Engage! 2011

Last week I attended the Engage!  conference at the incredible The Grand Del Mar in San Diego.  For those of you not familiar with Engage!, it is a bi-annual conference that gathers the best and brightest in the bridal industry to network, share ideas and be inspired by each others brilliance. It is an incredible gathering of both up-and-comers and industry icons.  The fabulous thing about Engage! is that the former and the latter are completely accessible and more than willing to share their brilliance!  As Abby Larson of style me pretty so eloquently stated in her blog post (from which we borrowed these images), Engage! is a "feast of perfection!"  You can take it all in below as you view the stunning images of Mel & Co. and her team!

A stunning floral display by Karen Tran.

The images above are from our welcome party.  What an incredible experience!  The setting was in the couryard of the Grand del Mar property.  The details of the event were OUT-RAGEOUS!  The food, the decor and the entertainment were all perfection!  The party was lined with food trunks providing everything from sliders, to tacos to cupcakes. The floral design was done by Tic Tock floral.  The over- abundance of driftwood and succulents were my favorite part.  And can we discuss the incredible furniture- including the long tables?! If only my suitcase were not overweight, I would have loved to smuggle some of these pieces home!  The evening's entertainment was provided by Elan Artists and it was unlike anything that I had ever seen!  The "Earth Harp" was a feast for the eyes and the ears and added an eclectic and wonderful element to this gorgeous party! Throughout the 3 days conference we were inspried by a laundry list of industry experts including~    Todd Fiscus, Marcy Blum, Mindy Weiss, Milly Bratten, Monique Lhuillier, Michelle Rago, David Beahm, Carley Roney, Jasmine Star, Abby Larson, Lara Casey and Harmony Walton.  I was educated, motivated and entertained- as you can see in the photo of me above! The food throughout the conference was out of this world, and the details- well, they speak for themselves!  In between our mentoring sessions we were treated to cleverly themed snacks, like the strawberry bar and the coffee extravaganza!  The creative energy throughout the 3 days was awe-inspiring! Our second afternoon, we were treated to a very special luncheon on the lawn hosted by the "cake diva" herself, Sylvia Weinstock.  The tent  by Raj tent was beyond gorg and the invitation by Lehr & Black was exquisite. The last evening we were treated to a gala that was designed by the gracious, talented, and (as I just learned) hilarious, Mindy Weiss and her counterparts in floral gorgeousness, Mark's garden and decor Revelry Event Design . It was an evening of laughter, luxury and surprises (the Jersey Boy's performed)! Here is a video recap of the Engage! experience [vimeo clip_id="24551018" width="600"] Overall, this was truly an experience of a lifetime! I met the most incredible talents- and from the newest in the industry to the most experienced- they were all kind, supportive and generous. I was inspired, motivated and touched and can't wait to put all of the amazing things that I learned into practice!  Thank you to Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce for an experience of a lifetime! Stay tuned to the blog for some of my personal photos from the experience.

xoxo, TWD