Friends, there are four things I want you to take away from this story:

​1)
Hearing that my source of income was being literally wiped out for the next 8 weeks (and potentially longer) was scary.  None of us plan for global pandemics in our businesses. Sure, we plan for a client or two cancelling here and there, we plan for an unexpected shift in plans every once-in-awhile, but 8 weeks worth of work?  Never in a million years. Until March 15, 2020. It’s ok to feel all the emotions when things are uncertain. 

2)
 Instead of being paralyzed by that fear of the unknown (what is going to happen to me?  My family? My clients? My events? My business?), we need to continue to move forward.  We need to take action. When things are uncertain or not going to plan, it’s important for us to lead the communication with our clients.  If possible, be the first to reach out and address the situation. When we are leading the conversation, we have the opportunity to do so with bravery, grace, and to develop a solution alongside the people we serve.​

3)
We don’t need to have an answer right away.  It’s ok to say that you need to think or consider some options, and give your client an actionable date you will get back to them.  

4)
​When things are tough, we need to SERVE.  Serving doesn’t mean letting go of personal or professional boundaries.  It doesn’t mean ignoring your contracts and pricing structures. It doesn’t mean letting go of your personal brand and the quality of your work.  To me, serving means to work alongside my clients to hear what they need to say and work with them to develop the best possible solution in a pragmatic, professional, peaceful way.  It means giving open, honest, authentic advice and walking them through what options they have. It means being prepared. It means being honest when you don’t have a solution right away.  Essentially, to me, it means being on the SAME TEAM.  

My friends, we are all navigating this global crisis together. We are not in control of what will happen. It’s ok to feel all the emotions as they come up.
When we are faced with fear, we can take action and lead the conversation.
We can lean in to the discomfort of the unknown 
We can work together and be on the same team.  

We had the amazing privilege to travel across the country to the Midwest to lead a workshop in the beautiful town of New Albany, Indiana, just outside of Louisville Kentucky.  We created an inspired styled shoot in a sweet loft in the downtown area, which has so many cute storefronts, restaurants, and is right across the river from Louisville.   ​

​It was such a dreamy set-up!  Because so many weddings in the Midwest are in barns and have a more rustic theme, we wanted to bring in modern elements and lots of wild florals to create a trendy look in the middle of a beautiful midwestern Downtown.  

The attendees created beautiful floral arrangements alongside Tyler Speier, with cappuccino roses, panda anemones, smilax vines, rich autumn-toned blooms.  We created a ceremony space with ghost chairs, gray taper candles, modern white candle holders, and ombre rose petal accents on the aisle.  Instead of a traditional wedding arch, we created a crawling arrangement of blooms and branches on a vintage screen.  This made the space feel so warm, natural, and inviting!  

The table had a gray velvet linen, ghost chairs, napkins created with vintage fabric, amazing menus and place cards by Lime and Lilly Calligraphy, and gray taper candles.  We created a crawling installation of vines on the wall to bring elements of the outdoors in.  Autumn-colored blooms adorned the table, bringing warmth and rich color to the space.  The centerpiece also had dried flower accents to add extra texture.  ​

It is always so fun to juxtapose various design elements together.  From the vintage screen in the ceremony contrasted with the modern ghost chairs, the modern inspiration against the backdrop of a beautiful midwestern downtown, to the soft velvet against the modern gold candlesticks, it was such a dreamy set-up!  We can’t wait to go back and visit New Albany, Indiana! ​


Credits: 
Event Workshop: Tyler Speier
Event Venue (New Albany, Indiana) : The Loft on Spring
Bridal Gown: Laurel Wreath Bridal
Photography: Naomi Ruth Duncan
Calligraphy: Lime and Lilly Design
Hair and Makeup: Celia Striegel
Rentals: All Occasions Event Rentals
Shoot Day Catering: Board and You
Dress Designer:Sophia Tolli
Models: Laura Allstar, Chloe Halbleib

The second day of our workshop last August was so much fun.  Each attendee got to create their own miniature styled shoot.  Everyone got to pick a sweetheart table, linens, chairs, china, flatware, glassware, print products, and floral/design materials to create something unique and fun.  Amber from Amber Jean Photography came in the morning and worked with each attendee on creating a flat lay of their unique details.  After a “Fiesta Lunch,” James and Jess of James and Jess Photography spoke about collaborating as a team and attracting your ideal client, then the styled shoot began!  James and Jess artfully captured each person’s work.  Then, as a team, we combined all of our florals and design elements to create a beautiful ceremony space under chandeliers from Bella Vista Designs.  Nicole, our model, had her hair and makeup done by Style Me Kristi and wore a beautiful custom gown from Lili Bridals.  As the sun began to set, we gathered and toasted to a wonderful two days of creativity, openness, learning, and growth.  

I think my favorite part of a workshop is that everyone is coming to learn.  Everyone is arriving open and ready to try new things.  It creates such an amazing atmosphere, and I find that everyone leaves inspired, refreshed, and ready to take on their “next step.”  I would love to have you join us for our workshop at the Sunstone Winery Villa on March 18-19, 2018.  Click here for more details.  Come create, be refreshed, and have fun!

To kickoff 2019, I got to attend the Florabundance Design Days Workshop and learn from some of the top florists in the industry (Holly Chapple, Tulipina, Hitomi, and many others). It was such an incredible experience and I feel so inspired and refreshed as we embark on the adventures that 2019 will bring.  As the Design Days workshop came to a close, I began to reminisce on our Tyler Speier Workshop we had last August at a beautiful private greenhouse on the Gaviota Coast.  It was such an incredible weekend.  I have a deep love for educating and teaching - and I remember when I was first starting in the industry, I often felt isolated and “in over my head.”  It can be lonely being a “soloprenuer,” and it can be overwhelming when learning how to plan weddings, do flowers, run a business, support your family, find work/life balance…the list goes on.  I remember wanting to have someone I could reach out to when I had questions about contracts, procedures, design elements, how to run a business, and how to attract my ideal client.  Now, with 10 years of experience under my belt and a thriving business in the luxury Santa Barbara wedding market, I love to give back and work with fellow creative entrepreneurs.   
 
Our August workshop was so much fun.  On the first day, we had brunch together and then had a discussion about who we are, what we do, and how we want to grow.  It was so inspiring to have so many creative people in one room sharing their visions for their businesses (or vision of starting a business)!  In the afternoon, we went to the venue and had a floral design workshop, where we created floral centerpieces, took headshots for our portfolio, prepared for a styled shoot (on day 2), and had a social media educational session.  It was such a fun day!  Here are some of my favorite images from the floral design portion.  The best part is…nobody attending had any floral design experience!  It was so fun to see how each person had their own unique interpretation of the centerpiece.  We worked with beautiful flowers from Florabundance Inc.  

​If you are interested in joining us for our next immersive, creative design workshop, we would love to have you!  Whether you are a seasoned event professional, looking for a career change, or looking to further develop your entertaining/design skills, we would love to have you.  Planners, florists, caterers, rental company reps, graphic artists, calligraphers, etc, - we all play a vital role in the art of designing an event, and having the skills of curating an artful design is key to attracting our ideal clients across the industry.   Our next workshop is coming up - March 18-19, 2020, at the beautiful Sunstone Villa.  (See more info here!) - we would love to have you!

Hey everyone,

Wedding season is in full swing! We are up to our ears in flowers, emails, timelines and walkthroughs...I love my job! One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to collaborate with a bride and groom to create beauty. It is so much fun to take a space and completely transform it--to give it the "wow factor," and to create an event that the bride, groom and guests won't forget.

But I have to tell you...my love for weddings goes way beyond the creative design aspect. One of the best parts of being a wedding designer and coordinator is getting to witness some of the most raw and genuine moments between people in love.

So, while I hope you get as excited as I do over creating beautiful details on your wedding day, here are some of my favorite moments that you can consider incorporating into your wedding day. I guarantee that you will not forget these moments!

Step away from your reception for a few moments and be together as husband and wife. Take it all in -- let your photographer follow along and capture your first moments as newlyweds. 

So much of what is created on a wedding day is temporary. Set aside time before your big day to write your bride or groom a heartfelt note. This will let them know that you are thinking about them, and create a treasured keepsake.

Whether it's in your vows, your toasts, or whispered words as you have your first dance together -- be open. Allow yourself to feel the deep joy and excitement of getting married, whether that brings roars of laughter or causes you to shed a tear. 

Honor the people that have helped you get to this place in your life. Take a moment with your mom and dad, take that picture with grandma, share that dance with your sibling, honor the person that's passed away. 


While all the fun details are so fun (and contribute to the overall event experience), taking in everything as a couple, honoring the people you love, personalizing little keepsakes, and being genuine/open will make your day so much more meaningful.  It's so important to remember WHY we celebrate weddings in the first place - to celebrate love, family, a new chapter, and being together.  

Image Credits:
1. Molly Magee Photography
2 & 3. Jodee Debes Photography
4. Willa Kveta Photography