I am so thrilled to finally be sharing images from our first annual Spilling The Tea event; an afternoon of high tea, conversation, inspiration, and motion in moving our Toronto wedding industry forward. Hosted at the Omni King Edward Hotel. it was an incredible afternoon when 55 of the cities top wedding planners came together to chat about our industry and support one another in what is typically an incredibly competitive industry!
All photos provided by our friends at 5ive15ifteen Photography.
When we (my co-hosts Ashley Pigott, Melissa Baum, and Sara Railey) first came up with the concept, we wanted to keep things simple and focused on conversation. But as all wedding planners do, we ended up transforming the already gorgeous Sovereign Ballroom into a beautiful garden inspired experience. Todd from Jackie O Events brought in his stunning full scale wisteria trees, beautiful pastel blooms and whispery greens. Detailz provided us with their brand new gorgeous pink velvet & Hamptons sofas, along with a melange of mirrored accent tables and and classic louis chairs. Chairman Mills sent along their texture rich linens and gorgeous mis matched china plates, and Plate Occasions brought in stunning glassware, flatware, and charger plates. Paper & Poste provided the event with their beautiful stationery design and Chocolate Sensation sent guests home with delicious chocolates.
The best part of the event came after the delicious high tea inspired lunch, when we invited guests to gather in smaller groups for conversation. Each group was given the same topics of conversation which ranged from pricing and packages, to industry standards. Ashley, Sara, Melissa, and I each lead a group in conversation and it was so encouraging how open and honest our guests truly were! I am so grateful to these women (and one man!) who were so giving with their thoughts, open with their ideas and practises, and welcoming to new ideas and opinions. I think it gave us all an opportunity to look at each other as peers and colleagues, rather than ultimate competition.
What I'm hoping our esteemed guests took away from the event is a new found sense of community. Most of us work on our own or with a really small team, never getting to see these other talented faces unless at an industry event. And even then, the conversations are usual surface level or held back in fear that our "competition" doesn't want to dig deep and really talk. I am so grateful that since the event I have had so many people reach out to connect further, to chat further, to share ideas and inspiration, and to pridefully push our industry forward.
Thank you to my amazing team mates on this event, Ashley & Mel, and to the always supportive Sara Railey and the team at the King Edward Hotel for allowing us to bring a heck of a lot of magic into one room on a cold February afternoon. I love you!
xo Shea
@shealynangus