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!

Loved seeing this image from a beautiful wedding we had the honor of designing and planning featured on Belle The Magazine!  See link here.  Beautiful calligraphy menu by Jessica Yee Calligraphy, Image by James and Jess Photography, and Rentals from The Tent Merchant. 

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!

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
​

Maegan + James were married at Circle Bar B in the mountains just north of Santa Barbara.  Their guests were able to stay at the venue all weekend, creating a camp-like, festive feel.  Maegan and James were high school sweethearts (just like Tay and I), and it was so much fun to work with them to create something unique and fun for their wedding weekend.

I especially loved how Maegan stayed true to her personal style when selecting her wedding gown.  It was so unique and reflected her personality.  

At the wedding, guests were greeted with welcome cocktails, and then escorted through the woods to the ceremony.  We created a simple, minimalist greenery arch suspended on an oak tree.  Each guest was given a shot of whisky as a part of the ceremony to kickoff the party.  Then, guests enjoyed an evening full of fun BBQ food, games, and dancing under the stars.  In the reception, we kept the design minimalist and simple - mainly whites and greens, with some pops of purple in the glassware.  I love creating beautiful celebrations for couples who are oh-so-in-love - it was such a joy to be a part of their special day!

The Team who made this happen:

Coordinator/Florals: Tyler Speier
Venue: Circle Bar B
Photographer: Indi Soul Photography
DJ: DJ Hecktik
Rentals: The Tent Merchant
Bus Service: Jump on the School Bus
Appetizer Service: Lazy Acres
Hair and Makeup: Unveiled Make-up
Officiant: Mona Freedman
Dessert: Crushcakes
Calligrapher: Jessica Yee Calligraphy
Photobooth: 805 Camera Bus

Kristi + Aaron's wedding was our first of the 2018 season.  It was clean, elegant, timeless, and minimalist in design.  I love how the modern/minimalist design trend is seen so strongly throughout the 2018 wedding season, and I think that we're going to see a lot more of it in 2019!

I worked closely with Kristi & Aaron to develop their event design and vision: we used white, soft grays, and textured greenery to create a shared vision in a beautiful greenhouse on the Gaviota Coast.  I especially loved creating the bridesmaids' bouquets with lots of textured greenery and small blooms. Their ceremony was overlooking the ocean on the Gaviota Coast.  Their vows were so heartfelt and romantic - it was such a joy to witness them!

At their reception, which took place in a large greenhouse, we put the tables in the shape of a large "U" - so all of the guests were included at a single, large feasting table.  This table had long garlands, hundreds of candles, soft chiffon runners, and soft gray and metallic accents.  We suspended flowing chiffon from the ceiling, created some hanging greenery chandeliers, and then divided the large greenhouse into two unique spaces: one for dining, one for dancing.  In the dancing area, we had a fun lounge space and a bar for the guests to enjoy.  Dividing the space made it feel more intimate and the romantic chiffon draping made the space feel more elegant and refined.  It was so much fun bringing this wedding to life...such a fun way to kickoff the year.

Our Team:
Coordinator/Florist: Tyler Speier
Venue: Private Farm/Estate on the Gaviota Coast
Photographer:  Josh Gruetzmacher
Catering: Soho Taco
Bartending Service/Servers: Simply Cocktails
DJ: DJ Hecktik 
Rentals: The Tent Merchant
Transportation: Jump on the Schoolbus 
Hair/Makeup: Style Me Kristi
Dessert: McConnell’s Ice Cream

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

I had the honor of working with Claire + Nico to design their beautiful wedding ceremony at The Santa Barbara Musuem of Natural History (under the beautiful oak trees) and then their reception at Villa and Vine in downtown Santa Barbara.  We used lots of textured greenery paired with soft, romantic blooms to create a whimsical, natural, yet timeless look for their wedding day.  I think my favorite part of the design was Claire's bouquet - it was raw, natural, and had lots of fun textures and design elements.  I especially love how the boquet paired with her beautiful lace wedding gown.  It was so much fun to work with them to make this beautiful vision come to life!  

The Team That Made This Happen:

Event Design and Florals: Tyler Speier Events
Ceremony Venue: Museum of Natural History
Reception Venue: Villa and Vine
Photography: Becky Davis Photography
Day-of Coordination: Katelin Event Productions
Rentals: The Tent Merchant
​

Gigliola + Luke were married at the beautiful Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm.  I loved how hands-on they were throughout the planning process.  They had so many fun DIY (do-it-yourself) elements that artfully came together to create a beautiful reception full of elegance, warmth, and fun.  I loved how their two (very large) families came together for such an incredible celebration.  Both Taylor and I come from large families, so it's always fun to participate in other large family celebrations and traditions.  

My favorite design element was the chiffon draping and chandeliers overhead.  The softness of the chiffon juxtaposed with the raw/natural tables and chairs (and greenhouse details) made everything come together so beautifully!

The Team That Made This Happen:

​Coordinator: Tyler Speier
Venue: Private Greenhouse on the Gaviota Coast
Photographer:  Wild Whim Design + Photography
Videographer: Steve Garrett
Catering: Omni Catering
Rentals: The Tent Merchant
Florist: Ambient Event Design*
DJ: DJ Darla Bea
Lighting: Ambient Event Design
Transportation: Jump on the Schoolbus
Hair/Makeup: Style Me Kristi
Officiant: Keith Forster
Bakery: Kirsten Soria
String Quartet:  Dr. Jordan Warmath
Bathrooms: Marborg Industries (Roberto), 805.963.1852 x2402, RMedina@marborg.com
*This was one of the few weddings this season where me and my team didn't do the flowers - while we worked with the bride and groom on the overall aesthetic and decor, the mother of the bride created all the centerpieces for this wedding (and the small vases also were favors for the guests) and friends of the bride (Amy and her team at Ambient Design) created the beautiful bouquets, ceremony florals, and the arrangement on the bar.  It was fun to collaborate with other floral artists on Gigliola and Luke's big day!