To start 2024 on the best note ever, my good friend and photographer Kat Braman (of Lorren and Braman) and I invited some of our other favorite people to enjoy some downtime with us in Park City, Utah. Kat and I have bonded over our love of the Rockies and snowy scenes and we’ve been talking about doing a trip together for several years. We decided this was the year to put our thoughts into action. While we always knew this would be a fabulous trip, we couldn’t have been happier with how it turned out. Because of that, I decided to make our entire itinerary available for anyone who might be lo ..read more

Recently, Julie and Courtney have had the distinct pleasure of being able to speak, present and ultimately cultivate community amongst our industry. Here’s a highlight and recap of all the places and spaces they’ve been in so far this year. January 22-26th, 2023: Wedding Film Retreat in Belize Courtney headlined at this intimate retreat hosted by Sarah and Rick Pendergraft of Pen Weddings, a husband and wife cinematography duo based out of Oklahoma. She gave a 2.5 hour robust and fully transparent presentation (complete with plenty of Q+A!) on The Business of Weddings: Pricing, Planners and Pr ..read more

1. Can you tell us about your experience visiting the Belmond El Encanto resort in Santa Barbara, California, and what made this destination stand out to you for weddings? We intentionally travel often to understand new destinations and properties so that we can give a first hand account to our clients when they are considering locations for their wedding. The Belmond El Encanto was on our radar because of our relationship with the Belmond brand as a whole and that this is (currently) the only domestic property for our US based clients. We’ve loved every experience we’ve had with Belmond, so b ..read more

It’s an extra special treat when we get to work with our families, not once, but twice, and Savina and Mason are no exception! We first met Savina through her sister Simrin’s wedding nearly five years ago. So when she rang us to share that she was engaged and wanted to work together, we knew it could only mean more magic.  These two Physical Therapists met at PT school where their friendship and relationship came easy. Fast forward and Mason was down on one knee on a sailboat in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in front of Savina and her family while they all held their breath hoping the ring would ..read more

The events we produce that our clients host are all about creating an enjoyable experience for the couple and their guests. Each element is carefully considered, from the destination and venue to the food and beverage. That’s why we were thrilled to be invited to tour the newly renovated Kimpton Canary during our time in Santa Barbara. Located in the heart of Santa Barbara, the Kimpton Canary is a stunning venue that boasts sweeping views of the Santa Ynez mountains and a touch of warm hospitality that made our Educate | Empower | Encourage members feel right at home. During our site v ..read more

Recently, I was asked by one of my favorite outlets, Southern Living, to explain the difference between a Welcome Party and a Post Toast when it comes to your wedding weekend events. These two terms have been used nearly interchangeably in my experience, but since you’ll have to eventually put a name to your wedding weekend events – and as such, on your invitations – we might as well discuss what this looks like for our couples in even more depth. As you might guess, how these terms are used is more of an observation than a rule – and while we’re talking about rules in weddings, let’s just say ..read more

While all types of designers will take inspiration from all types of places, there’s one spot that continues to be a major influence on my own perspective on wedding design. Interior design is so closely intertwined with wedding design that people often confuse the two disciplines – assuming that a talented designer in one space would automatically thrive in the other. Of course this does happen where a wedding designer might also take on interior design projects and vice versa. But for my own design practice, I stay firmly in the wedding space when it comes to what I create for our clients. E ..read more

Last week, we (along with 30ish other industry professionals) tucked ourselves away in Highlands, North Carolina, where we guest hosted Emergence, an invite-only multi-day experience for us to share our ideas—and get some new ones, too. Here, we explain what made this getaway so special, and why it’s a must-book for other wedding pros. Photography: Lance Nicoll As guest hosts, we collaborated with Kaytee and Samantha of Emergence to greet attendees and be a part of all of the activities, from meals to networking to cocktail hour, and of course, deliver our creative session, “Building the In ..read more

Photo: Ben Finch It’s no secret that Engage! is one of our favorite times of the year. Not only do we get to reconnect with our favorite industry professionals and friends, we also get to experience a new place, and this fall’s Engage! Summit didn’t disappoint. This time, we were whisked away to the Irish countryside outside of Dublin, where we participated in traditional Irish activities—falconry was involved—and mingled with new and old friends at the scenic K Club and Carton House in Kildare. Here’s our full recap, and our best recommendations for your next trip to Dublin. Photo: Josh Goode ..read more

This summer, Julie had the pleasure of visiting Peru, a Southern American nation known for stretches of Amazon rainforest, and the historical Machu Picchu. Here’s everything she saw, ate, and visited during her weeklong, life-changing trip. Images courtesy of Belmond Where I visited: Peru Why Peru: Belmond invited me to experience their properties, and I knew it was an experience I couldn’t pass up. Peru has such a rich culture with amazing history and an incredible culinary scene. It did not disappoint! Our clients are looking for more unique experiences for their events, and I want to make ..read more