) and Wesley (1).

This year was quite the adventure.  

I am looking forward to "signing off" for the next few weeks to spend quality time with our family, celebrate Christmas, and ring in the new year.  2019...here we come!

Merry Christmas,

Tyler Speier
​

Hey everyone!  It has been a little while since we've posted to the blog.  Our last post was in June, and then the 2018 wedding season hit in full force. It was an amazing season - so many beautiful weddings, incredible designs, and fun couples.  Each one was unique and an honor to be a part of.  

As our 2018 season is winding down (just two more weddings to go!), we are finding some time to reflect on this past year and get excited for next year.  Our hearts are so full of gratitude:  Gratitude for the couples who have trusted us with their weddings, gratitude for our hardworking team who are invested and excited about our work, gratitude for our family's health, gratitude for how far our business has come, and gratitude for the journey ahead.

After a very busy stretch in September and October, we decided to take a little family trip to get some time away.   We spent the last week catching up with friends in Tennessee and family in Indiana.  We flew into Nashville, ate all of the fried things, and too many biscuits to count. If you are ever in the Nashville area you have to go to Biscuit Love and The Loveless Cafe - two of our favorites!

We drove from Nashville to Bloomington, Indiana, where we took an accidental wrong turn. If you are ever going to make a wrong turn in your life, the midwest in Autumn is the time and place to do it. We took back country roads for an hour and wound through the most spectacular fall trees we had ever seen! It was like something out of a movie or a painting - totally breathtaking (and making me think of some fun autumn installations I want to try next year).

​We have a tradition each year of listing the things we are thankful for in November.  Every day, we each take a scrap of paper and write down one thing we are thankful for. It's such a simple thing to do, but it's impact is large. This year has been especially sweet for our family because Luci is old enought to write her own. 

Thank you for following along with our journey.  We are grateful for you.

Sincerely,
Tyler + Taylor Speier

Hey Guys,

[Tay Here]. A few months ago Ty and I went out for date night and ended up wandering into Hotel Californian for a nightcap. This hotel is new to downtown Santa Barbara and has the greatest vibe! We got to talking with the bartender there, and after learning that Ty's favorite drink was a negroni, she recommended that we try her personal favorite drink: The Last Word. We were immediately intrigued by the name and when we asked her what it was like, she responded with "herbaceous."
You guys, we order this drink all of the time now when we go out - it's our fav - but I now have to listen to Ty say the word "herbaceous" in public. Face. Palm. Call me weird, it just sends shivers down my spine. Shhh, husband. Enough with the word.

This drink is easy to make and so delicious. It's the perfect cocktail to serve as we welcome the spring season. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Cheers, friends!
​(Recipe Below)

[Ty here]: When we're making a cocktail, we like it to be:
1) Delicious
2) Easy-to-make
3) Delicious.

So, here's how you make a Last Word!

All you need is equal parts:
Gin (we love Hendrick's, but any Gin will do)
Lime Juice
Chartreuse
Maraschino Liqueur

Add equal parts to a cocktail shaker with some ice, shake it, and pour!  
That's it. And it's HERBACEOUS and DELICIOUS.

Cheers!
​
(Picture of what Chartreuse and Marchino Liquor look like is below...so you don't get lost in your local liquor store!)

Tay & I are so excited to be launching this new blog!  We are going to be sharing real weddings, wedding planning tips, entertaining advice, lifestyle inspiration, and so much more. Our goal is for this blog to give you a little glimpse into our family's life in Santa Barbara, California, as we plan beautiful weddings and navigate the joys and challenges of marriage, raising children, and owning a business.  

I started Tyler Speier Events back in 2009 as a "hobby business."  At the time, Taylor and I were dating, and it was an adventure we worked on together to earn some extra money for our own wedding (and to pay for school).  It was hard work. A few years later, in 2012, we got married ourselves, and got the opportunity to experience wedding planning as the bride and groom, which gave us a new perspective.

​In 2015, as this "just-for-fun" business began to gain popularity, we made one of the scariest decisions of our lives: I was going to quit my full-time job (working in the nonprofit industry) and we would become full-time small business owners.  At that time, we had a 2-year-old daughter, a foster child, and a small home - no office, no formal "floral arranging studio" (yes, I did flowers in my kitchen for the first 7 years).  It was terrifying, but exhilarating.  And it was one of the best decisions we have ever made.

Here we are, at the beginning of the 2018 wedding season.  Our family has grown - Tay and I are continuing to navigate and balance having two kids, (Lucia & Wesley, ages 4 and 8 mo.), running a growing and thriving business, and all of the adventures that marriage, parenting and life bring.  We have the privilege of collaborating with so many talented artists to create incredible weddings.  We work very hard, learn from the challenges we face at home and in the workplace, and are growing every day.

​Looking back at starting this in 2009, we never dreamed that we'd be where we are now.  I have the honor and privilege of doing what I love every day.  I feel alive, inspired, and ready for whatever the next chapter brings.  And for that, I am so thankful.

We are excited to share our ideas, inspiration, and life with you.

Sincerely,
​Tyler S. Speier

The Team That Made This Happen
Photography: Amber Jean Photography
​Venue: Private Greenhouse on Gaviota Coast (Royal Rancho Bookings)
And us...because taking family pictures with two small children is no easy feat.