We traveled to 13 cities this year to challenge people to conquer fear and harness their true potential.  Never in a million years would I have guessed the result.  I can’t take credit for what the MTH Alumni have accomplished since we first met 7 months ago.  They genuinely lived what I said: Feel the fear and do it anyway.   The feedback has blown me away. Photo below :: Jasmine Star.

One of the biggest factors in all of this success has been the community that has formed from MTH.  The support I see every single day from past attendees is just phenomenal.  There aren’t words big enough to describe what these people have done for each other to help one another conquer fear and make really big things happen in their lives and in business.  There have been countless late night phone calls, group Skype chats to offer encouragement, weekly meet-ups, a thousand encouraging texts, uplifting emails (I know all of this because I’ve been a recipient myself!), hourly Twitter messages to encourage and support, many tears, frustrations, hurdles, triumph, and remarkable advances. Photo below :: Poser

I am so excited to announce new cities for the Making Things Happen Tour!  Salt Lake City, Houston, Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Maui will be making big things happen this fall!  Register here by September 1st for the early bird rate. Photo below :: Wesley Leytham

Because the seats are so limited –only 10 seats available per city instead of 20– I expect this to sell out quickly.  I wish I could visit more cities, but with the upcoming release of our new issue and a packed schedule, I simply don’t have time.  So, jump on these places!  Many are easy to travel to and are large airport hubs if you are flying in. Photo below :: Photogen

Because we’ve cut the attendee count in half for each stop to keep these groups focused and give more personal time, I am only offering one scholarship (details below) for this round of the tour (yes, really just one unlike last time). There will be no partial scholarships either, but if you would like to inquire about financing plans, email my awesome assistant, Marissa.

I’m also verrrry excited about the big MTH2010 Reunion this December in Watercolor — where all the magic began!  All past attendees are invited to join us for a weekend of inspiration, fun in the sun and a few surprises.  Yes, if you attend the Tour in November, you are of course welcome to join us at the reunion.  I. Can’t. Wait!

Heartfelt thanks to Jeff Holt (who is the reason I started this tour!), Jeremy Cowart, Nick Onken, Jose Villa, Stacie Francombe, Blair and Christy from Junebug Weddings, the amazing First Class, and all of the incredible alumni who have encouraged this powerful journey.  I am forever grateful.  And I have to send huge thanks to Katharine and Emily who celebrated their one year anniversary with me today.  I wouldn’t have the courage to do this if it wasn’t for their daily support.  They always remind me that I can do anything I am passionate about.  I love you both!

With love,

Lara

P.S. Congrats to the past post winners: Elizabeth Hafner from Vignette Photography, Katie from Intertwined Events, Briana from Wake Up, Juliet, Katherine from Solo Dot Mom, and Megan Floyd!  Email me your mailing address for your special prize.  I have read the comments on that post several times over and I never cease to be inspired!  Thank you all for your thoughts.

P.S.S.  The MTH Scholarship opportunity is LIVE!  You have till Monday August 16th to get your comment in. All the details…

So, what do you want to make happen? Tell me the city you’d like to attend in as well…

I know why I danced the night away with Randy and Todd at the closing night Engage!10 gala: it was the only thing that came close to expressing my pure joy after what we had experienced that week. We danced and laughed and genuinely celebrated life, relationships, the past, failures, hurdles overcome, and
the very bright future. I looked at my roommates, Jasmine Star and Harmony Walton, at one point and whispered, “How lucky are we?”

To say that our time in Cayman was inspiring would be a serious understatement. Yes, it was inspiring, but there aren’t words big enough to describe the feeling I left with and still have after that week. This is the largest post I’ve ever written, and y’all know I tend to write some epic blog posts. So, without further ado… my favorite week of all time. [Image above taken at last year's Engage in Cayman :: Kyle Barnes. Images below :: my iPhone]

I got on the plane, nervous but ripe with anticipation. My first trip to Cayman last year was magical. The air, the sea, the Ritz, the palpable feeling of hope and possibility in being surrounded by the industry’s best was all I could think about. A last-minute first class upgrade upped the excitement a little more. Thank you, Delta! I was still uncomfortable and relished the extra room. I sat down next to a gorgeous woman with long dark hair and great shoes. Who would happen to sit in front of me? My dear friend Simon T. Bailey, whom I met at the very first Engage event I attended in 2008. Simon has been a constant source of inspiration and guidance for me. I was so comforted in seeing him. Halfway through the flight, I started editing a blog post on Southern Weddings, and the lovely lady next to me said, “Are you Lara Casey?” I was delighted to meet Hilary from Alta Moda Bridal in Salt Lake City. She is a gem and we instantly connected. Also on my flight: my friend Kathy Strukel, Karen Tran (who sat right behind me the whole flight and we never noticed!) and Editor-in-Chief of Utah Brides, Tessa Woolf. I was in great company, and my butterflies started to melt. A huge thank you to Matt and Stevi Savage of Avery House who photographed most of the images here (unless otherwise noted).

In Cayman there are no jetways, so when you arrive, you walk straight out into the salty hot sunshine. In the not-so-far-off distance, there’s live music, and smiling faces greet you as you make your way to customs. [images below :: me... taken with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. Thank you Nate at Image is Found for the camera rec! Love it.]

We loaded a bus and were given cold water and iced towels to refresh us from the long flight.

I was delighted to finally meet Cassandra Santor, Dena Brummer, Chriscia Jackson-Nesbitt, Jules Bianchi and many more at check-in.

I got my key and rushed up to see Harmony and Jasmine as fast as I could, as if we were long-lost sisters reunited. [image :: Jasmine Star]

From the moment I walked into that room, I knew the week was going to be far better than I could fathom. I sat on the bed and chatted with Harmony and Jasmine and prayed a silent prayer: God, thank you. Thank you for this opportunity to learn, to grow. Thank you for these brilliant women and the opportunity to get to know them better. Help me to let go and just be me. Thank you, thank you! [below :: Avery House]

This was my fourth Engage and by far the most significant for me. It was a turning point.

Egos were checked at the door as 155 of the best in the luxury wedding market came together to discuss big ideas, market shifts, and the future… which, my friends, is looking really good. You hear the term “game changer” used too often these days. Engage attendees don’t change the game… they create a whole new one. New rules, new players, new paths, new ideas. At the helm: Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce. I liken them to the presidents of Wedding Nation. Although, their oval office is so much more stylish than his.

To me, the location had a large hand in making us all focused. Now, you’re probably thinking, “How could going to a tropical island with fruity drinks make you more focused?” Easy. It was an escape. It wasn’t a familiar stodgy conference room like most conferences we are used to. The locale, the scenery, the sunsets took our breath away and made everything we left back in the US disappear. Being in Cayman is like pushing the reset button. You forget the past and concentrate on the relationships and the beauty right in front of you. I was able to find so much clarity in that. I love these images from Matt and Stevi. They take me right back.

The water in Cayman is the bluest I’ve ever seen. I don’t like getting in large bodies of water. I imagine fish nipping at my toes and stingrays leaping at me. But I could swim in this azure heaven forever.

Last year I attended Engage Cayman as a first-time speaker, but was so nervous about making a good impression that the whole thing flew by in a blur. This year, I saw relationships that I had started many moons ago really begin to take root. There was something magical in the Caymanian air, and I wasn’t the only one who sensed this. Pictured below last year with Jeff Fowler and Kym Bichon who will be hosting us at The Breakers in October for Engage.

[below :: Avery House]

Shortly after we settled into the hotel room, we went to the Engage Welcome Lounge to pick up our conference materials. Seeing everyone for the first time always gets me fired up! [images below :: me]

Love, love, love these folders and enclosures from Envelopments, letterpress cards from Bella Figura and Engage designs from Trisha Hay at We Are Chariot.

Read below carefully. L.O.V.E. this! Bravo, Envelopments.

[below :: Avery House]

How fun are these canvas swag bags from Tulla Belles?! You will see this appear in my travels again. The owner, Cindy, is one of my favorite people to see at Engage. The bags were filled to the brim with goodies! [below :: Avery House]

I was so excited about the gorgeous illustrations from artist Kristy Rice. Kristy always does lovely work and she is genuinely one of the most kind-hearted people in the industry. [below :: Avery House]

We sat in on a welcome session with my roommate Harmony as well as five-time Engage alums Ali Phillips, Liene Stevens, and Donna Von Bruening. The atmosphere from day one was electric. This session really helped us break the ice. We got into small groups toward the end and Harmony asked us three questions:

1. What do you do now?

I am the Editor-in-Chief of Southern Weddings magazine, CEO of luxury wedding market consulting firm Lara Casey Reps (which I launched at Engage last year), principal designer for Bliss Event Group, founder of MTH2010, wife to Ari, mom to Abby Kitty Pants, and I love the gym, singing hymns and great food. In my spare time I am getting my PhD, enjoy weekly triathlons, and breed Cattle. Kidding. No, really.

2. Where were you 10 years ago?

Probably in ballet class dreaming of the day I wouldn’t have to wear a leotard and tights 24/7.

3. Where do you want to be 10 years from now?

Aaaand this is where I always get stuck. All I could think of was that I want to be teaching Sunday school. !?!? I am not good at future, goal-setting, planning questions, believe it or not. Sean Low (who was sitting right next to me) and I instantly had the same reaction. I have no idea where I’ll be on 10 years or what I want to play out. Everything in my life thus far has exceeded anything I could possibly have dreamed up myself, so it’s hard to think ahead. By the end of the trip, I was able to answer this though. Read on.

[images below :: me]

Then, the ever-fabulous Darcy Miller (I don’t think I’ve ever described someone like that. She really is always stunning, always charming, and pretty much who I want to be when I grow up) gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the Martha Stewart brand.

After Darcy’s lovely presentation, I went straight back to the room with Jasmine and Harmony. All you could hear was the furious clicking of computer keys as we pounded out work between Engage events. [images below :: Jasmine Star]

You want to know what makes successful people… successful? Passion and sacrifice. There were long stretches of time where we could have been at the beach, but the three of us would be clicking away, making things happen. Oh, we definitely got to the beach. Don’t worry. But, I was encouraged to see I’m not the only one who has to focus and sacrifice play time now and then to keep the wheels turning. My greatest take-away from my first Engage conference in 2008 was being surrounded by like-minded passionate people. There is a great comfort in knowing that there are people out there who work harder, smarter, faster. Jasmine and Harmony have me in complete awe. They are the real deal: genuine, humble, brilliant beyond words, and so giving. I never had sisters, but I’d like to dub these two my honorary ones. We laughed, talked till 5am most nights, shared industry news and encouraging words. As Jasmine said, “Epic times.” Epic times, indeed.

Harmony turned the camera on Jasmine at one point. The girl has some skills….

I turned my iPhone on snap-happy Harmony. Love Jasmine’s face here.

Monday night, we put on our beach best and headed to Seven Mile Beach for the big welcome party. [images below :: Avery House]

When you are catering to the who’s who in weddings, the pressure is on with party planning. The Celebrations Cayman team seriously pulled out all the stops with the flowers and decor all week.

We were greeted by a shoe valet and happy waiters with fruity drinks as we made our walk on the blue carpet. Too fun!

I had to pick my jaw up off the floor with this massive piece below. Wow wow wow. As a floral enthusiast (I used to design for this guy), the sheer volume of yellow dendrobiums (which I have never seen before) took my breath away.

There was one moment in the night when a gust of rain blew in, forcing us all under a few small beach cabanas. Soaked to the brim, it was quite the bonding experience. We all laughed it off and shared beach towels that were rushed out by swarms of Ritz staffers.

Engage never ceases to be wildly exciting. Now that I know so many of the faces, it’s like a big family reunion. A few favorites I encountered: Randy Fenoli and Jennifer, his agent from Abrams (Randy’s other agent Mark at Abrams was the reason I almost moved to LA after college back in my acting days… way, way back when. Such a small world.), Sean Low, Marcy Blum, Millie Martini Bratten, Michelle Rago, Kimberly Fink and Rebecka Nave, Danielle Cococcia, Alexandra Jusino, Aiesha Panton, Amy Rubbins, Carla David, Jennifer Stein (who I totally hit it off with and adore!), Katie Martin, Tim O’Neill, Maya Kalman, Ami Price, Maria Cooke, Rosalind and Siri of Two Bright Lights, Christy from Junebug Weddings, the incomparable and hilarious Calder Clark, Kathryn, Rebecca, and Rebecca’s amazing parents. They always make my heart smile. Mr. Grinnals and I shared some rum raisin ice cream and s’mores at one of the dessert stations that night… to die for! I met too many amazing people to name that night.

We attempted to go to bed early, but failed miserably. After such a brilliant first day in paradise with so many inspiring greats, my heart was racing with anticipation for Day 2.

Day 2:

The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism got things started with a bang. Seeing how much they value the wedding industry and our presence there really makes you appreciate the island even more. They take great pride in their land and culture and it’s impossible not to feel their warmth and hospitality. Many thanks to the Cayman Islands crew for making us feel so welcome! [images below :: Avery House]

I’m pretty sure you could count 155 huge smiles from 155 attendees as Rebecca and Kathryn took to the stage. Rebecca’s State of the Luxury Wedding Industry address is always my favorite. I get a very clear picture of where the wedding market stands and what to watch.

A few highlights:

A must-watch. The Social Media Revolution:

78% of people trust peer recommendations. Only 14% trust advertisements.

Listen first, sell second.

Wondering why I think Jasmine Star is one of the most genuine, brilliant, humble women I know? This video says it all:

Jasmine Star 2010 from Anton Lorimer on Vimeo.

Pictured below: Jasmine, Harmony and Maria Cooke of Ritzy Bee who was just featured as an expert in Martha Stewart Weddings! Go Maria!!! [image below :: me]

When I first started to conceptualize the magazine, I was living in Ventura, California, where Ari was stationed. Jasmine was one of the first people to reach out to me when we put our test issue out (and I’m pretty sure she’s one of only a handful of people who have seen the test issue!). We tried to meet a few times but never were able to coordinate schedules. It took me moving to North Carolina and going to WPPI years later for us to finally meet. I was really grateful to get to know her more on this trip.

I am wildly impressed by Canada’s WedLuxe video editorial integration. Stunning. This one deserves a whole blog post. Angela Desveaux wrote me a very sweet email this week and noted that she and I have something in common… we’re both in our early thirties and we not only hold the title of Editor-in-Chief, but Publisher. I suppose that is a rarity nowadays, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. OK, back to said gorgeous editorial film… I have to admit that when I watched this, I said out loud, “Oh my goodness, I am so far behind.” Learning that Angela’s husband is the genius behind this film somehow made me feel a little better. There is infinite value in what they’ve created, and I started to imagine myself buying lottery tickets to pay for this kind of gem. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!

WedLuxe Summer/Fall 2010 from Cloud Nine Creative on Vimeo.

Next, we sat in on a panel discussion with Sylvia Weinstock and Marcy Blum led by one of my industry idols, Millie Martini-Bratten of Brides. Best quote from the very spunky Sylvia: “Make love to the magazines!” [images below :: Avery House]

Carley Roney of The Knot is always so refreshing to listen to. For someone who helps to run such a massive global company, she is surprisingly candid, approachable, and warm. It was great to visit with her again and learn from her. I really admire all that she and David have built from the ground up.

Some takeaways from her presentation:

Luxury weddings are recession resistant. -Carley Roney

A brand is a promise of the value received. -Tom Peters

55% of luxury brides go over budget, 23% on target, 20% don’t have one, 3% under budget.

40k or more weddings spend 9% of budget on photography, 40k or less spend 12%. Luxury brides spend more than $4,500 average.

41% of luxury brides begin planning more than 12 months out. They want to have the best and be educated well in advance.

90% of brides use wedding magazines to plan their weddings as compared to 81% for non-luxury. No surprise to me. I may be biased.

A world without bad reviews is fake. -Carley Roney

Keep your blinders on and focus on what you need to be doing for YOUR customer. -Carley Roney 100% agreed.

Next up, powerhouse Cindy Novotny. To explain what she does in simplest form: she tells big businesses how to do things better, faster, and with a fiercely focused game plan.

Nuggets of wisdom from Cindy:

You are too busy? So what? Get over it! Integrate work and personal time.

The world is changing so fast… big will not beat small – it will be the fast beating the slow. – Rupert Murdoch

Email should never replace real in-person conversation with customers

The luxury consumer will never stop working with luxury vendors. They want custom, personal, over-delivered service.

I was lucky enough to get invited to dinner with her that evening. Jasmine and Harmony threatened to fight me for my dine-around card. No joke. They did. [images below :: my trusty iPhone]

Everyone is upping the ante. It is about who creates more passion and connectivity with the client. Yes, yes, yes!

Never say: It’s too risky, it can’t be done, it won’t work, why can’t we do what we have always done?

Brilliant advice. Take 1 hour a week to just think. No music, no distractions, no writing. Genius comes of that.

10 Keys: observe, think, change, dare, banish, try, question, grow, do, enjoy.

Cindy garnered an instant standing ovation as she closed. Thank you, Cindy, for all of your wisdom! On a high from Novotny knowledge, we were invited to lunch in the ballroom next door. Engage is always full of surprises and we eagerly anticipate each transition. Naturally, the room was decked out and the food was divine! I love love love this teal capiz paillette overlay from Nuage Designs. I wanted to take it home with me, but someone might have noticed if I was stripping tables mid-gazpacho. [images below :: Avery House]

I had a lovely lunch with Randy, Sylvia, Christy and Jennifer. Since meeting him last year, Randy and I have become good friends. I always appreciate his insight and love dishing with him about personal style, love, adventure, family and the future. I’ll be honest… I don’t watch “Say Yes to the Dress”. I’ve seen about 10 minutes of it. I don’t really watch TV and I didn’t really grasp Randy’s celebrity until a swarm of squealing fans come up to him in an elevator in Vegas last year. I gravitate towards him because he truly celebrates life to the fullest. His joy is contagious and he always makes me feel good. I can see why 80 brides flock to him a day to find “the one” at Kleinfeld.

Christy from Junebug Weddings is one of those people that lights up a room. I was so glad to spend more time with her in Cayman. She and Blair were guest speakers at my Seattle Making Things Happen stop and it was an unforgettable day. I’m so grateful for all they do for our industry. [images below :: me]

I’m not a big lunch person, but I devoured this. Every. last. bit.

Below: Randy and Rebecca, who is the accessory queen at Engage. No, really… she literally has three drawers in her room full of color-specific accessories to choose from for her Engage outfits. I loved this yellow jacket! At right: Sean Low, Randy, me. Sean has always been a great support to me and it was fun to catch up with him. I got to sit in on a wildly exciting conversation between Sean and another industry great at the dessert reception the night before. All I can say is it was epic… like a tennis match between two powerhouses, but instead of tennis balls they were firing diamonds. OK, sorry to be cryptic. Just marking this for my own memory.

When I lived in California I did some work for Colin Cowie. I had never met Colin, but I worked on logistics for one of his biggest events. He spent most of his presentation outlining the creation of that event which was really exciting for me to see. [images below :: Avery House]

Colin’s voice alone made pretty much every female in the room swoon… and probably most of the guys. He is the epitome of dashing, debonair, any word you can think of in the incredibly charming family. On top of that, he is a brilliant designer and leader. I was captivated as he spoke.

There’s no reason to do anything ordinary when you can do extraordinary. -Colin Cowie

The ultimate luxury is proactive, personalized, detailed service. -Colin Cowie

Then, the presentation that blew my statistical mind: the survey results from Two Bright Lights. We just received a copy in my office and Katharine and Emily are just as gaga over the results as I am.

A few key points:

Planners and designers who use Twitter for business made 92% more revenue than those who just tweet personal info.

Photographers who blog make an average of 26% more revenue. Planners, only 1%.

Take note: 56% higher revenue for planners who submit real weddings to mags and blogs. 73% for photographers.

Higher revenue wedding businesses do NOT negotiate on pricing.

Publishing your complete price list filters out lucrative customers prematurely.

The biggest takeaway from the survey: print ads give a significantly higher return to photographers than online ads.

There is so much more to share, so watch out for our post coming up on Southern Weddings next week with key findings.

After such a full day of brain goodness overload, it was time to cut loose. We didn’t waste any time and got a little camera happy on stage. [images :: Jasmine Star]

Oh yes… we did…

I love this one. Thanks, J, for not publishing the one of me looking like a giraffe.

We had a quick 45 minutes to get dressed and head to dinner. There are over a dozen hosted dinners all over the island and about 10ish people go to each. We all met in the Ritz lobby to be taken to these various locations. It’s a pretty exciting night and a fun chance to experience the island. [images below :: me]

I am a bit of a foodie (thank you French chef mother) and I have to say… the food in Cayman is better than anywhere I’ve been. From fine dining at Eric Ripert’s Blue to the casual but expertly created island fare we had at Cracked Conch that night, Cayman has it all. Pictured below with (clockwise from my right) Kristy Rice, Rebecca Davidson, Xochitl from Always a Blogsmaid, Donna Von Breuning, Cassandra Santor, Beth Helmstetter, Carolyn Steere from Destination IDo Magazine, Hilary Anderson, Tara Bradley from Destination Weddings and Honeymoons Magazine, and Cindy Novotny to my left. The food was fabulous that evening, but we were so focused on every word that was coming out of Cindy’s mouth that I wasn’t paying too much attention to what was going into mine.

After dinner, we were taken back to the Ritz for a poolside dessert reception. It’s always fun to hear about everyone’s dinner experiences. Pictured below: Rebecca’s parents, Trisha Hay, Cindy of Tulla Belles, Kathryn and friends dip their feet in the pool.

The decor, again, was magical. I rarely want to freeze time. I like moving forward, action, and making things happen. Engage changed that. It all started with a moment…

We were enjoying a decadent spread of made-to-order crepes, home made ice cream and souffle. I looked around to see Carley Roney and Marcy Blum in front of me, Colin Cowie to my left, Michelle Rago to my right, and Millie Martini Bratten behind me. In that moment I felt very small. It was barely 10 years ago that I was in college, obsessed with Preston Bailey, pulling tears from magazines of Colin and Michelle’s work, day-dreaming of meeting them some day. And there I was. I’ve known Michelle as a colleague and friend for several years now and met Millie, Carley and Marcy at past Engage events, but things have moved so fast for me that I’m just now starting to take it all in. In that moment, I remembered the feeling of awe. I was overwhelmed with emotion.

These people are and always will be celebrities to me. Not because of their names, but because they have consistently taught me. They inspired me many years ago to dream in flowers, fabric, light and expertly-crafted space. I’m grateful to them for guiding me, without knowing it, into an industry I truly love. I couldn’t ask for a better job to wake up and do every day. OK, maybe if our office was in Cayman…

So, I literally stopped and –not caring if anyone saw me– pinched myself. Was this really happening? Anthony Luscia, special projects editor for Martha Stewart Weddings, was talking to me? Me?! I met him at Engage09 :: Something Blue the previous year too, but this year somehow felt different. My nerves were calm and my eyes were finally open. I took a deep breath and everything around me seemed to slow down. This is real. It’s not just a one-time occurrence. You’re in this, Lara. I can’t really put into words the feeling of gratitude and responsibility that overtook me in that moment. All I can do is say thank you. Thank you Rebecca and Kathryn for believing in me and for opening doors for me that I never knew were possible to open. It’s not about what those relationships will do for me. It’s just the relationships themselves. I wholeheartedly believe this: “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” Truly successful people are who they are because of drive, humility, kindness, innovation, and honesty. Spend a week with inspiring creatives who have in many ways mastered those traits and it starts to sink in… it’s time to grow up.

Day 3

We started at 8am with a series of breakout sessions. There were 6 one-hour sessions and we got to choose 4. My schedule: “The Business of Being Creative” with Sean Low, “Style Sells” with Randy Fenoli and Todd-Avery Lenahan, “Shift” with Simon T Bailey, and “How To Do Everything Well” with Todd Fiscus. [images below :: me]

Sean has a great blog called The Business of Being Creative. Definitely a must-read.

Something I learned the very first time I heard Sean speak at Engage08 is to add value to your services (your art) first in order to command a higher price, not the other way around. Art has exponential value that no one can replicate. Read his blog for more. I am paraphrasing.

Simon T. Bailey’s new book, Simon Says Shift, comes out later this year. [images below :: Avery House]

It’s impossible to drive into the future looking in the rear view mirror. -Simon T. Bailey

Randy and Todd-Avery’s presentation was very powerful for me. Personal branding is something I am fascinated by. I truly believe you are your brand.

The bottom line: If you’re going to sell luxury, you better look luxury. -Randy Fenoli and Todd-Avery Lenahan

The always fashionable, Sylvia, gave her thoughts on personal branding and style as well. Her famous glasses have defined her image from the moment she started her business at age 50. Yes, 50! How’s that for inspiring!? We all laughed as Randy recounted the story of Sylvia and her husband Ben coming down for breakfast in Cayman last year in just their bathrobes. I will never forget that moment. If anyone can pull it off, it’s Sylvia.

Todd Fiscus was a conference favorite for several reasons.   1. The guy is brilliant. He runs multiple extremely successful businesses… very well.   2. He is an innovator, always pushing the envelope with style and design. [images below :: Avery House]

3. It blows my mind that he only started his company 5 years ago. Unreal.   4. Just look at his website. It’s hands-down the best site in the industry. [images below :: me]

5. He’s a warm, funny, genius true Texan. I love his big personality and big Texas accent!

We wrapped up Day 3 and finally headed to the beach! [images below :: Avery House]

How lovely is this!?

Thanks to these two crazy cats for most of the images in this post.

We watched a storm off in the distance. The sky against the pure aqua water was incredible. [images below :: me]

I have such fond memories with the next set of images. Some of my favorite times ever.

It’s not easy to find true friends in the industry that you can really let your guard down with and talk about anything… fears, insecurities, hopes and dreams.

I found that in Harmony and Jasmine. Such a blessing to know these two.

Great to see Ami from Elizabeth Anne Designs who also writes a fantastic blog called Edit and Post.

I had some soulful convo with my cabana neighbor Christy. Love this lady.

Can we please go back now? Pretty please!?

I. Love. This. Picture. Fresh sliced green apples delivered straight to our beach chairs. Whaaat!?!

This looks like a terrible green drink mess, but it was divine. It’s just a lot of mint, not some healthy weird wheatgrass thing. I promise.

Boxed lunch, Ritz-style.

Mmmmmmm….

After a long afternoon of fun in the sun, it was time to get gussied up for the big closing night gala! [image below :: Rebecca Davidson]

This beats any red carpet event any day. This is the same big conference room you saw on Day 2. Unbelievable transformation. Thank you, Celebrations Cayman, for making us feel like such VIP’s! [images below :: Avery House]

The linens, the lighting, the flowers, oh my!

A highlight at the past three Engage conferences has been Randy and Sylvia’s spin around the dance floor. Epic!

No one… I repeat… NO ONE has ever gotten me out on an empty dance floor in a room full of people. It’s easy to feel a sense of total abandon and comfort with Mr. Fenoli. [Image by David Wolfe]

Cue Randy and Lara dance party. [image below :: Rebecca Davidson]

There isn’t a single person on earth I have more fun dancing with. Randy is joy personified!

I think the world of Marcy Blum (below left). Her witty writing is top notch, she is an eventiste extraordinaire, she’s gorgeous and … she’s a red head. I feel lucky to know her and learn from her. Below right, Randy joked that he was Hugh with his two red head bunnies. I think Marcy needed to be in this pic too! [below :: me]

And to think just a few hours earlier we were a mess with salt water and sand. We clean up pretty well, no?

Nothing makes me happier at an event than great lighting. Sending a collective thank you hug out to all the lighting designers of the world. Yes all of you. Bear hug.

Randy’s agent, Jennifer, had never been to a wedding conference of any kind before. I think we spoiled her. She was so kind and down to earth. So glad to start a great new friendship with her.

How beautiful are Rebecca’s parents? Get to know them and you will see where Rebecca’s charm comes from.

With event planner Beth Helmstetter and calligrapher Laura Hooper. I always love seeing these two. Laura always created gorgeous maps and illustrations for Engage.

Joined by the Belle of the Ball, Ms Harmony Walton. OK, she did not want to wear that dress that night but J and I twisted her arm. Harmony, you look stunning!

There was no shortage of dancing. The last half of this video from IDo Films is proof.

I was so busy dancing and chatting it up all night that I forgot to eat. I never forget to eat. Harmony came up to me and said cryptically, “go to the curtain in the back. Trust me.” I gave her a funny look thinking it was just the mojitos talking and she quickly escorted me to “the curtain”… aka the kitchen door in the back.   A gentleman came right up and asked me what I wanted.  I felt so bad asking for something after the food was already gone so I tried to just say thank you and leave.  He would not let me leave until I ordered something.  I told them to just bring whatever and 5 minutes later a waiter came out with a full dinner on a silver platter… all my favorite foods that I had previously ordered from room service over my stay. Three people came out afterward just to make sure I loved it.  I am pretty sure I high-fived waiter number 3.   I’m not sure if he’s supposed to high-five people, but I just couldn’t help it.  Customer service WIN!  Like Colin Cowie said, “there’s no reason to do anything ordinary when you can do extraordinary.”

On a hospitality high, I finished my decadent meal and did a little blue carpet walking with (from left to right) Stevi Savage, Matt Savage, Kathy Strukel, Belle of the Ball, me, and Maria Cooke.

Pictured below with Desiree Patterson, Jasmine and Paige Levy. [below :: Harmony]

And now for some photo booth fun. [below :: Jennifer Domenick of Love Images]

Don’t ask. I laughed so hard my sides hurt.

Try to caption these. Just try.

After going to sleep at the ripe hour of 5am, we woke up late… OK, correction… I woke up late and headed straight down to the beach with my roomies to enjoy one last day in paradise. [images below :: me]

Another storm brewed off the coast, making for towering clouds and distant flashes of lightning. I love fierce storms. I don’t know why, but they always calm me down and make me want to curl up on the couch. Or beach lounger.

A big black pirate ship passed in the distance as I began to reflect on such our magical week.

When I think about my favorite parts of the week or the things that changed me the most, the first thing that comes to mind, besides the speakers, is the long walk Jasmine and I took down Seven Mile Beach that day. Life moves so fast that we don’t take time to just let go and really dream. Do you want to know what Jasmine’s magnetism is? Authenticity. Her honesty and zest for life make you feel like it’s ok to be you. I have a hard time with future-thinking and identifying what it is that I really want. It always changes, it seems. I don’t know what came over me, but as we walked along the beach, chatting about family, marriage, the future and failures, I started to find a little grain of clarity. I started to dream. So many people tell me to stop dreaming. “You are so busy, how do you do it all, you can’t possibly do more, take a break, do you ever stop!?” Well, I don’t want to do more.  I want to be more of myself.  I want to give more of myself. I want to use everything God has given me to teach and be taught. I want to let go every day and say, “whatever your will is, I’m there.” It’s a hard thing to do… to let go of control and stop making our own plans. As the sea lapped on our feet, I took a deep breath and mentally took a picture. I unknowingly made a lot of decisions in that moment. When you find clarity, you have no choice but to act on it. I am so grateful for that time. Hi, my name is Lara and I love candlelit dinners, snow-capped mountains… and long walks on the beach.

We came back and sat with Harmony as the sun dipped into the sea. Harmony and I met at the first Engage I attended in Celebration, FL. She is so knowledgeable, connected and business savvy… I could go on and on.   She has been my cheerleader through so much.  Harmony tells it like it is and doesn’t take no for an answer. I tend to let some people take advantage of me. I am a people pleaser. I’ve have had to learn how to say no and tell people when I’m really hurt by them. I learned so much from being in the presence of her no-nonsense strength that week. She doesn’t know it (well, now she does) but she helped me make one of the biggest decisions I’ve ever made.

Being with Harmony and Jasmine made me take a good hard look at my life and start to pull weeds. And some big honkin’ trees. Thank you, ladies, for your honesty and generous hearts. It’s so hard for me to find female friends who don’t have a competitive spirit with me and, being around you both, I felt like I could completely let go.  Our time in Cayman will always stay close to me.

If you’ve been following Twitter over the last few days, you’ve been flooded with a barrage of Engage10 talk. If I hadn’t gone, I can imagine I’d feel a little left out. Well, you weren’t (and, luckily, Engage happens twice a year). Engage is like the G8… it’s the meeting of the minds that sets things in motion. If you didn’t go, you will still benefit from its effects. You will see how the relationships and ideas formed there will change the industry for the better and benefit everyone around us. Great quote from Sean Low: “Engage10 is just another wedding conference like the Hope Diamond is just another rock.” Not even a week after our return, I’m seeing the positive momentum continue to grow like wildfire. A few posts from attendees:

Jasmine Star
Hilary from Alta Moda Bridal
Harmony Walton part I and part II
Sean Low
Liene Stevens
Tom McCallum
Kristy Rice Part I, Part II

JoAnne Brown of Celebrations Cayman

Rebecca Davidson

Avery House

Exquisite Weddings

Jules Bianchi

Ami Price 1 and 2

Love Life Images

If I missed yours, leave a comment and I’ll add it!

Here I came to the very edge
where nothing at all needs saying,
everything is absorbed through weather and the sea,
and the moon swam back,
its rays all silvered,
and time and again the darkness would be broken
by the crash of a wave,
and every day on the balcony of the sea,
wings open, fire is born,
and everything is blue again like morning.
-Pablo Neruda

With love,

Lara

P.S. Have questions about Engage? If you’re thinking of going for the first time, feel free to email me or leave a comment here. I’d be happy to answer any questions about my past experiences.

Past recaps: Engage08 :: Celebration, Engage09 :: Cayman MegaPost!, Engage09 :: Encore Las Vegas.

Sitting in a hospital bed two weeks ago, I was convinced I wasn’t going to Engage.  I shifted my weight a little in church, feeling a small pain in my stomach. I thought to myself, Maybe it’s the Indian food from last night. Maybe it’s the bread and grape juice from communion. It’ll go away.

It didn’t.

I texted Ari hesitantly:  I think… I need to go to the ER.  Something is wrong with me. Now, I am extremely stubborn about my health.  I have a high pain tolerance and haven’t been to an emergency room in 5 years.  I’d rather suffer than take pain killers and or go anywhere near a hospital.

I got home, barely able to walk at that point, and fell down on the couch shivering.  I couldn’t help but think of Jeff’s appendicitis story that he told at the beginning of each MTH2010.  The chills kept growing, fever came on like wildfire and within 7 minutes we were on the way to Ari’s second home.

When your husband does nothing but read CT’s, MRI’s and deal with trauma all day long and he looks worried, it’s easy for a girl to panic.  I cried.  It hurt to cry.  I stopped crying.  Not only did I have a huge event that weekend, but I had to go to Cayman in 7 days.  Miss Engage?  No way. Yes, my mind when straight to work.  Ari told me to be calm and not focus on work for a second.  He called all the docs and I stumbled into a hospital bed and a gown.  I also started to slip into more serious pain.  I told Ari to call Katharine and Emily and prepare them to take over for one of our busiest weeks to date.

I’m not sure if it was Ari’s sage advice or the morphine they injected in me, but I stopped thinking about work for a moment.  I just prayed.  I prayed for the lady in the bed next to me, too.  I couldn’t see her, but she sounded like she was in her 90’s, in a lot of pain, and very alone.   I wanted to ask the nurse to push my bed up next to hers so I could hold her hand and pray with her, but a flood of surgeons quickly squelched my spirit.  Surgery?  Surgery!? As I was poked and prodded –while dazed from pain killers that were having very adverse affects on my sensitive body– another nurse started an IV.  It all happened so fast.  The combination of stress, needles, and the word surgery quickly took the blood from my head and I was out cold.  For someone who relishes control, passing out is by far the worst feeling on earth.  It’s not a laughing gas dreamy relaxed feeling.  It feels like I am at the end of a marathon and someone just clotheslined me.

I slowly woke.  In a dreamy state, I looked at a picture of a taco in a magazine my the bedside and whispered, “that looks good.”  I barely remember this, but Ari says at that point he ordered me a CT scan.   Yeah, I was confused.  A taco looks good and I need a CT??! Explanation coming…

I was wheeled to another room.  I don’t remember much of this part.  Ari stood at the helm in front of a half-dozen monitors (I only know this because the story was recounted to me by Kyle who was in NC to shoot a wedding and had taken a taxi to the hospital).  I had downed a jug of yummy contrast and before I knew it they were injecting dye into my arm and sending me through the beast of a machine.

They wheeled me back.  An hour passed.  More pain meds.  Then…  silence.

While I waited on the results, sweaty from fever, cold the next second from chills, the movie in my mind of the last two weeks played.

Ari had been on night call.  This means he worked from the time I left the office (7pm) and got home from work when I started work (8am).  We would see each other for 20 minutes at the most, like two ships passing in the night.  Previously, this has been the worst time for us.  When I did see him, he was irritable from sleep-deprivation.  I wasn’t much help either.  I’d avoid him during call weeks as to not stir the pot.  I would try to plan travel around his call schedule.

These two weeks were also production weeks for my last two weddings that I’ve had on the books for eons… read #7 on this post.  The weddings were back to back, both huge, both full production.  Needless to say, I was a little busy.

But, despite all of this on my plate, I vowed that this time – this wedding season and this call time – would be completely different.  I deep cleaned the house, did the laundry, bought gifts, deep cleaned again, had the carpets shampooed, planted new flowers, obsessively organized, cleaned his closet, his car, stocked the fridge, wrote love notes, love emails, love texts, ran a bazillion errands, paid bills, and did whatever I could think of to make his life smooth while he was a night owl.  110% worth all the effort.  One morning, I woke up to this card:

Lara, I wanted to say thank you for going out of your way to be so sweet this past week while I have been working nights.  I realize I haven’t been as grateful as I should, but I really do appreciate everything you do.  I’m also really happy to see you not so stressed during this tough week before your weddings.  I think it is a measure of your growth as a business owner.  I love you a lot and am excited to spend more time with you.  Ari

It’s that last part, about my growth as a business owner, that got me.  One reason I love him so much is that when he says something, he means it.  He never tells me something just to make me feel good.  Yes, this can cause trouble for someone like me who craves encouraging reassurance, but it has ultimately helped me to be stronger and more independent.  Last summer was the most stressful time of my life thus far.  The magazine had launched that January, I already had a ton of weddings on the books that I would never think of giving up, loads of travel, speaking engagements, photo shoots, and no concept of how to balance it all or give any of it up. This year was different. I was… gasp… relaxed!

So, just 10 hours before my hospital visit, wedding #1 went off without a hitch.  It was perfect thanks to intense pre-planning and my amazing (understatement) team.  Exhausted, I still pried myself out of bed in the morning for church.  I needed some Jesus in my life.  I needed to sing my heart out.

That morning we did something unorthodox and watched a video called “Rain”.  The message:  Things don’t always work out the way we want them to, or the way we think they will.  Sometimes we don’t even see it coming.  We get hit with some form of pain out of nowhere leaving us feeling desperate and helpless.  That’s the way life is.  Still, it makes us wonder how God can let these things happen to us.  How God can just stand by and watch us suffer.  Where is God when it really hurts?  Maybe God is actually closer to us than we think.  Maybe it’s when we’re in these situations, where everything seems to be falling apart, that God gets an opportunity to remind us of how much He really loves us.

I could blame the following on the morphine, but I think it was much more powerful than that.  For some reason, I pictured grandpa Cecil in a cotton field in Alabama, where he grew up.  He would go farm to farm selling milk, flour, and handing out Bibles.  Sometimes that meant trekking miles and miles between houses.  To pass the time on the long journey, he would sing hymns.  His singing lead him to become the song leader at church and later an elder and preacher.  I found myself humming one of his favorites “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” when the nurses, Ari and Kyle left my bedside for a moment.  As the melody washed over me, I started to feel peace… the peace that passes all understanding.  I knew I was going to be OK.

Ari came in with a solemn look on his face.  “The good news is…”  Am I the only person whose stomach sinks when that phrase is uttered?  It just means there is not-so-good-news.  “The good news is that you don’t have to have surgery.”   What!?  I was relieved but at the same time angry.  I couldn’t imagine a pill or an apple a day would kill this pain.  I couldn’t walk or sit up.  I needed to get better pronto.  Not that I wanted to have surgery… please refer to previous mention of passing out.  After 3 doctors and the ER chief told me that I most likely had appendicitis, I was just very confused.  “You have a mass… a benign tumor about the size of a golf ball.  It has outgrown its blood supply and is dying.  As it dies, it is releasing toxins into your body that are causing you extreme pain.”  I cried.  “You will most likely have this recur for the rest of your life.”  I cried again.  “When you said the taco looked good, I knew you had an appetite which means no appendicitis.  You never eat tacos.”  I smiled, trying not to laugh and induce more pain.  Ari was so kind as he gently explained everything to me.  I couldn’t even begin to express how proud I was of him in that moment for doing what he does best –as seemingly simple as it was– to help me.  I could barely speak, but I didn’t have to say anything.  I know he saw the gratitude in my eyes and felt it in the grip of my hand.  He pulled out a piece of paper and tried to draw a diagram of what was happening.  I felt a new kind of love for him in that moment.  We’ve been married for 4 1/2 years now and I’ve never had the chance to see him work.  (Sorry, baby…  I wasn’t listening to you as you were explaining and drawing.  I was thinking all of these nice things about you instead.  I’m pulling the morphine card again here.)  Visiting him in the ER was an unexpected blessing and a turning point in my respect for him. I am in awe of what he has on his plate every day… far more serious cases than mine.  He deals with cancer all day long.  He has to tell people they may not make it.  He has to diagnose the worst kind of incurable pain.  Then, he comes home to me and I wax poetic about brides, emails and politics.  He never says to me, “Babe, I deal with cancer all day.  You’re problems are not that big of a deal.”  He should.  I love you, Ari.  Thank you for being you and for your unending kindness and heart of gold. 

I was taken home with enough pain meds to put a cattle farm out, put in bed, and watched.  They don’t tell you how long it will take for it to go away.  They just say “self-medicate until it feels better.”  Fun, right? I like concrete solutions. This did not seem like one. Come to find out, my mother and grandmother have experienced the same thing.  I am not one for pain pills, so I took one and tossed the rest.  I would rather be in pain than not be able to make decisions.  That’s just me. Luckily, after about 4 days, the pain started to subside.

I was so fearful that I wouldn’t be able to do wedding #2 that week, but –again– thanks to my brilliant team, it was beautiful.  We all joked about me coordinating the ceremony from a gurney.  Not funny.  If you are in weddings, you know what the wedding hangover is like… swollen feet and 5 showers wouldn’t make you feel so fresh and so clean.  And then there was Cayman the day after this wedding. I can handle a lot, but I couldn’t imagine –after being in a hospital bed just days before– doing a huge wedding then getting on a plane to an island where I’d be surrounded by the who’s who in weddings.  Hello! Slow. Down. Life! Engage is the kind of event that I felt I had to be at the top of my game for.  I felt the pressure caving in on me.  I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me or see that I wasn’t at my best.  I didn’t want to seem unsocial or distracted.  I just didn’t want to talk about it.  But, as I reflected on my past Engage experiences, I was overwhelmed by the thought that it is an incredible privilege to go and even if I got sick or was in pain, I wasn’t going to die. I’d kick myself if I didn’t push through.  I did not have to be perfect. I got encouraging messages from my soon-to-be room mates, Jasmine Star and Harmony Walton, who I was really looking forward to spending quality time with.  So, I started to go through the “packing motions” as best I could.  I know them well.  Suitcase out, pack the travel size toiletries, undies, socks, bras, clothes, Luna Bars and Greens Plus Bars, Jay Robb, green tea, make the bed, get the computer, charge my extra iPhone battery, take out the trash, rinse and repeat.  Even 3 hours before my flight I still hadn’t checked in.  Fear of not being my best was holding me back.

Then, a note from Ari that morning : I hope paradise is wonderful and don’t forget to look around and be grateful for the opportunity to be in such a place.  And remember to cut yourself some slack. You are only a person who can do so much and be so many things to so many different people. Just be who you can be and if it is not enough for some, then they are asking too much. I love you.

I pulled the trigger and checked in for my flight.  Now do you see why I married him?  Thank you, Ari (and so many great friends), for encouraging me to go and just be me.

My Engage!10 Grand Cayman MegaPost is up next… so excited to share what turned out to be the best week ever.  Thanks for listening, friends.

xo

lc

images :: smilebooth …taken about 12 hours before my ER visit. It was such a fun night!

P.S. Congrats to the randomly chosen winner of the FujiFilm Instax Mini, Joe Anna Haydon! Email me your address and I’ll send your new camera right over.

P.S.S. Happy 38th anniversary to my parents! I love you both more than words. Thank you for inspiring us to love deeply every day and enjoy the best parts of life- family, friends, great food and beautiful sunsets.

P.S.S.S. I’m getting on a plane in a few hours. Excited about a little surprise weekend fun. More to come…

And yes, if you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you know I have to give something away. Just have to. Why not?!
Leave a comment on this post telling me about the person in your life who has encouraged you the most and win a copy of one of my favorite books.

I am so proud of him, I just had to shout it to the rooftops. If anyone knows my brother, you know it’s been a long road with many unexpected challenges and blessings along the way. His graduation was probably the best gift my mom could have gotten for Mother’s Day. This was one of those weekends that I wish I had all the money in the world to fly my whole family somewhere – anywhere – to be together. Lots to celebrate in the Casey household.

Stephen, you are by far the most humble person I know. I am so inspired by your strength and brilliance. Wishing you a lifetime of taking things apart and putting them back together in ways only you know how.

Love,

your very proud sister

P.S. since my body is still on Hawaiian time, I’m giving y’all one more day to enter this.

P.S.S. So great to have “The Fab J’s” – Jose Villa, Joel Serrato, Jen Curtis, Joy Thigpen and crew here in NC doing a gorgeous editorial shoot for us for the next couple days! I love what we get the honor of doing every day and am so grateful to work with such incredible artists. Can’t wait to share this shoot in our next issue!

P.S.S.S. I’m planning the next MTH2010 stops for this coming fall.  We have a new format that will include individual personal branding sessions. I’m only doing 4 more in-person US stops and two international stops, so leave a comment here with your VOTE on the city you would like MTH to come to. Yes, I’ll still tally the votes from this post, but help me out and leave a new vote here too. We are also planning monthy virtual MTH’s, so stay posted for those details.  So excited!

I’m writing this on a plane. What’s new?  And yes, I did say I was leaving the laptop at home.  You caught me.  I won’t use it much, though.  I promise.  I’ll be too distracted by the beach and a very special traveler who, due to his rad schedule, never gets to go anywhere with me: my husband.  This is the first trip we’ve taken together since we went to Vegas last year before WPPI.  The last trip before that?  Hawaii four years ago.  So, it’s about time!  We’re headed to Kona for 6 days for his best friend’s wedding.  His BFF, Mike, was actually my… um… maid/man of honor?  Yes, at our Vegas wedding he was my MOH.  So excited to see all of our friends from LA and actually go to a gorgeous wedding.  Then, I’ll head to Oahu for a few individual MTH/branding intensives and several site tours for a destination weddings feature and a little something I’m cooking up for the blog.  I have one slot left for an individual intensive while I’m in Hawaii, so speak now or forever… wish you had?  OK, forgive my lack o’ witty wedding-reference humor.  4 hours of sleep and 14+ hours on planes today…

I am a firm believer in giving knowledge away freely.  I did two Twitter series’ entitled Get Branded and Get Published.  I plan on doing many more and working hard to use this blog to educate in as many ways as I can.  In my opinion, we’re supposed to build one another up in love and to encourage each other to grow, using all of our talents to do so.  It’s part of my personal mission.  I’ve said it before: I don’t believe in competition.  If we’re all helping each other to be our best selves, we raise the collective level of success in our industry. Yes, there are lots of things I won’t give up unless you pay me for a formal consult and lots of things I can’t give away because of the obvious: consulting is personal, tailored and specific to that brand’s needs.  Speaking of which, I have 4 consulting slots left for the next 6 weeks.  (My calendar would make your head explode.)  If you want one of the four, email me now.  Anyway, I re-posted both the Get Branded and Get Published series’ here on the blog.  Read them.  Tweet me more questions.  I’m happy to answer. pic below :: poser.

I just got back from speaking at Eventology on “Building Your Team,” and it was the most challenging speaking topic I’ve tackled thus far.  Yes, I have a great team. It may seem easy to run a team of people who are already great, but the biggest mistake you can make when leading is to think it’s just common sense and that you can “wing” team leadership. Leading is work. The hardest work I’ve ever done. Yes, harder than putting together a magazine and any combination of items on my plate. Why? It challenges you to be your best self, every day, no matter what.  Let me be very clear: it’s not about trying to be perfect so there is an appearance of strength; it’s about genuinely working to change so that you truly lead and grow by example… failures and all.  There’s no more powerful way to lead than that. If I slack, complain, forget, or, yes, fail, it affects us all.  Granted, there’s a great deal to be learned by a leader failing gracefully as opposed to someone who’s perfect all the time. pic below :: jen lynne.

My best takeaway from years of learning everything the hard way and finally coming out on top? Lead by example. Lead well. Fail well. Thank you so much to Katasha, the whole Eventology crew, my fellow speakers Sasha Souza, Terrica Skaggs, Saundra Hadley, Harmony Walton, and all of the amazing professionals we met.  Behind the scenes tidbit: my Eventology presentation was the very first PowerPoint I ever made.  Yes, I’ve laid out three magazines and never made a PowerPoint.  They didn’t exactly teach us that at Carnegie Mellon.  #educationfail  I spent a good 30 hours on it.  Note to self: next time just make a PowerPoint, not a mini magazine.

I also had the pleasure of speaking at the Indy ISES meeting on branding while I was there.  Such a great group!  There were some minor internet issues, so I used my new-found PowerPoint skills and created a 48 page presentation in 9 minutes.  No joke. Thanks to Melissa from Royal Events for hosting us and to all the attendees for a great afternoon.  It was a fun few days in Indy!

I’m honored to be speaking at Engage 10 :: Breakers this year.  I’ll be attending on the media panel for Engage Cayman, too, so come say hello! I’ve been to three Engage conferences so far and I don’t plan on missing a single one in the future.

Past recaps: Engage08 :: Celebration, Engage09 :: Cayman MegaPost!, Engage09 :: Encore Las Vegas.  Rebecca and Kathryn always raise the bar with these luxury wedding business summits and this year is just beyond incredible.

Cayman’s lineup:



In October at the Breaker’s I’ll be joined by:



Hello!  Someone pinch me!!!! If you have any questions about my past experiences at Engage, please email me.  I’d be happy to share and answer any questions.

We’re hard at work on the next issue. I finally opened the massive (and I mean massive) folder of cover submissions in my inbox.   Oh my goodness, we received some very creative creatives.  Thank you, thank you!

Lots of people have asked for critiques, so I will be writing a post on how to put together creatives and how to best market yourself to editors. I’ll be choosing the top cover submissions this week and will announce them when I get back.  That is why I brought my computer.  Time to get these killer cover shoots rolling!  P.S. We have a brand new media kit.  Want a copy?  Email Katharine. She won’t bite.  Unless, of course, you withhold her daily dose of Smarties.

I got a very encouraging letter in the mail yesterday from our magazine distributor. Our sales are 40% above the national average. In today’s magazine economy, you may not think that that is saying much, but it’s a pretty significant statistic. I also got word today that Barnes and Noble wants to push more copies through of our current issue to Southeastern stores.  OK, first of all, that does not happen.  Our issue dropped in November.  Needless to say, we’re thrilled.  I have 3 tons of magazines in my garage.  I’m so glad they’re about to get new homes!  We’ve been featuring a lot of behind-the-scenes images on the blog lately, so be sure to check these never-before-seen images out and get yourself a copy.

Some favorites: Watercolor with Fred Egan (as shown above), Watercolor with Jory Cordy, Watercolor with Kyle Barnes, Watercolor with Jeff Holt, our Serenbe Cover Shoot with Jeremy Cowart.  Sidenote:  I readily admit that I have asked a lot of dumb questions since I started publishing Southern Weddings.  Adriel, my distribution agent, has been so patient and kind explaining things in layman’s terms and walking me through the perils of publishing.  I’ve had to make a lot of hard choices, holding firm to our core values in content: real, personal, relatable. More often than I’d like, that means making choices that err on the side of long-term vision and brand integrity vs. short-term cash.  We turn down advertisers who just don’t fit us, weddings that are too luxurious for our brides to relate to and sponsors that want to run the show.  I’m not complaining.  From someone who has no formal background in publishing or marketing (or business, for that matter!), I’m very happy with where this path has taken us.

Little-known fact: I plan and design weddings.  I know I know… you’re thinking, how in the world do you have time?  How do you do it? Please refer to said amazing team in point number 3.  I have, however, progressively limited the amount I take as my schedule intensifies each year.  This year I took 3 weddings and I have two left: both gorgeous; both incredible brides (hi Sara and Nameeta!).

Why do it still?  I love it.  It’s in my blood and it’s how I got started in this industry almost seven years ago.  Here’s a recent favorite that we did last May with Our Labor of Love.  Weddings are the ultimate creative challenge.

I went to school for music, theatre, dance and design.  Production is what I know and what fuels me. pics above :: my iphone.

Weddings are essentially a production – lighting, sound, a script, design, music, and surprises all wrapped into one big beautiful day.   It also serves to keep me grounded and aware of the challenges that planners and photographers face.  I’m not an editor who went to school for journalism and just happens to like weddings because they’re pretty.  I’m in the trenches too.  “The trenches” are hard work, but fun.  Sometimes I kick myself and wonder why I take on so much.  Then, I send a bride down the aisle and see the look on her face when she walks into her reception.  I’m grateful for the opportunity to create and I love the brides I get the honor of working with.  They’ve all become dear life-long friends.  Pic above :: Kyle Barnes

OK, fast forward to sitting in our room at the gorgeous Mauna Lani, looking out at the volcano in the distance.  Minus the 6 hour time difference that had me up at 4am, it’s so good to be here with Ari.

Check out these welcome bags that greeted us!  So, this update is rather random because I have a backlog of info to share.  I want to start blogging at least 3x a week, shorter posts, more on the fly.  Emily always gets on me about my epic posts.  But, I censor myself, I craft, I perfect, and I tend to get really nervous before putting a post out.  I have several people read it.  I nitpick.  I’m afraid that if I write like I think, it will come out too vulnerable, emotional, real.  That’s me.  So, what do y’all want me to write about?  I want to hear from you.  Leave me a comment with any thoughts on what you want more of on the blog.

Life in general has been a turn from burnout to a serious search for clarity and balance to finding quite a bit of it lately.  I got to go home a couple weeks ago and discovered some pictures that made me think about child-like unabashed joy. I want that in my life. I love this picture of a childhood friend and I having a picnic. I’m not sure who made who laugh first, but this makes my heart smile. I posted a bunch more on facebook.

In all the craziness of my life – the schedule, the travel, the team to manage, the busy businesses, and the constant surprises, I need God.  I am fallible, I make selfish mistakes, and I have so much to learn and mature into.  I talk about my relationship with God here on the blog because my whole point in starting this thing was to take you on this authentic journey with me.  It’s a journey to find joy and discover my best self.  My goal has been to be as honest as possible about how I really make things happen.  As a rather emotional, sensitive INFP, my relationship with God is what keeps me together.  It’s a daily challenge and a practice.  I have recently made the choice to not work on Sundays… at all.  It has taken me far too long to get to this point.  I love my work.  I get really easily bored when I’m not working.  Hello, I mean I’m writing this in Hawaii when I could be on the beach, but doing this right now satisfies me more.  I’ve come to look forward to Sunday all week long.  I get up early, workout, go to church and sing my heart out, then come home to do Bible study for a few hours.  It’s been life-changing to make that time.  I’ve also been reading The 4 Hour Workweek in my travels and it is seriously blowing my mind.  Tim Ferriss is my soul mate.  I’m taking my time to read it and digest, but I’ve already applied so much of the book successfully to my life and our work days.  Key points: work smarter, less hours, more efficiently.  I will be writing an extended post on balance soon with a full post on how I’ve tackled what my studies are teaching me.

Since I couldn’t fit all of you in my suitcase, I want to bring a little Aloha spirit to you!

Leave a comment telling me about your dream vacation and enter to win either a strand of Hawaiian freshwater pearls, Kona coffee, or a collection of macadamia nut and coconut goodies.

Three winners, your choice on the prize!  You have till the day I leave here (next Thursday, the 6th of May) to enter.

Mahalo, y’all!

xo

lc

Oh, hello blog.  It’s been a while.  I’ve been a little afraid of you, to be honest.  Too much on my calendar?  check.  Not enough sleep?  check.  Overextending myself as usual.  check.  A ridiculous period of severe burnout after returning from WPPI?  Yes, ma’am! (Yes, my blog is apparently a chick.)  I’m actively working on the burnout.  By “actively” I mean working my tush off to change my quality of life and ability to step. away. from. my. Mac.  Post to follow.

So, amidst my recent travels from Vegas to Denver to Los Angeles to Raleigh to New York to DC and back to NC again this past Sunday, I’ve been working diligently with my lovely team to produce Southern Weddings Volume 3… aka awesomesauce.  It has not been easy.  The more I grow and learn, the pickier I get and the harder it is to please my eye.  I’ve said “no” much more than usual on this issue.  I think Emily has started to fear showing me submissions.  Kidding.  She’s incredible and refining her eye as well.  I want great imagery, moving love stories, epic details, the best products, a ton of surprises and inspiring submissions that make me dream big. I’ve filled my desk with clippings, covers that make me swoon, and loads of inspiration.  (recent contents of my carry-on seen here)

In an effort to help you help me (hello, Jerry McGuire), I started a Twitter series last week called #GetPublished.  I want you to do well and “wow” me.  In my opinion, the more we all teach each other, the more we raise our collective level of success as an industry.  I don’t believe in competition.  I’ll tell you if a great wedding is better for another magazine or if I think you should advertise with them instead of me.  I do it all the time because I’d want the same.  So, I’m vowing to try to give as much knowledge and help away as possible in the months to come.  Anyway, I digress.

I’ve been wracking my brain over our next cover.  The stakes are set pretty high considering our last two stellar cover photographers.  (Thank you, Jose and Jeremy)

The photographer I had in mind doesn’t shoot bridal anything anymore, according to her agents.  Swoon…

Soooo… I asked a magical question that opened up the floodgates: who wants to shoot our next cover? Seconds after I asked the question and my phone buzzed and beeped so much that I had to turn it off.  It died within 30 minutes from all the activity!

So, you want to shoot our cover? The following is part exercise for you (it’s imperative that you learn to present shoot ideas with a clear vision and direction to editors/commercial clients) and a lot of help for me to get to know you as an artist.  Even if you don’t end up shooting my next cover, I’ll get to know your passion and vision for future projects.

To be considered, show me what you’ve got!

1. Put together a very short “creative”: 1 part story that you want to tell through the image, 1 part what fashion and accessories you would use, 2 parts location, and 5 parts visual storyboard for what you envision.  Pull images from various sources that paint the visual picture for me of the fashion, styling, location and atmosphere.  Wrap it all up in a nice little low-res pdf and send it on over. (Please put “V3 COVER” in the subject of your email) Nothing fancy.  If you have a vision, this should take you all of 20 minutes.  Keep the text minimal.  This is all about imagery and my gut reaction to your vision.

2. Here’s what I want out of this cover and I’m going to be vague on purpose: summer, blonde model, aqua/teal, hints of orange and gold, very fresh.  (If another magazine steals my scheme, you can see the time stamp on this post, y’all!)

3. This issue drops at the end of July.  You have to have time to do this shoot.  I prefer it is shot in the South, but that’s not necessarily a requirement.

UPDATED: We’ve decided to take the top submissions and help each photographer/stylist produce each shoot.  We’ll give you all the inside secrets on exactly what we want so you can execute the vision.  More details to come, but essentially you are guaranteed publication in either print or online if we pick you for production… and no matter what you’ll have great new material for your portfolio. So, team up with stylists, makeup artists and bridal salons to bring this cover shoot vision to life!  Please include your list of preferred vendors in your creative. If we choose you, we’ll help you get pull-letters for models if needed, guide the styling so it’s exactly what we are looking for, and help you blow it out of the water.

And just so you know, I don’t need a huge name for this cover.  That’s why I’m opening this opportunity to anyone.  I just need an epic image.  Anyone can apply.  Deadline to send me your creative brief is Monday April 12th. Bring it, y’all!  A little reminder…

If you are applying to shoot the cover, leave a comment below letting me know you’ll be submitting (tell me a little bit about what you envision while you’re at it!)  Have a question?  Put it in the comment box below so everyone can benefit.

As a bonus, I’ll choose one random comment as the winner of one of my favorite new books: It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be: The World’s Best-Selling Book (thank you, Jory, for the recommendation!) Winner will be chosen on April 15th.

Be sure to follow along with my How to #GetPublished series and stay tuned for my #GetBranded series coming next.

xo

lc

PS – Today is our 2 year blogaversary.  Thank you for two joyful years, friends.

Hello from beautiful Las Vegas!  Due to my tendency to wake up early to go to the gym and the three hour time difference, I got about 4 hours of sleep last night.  I’m in our hotel room, looking out at The Strip as the sun peeks over the mountains.  Despite all the hustle and bustle below, this city is pretty spectacular at sunrise.  Vegas is very special for me.  A certain someone got married here almost four years ago.   The full story is coming soon to the Southern Weddings blog (with pictures) on my anniversary, March 18th.  I’m here for WPPI, the largest wedding and portrait photography convention.  Last year was my first year here and it was a big turning point.  I met the people I now call my best friends and made connections that have blossomed into significant business leaps.  I have no idea what will transpire this year, but I can tell you that it will be nothing short of epic with this line-up:

Last night I enjoyed dinner and some Vegas exploring with great friends: Sandi, Jory, boy Jesse, girl Jesse, Whitney and a good friend from home, Ben.  We took a private tour of the secret venue for Sunday’s party and it is unreal.  I’ll be honest and say it was a little more than humbling to see.  I never imagined when I got married here that I’d be back four years later to throw a massive party in [secret venue] for my closest friends (and new friends that I can’t wait to meet)!

Today, despite my lack of sleep and bags under my eyes, I’m very excited to do a shoot with Jory Cordy.  I need new pics for the next issue and some promotional stuff… and we’re going to play a little and have some fun!  The last time I shot with Jory was on Venice beach last April and it was such a great experience for me.  He is so warm, kind, easy to be around and a brilliant photographer.  We just updated his images in his rep gallery- take a look.  Whitney, Sandi and I will also be doing lots of party prep, waiting for Jefferson Starship to arrive, and getting prepped for…

Sunday: MTH2010 Las Vegas!  It’s going to be a really great group.  I’m very excited to announce the scholarship winners later today.  Stay posted to twitter for the announcement. Oh, and then right after MTH we’ll be getting gussied up for this little shindig.  Be there.  I’m about to have to close down ticket sales.

Monday: So excited to be a part of this with two of my favorite people…

Tuesday: I’ll be perusing the tradeshow, taking some meetings and speaking at Garrett Nudd’s sold out masterclass on getting published with my good friends Stacie Francombe of Get Married, Rebecca from The Knot, Blair and Christy from Junebug Weddings and several others. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and can’t wait to meet everyone who is attending.

Wednesday we head out for MTH2010 Denver and a weekend in the snow.

Get the most out of WPPI. There are lots of events, parties, and classes, but be sure to focus on building relationships and meeting new people.  I can’t even begin to tell you how the friendships I formed last year have affected me.  I feel so blessed to be here again and can’t wait to meet new faces!  I also have a very big assignment while I’m here- choosing our next cover photographer.   So, please come say hi to me.  Or tweet at me so I can come say hi to you!  This is what Sandi and I look like, so there’s no excuse not to come say hi….

AIRHORNS!!!

xo

lc

WPPI, the largest wedding and portrait photography convention, is coming up in about 3 short weeks. Going to WPPI last year changed my life. I met the people who are now my best friends, including Jeff and Jory, plus so many others.  The dinner above was a huge turning point.  It was the first time I felt I was surrounded by creative people who just got me.   They were as passionate and driven as I was.  If you are on the fence about coming to WPPI, I have three things that I hope will entice you to join us…

1. I met a young man through twitter last week named Spencer Brodsky.  Spencer is a remarkable high school senior who has started a movement called Tents in Haiti. It’s raining in Haiti today which means further devastation for the some one million homeless Haitians.  They need shelter and, until homes are rebuilt, they need tents…. strong, sturdy tents that can withstand the Haitian downpour.

All proceeds from his efforts go straight to CF International who is providing the tents for displaced Haitians.  I’m so floored by the philanthropic work this young man has done and I instantly reached out to him.  I thought I did a lot in high school, but I can’t say I started charities for Darfur and Haiti and interviewed dozens of celebrities and world leaders by the time I was 18.  Thank you, Spencer, for all you are doing to inspire change!

Inspired by what Spencer is doing with Tents in Haiti, Katharine decided to auction me off. All proceeds will go to Tents in Haiti.

2. I’m not doing the mentor session on Sunday the 7th because we’ll be knee-deep in MTH2010 Las Vegas from 10-4 and…

3. AIRHORNS!!! You may have heard of this little party that’s sweeping the WPPI world like wildfire. Airhorns and Lasers, created by myself and Whitney and Jesse from OLOL, is going to be off the chain.  Yes, off the chain!!!   It sold out in a matter of a week, so we officially decided to change venues to accommodate the some 400 emails we got in the last 24 hours.   It’s nuts!  So, ticket sales are back open as of just now, the venue is still secret, and you are not going to believe what we have planned for this shindig. “Epic” doesn’t even cut it.

Want to WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS to Airhorns and Lasers? Leave a comment here telling me your favorite dance move that you plan to do at the party.  Contest ends next Friday the 26th.  If you win, we’ll expect to see a live demonstration on Sunday March 7th : )

Don’t forget to bid on the Tents in Haiti Mentor Auction which is now LIVE.  Please help me spread the word, friends.

See you at WPPI!

xo

lc

PS Thanks to everyone who joined us today for our live Valentine’s Day party in the Southern Weddings office.  Missed the fun?  You can watch all the action here. Thanks to my mom and dad who apparently tuned in.  Too fun! Happy Valentine’s weekend!

I’m a little embarrassed at my apparent addiction to the Smilebooth.  After a dozen encounters with said Smilebooth, I’ve come to realize playing in that thing makes me laugh more than anything. 

After a long day of deep reflection, it was great to just let loose and have some silly fun!  Whitney and I really want one for the office just so we can spend 10 minutes every day laughing our faces off.

Whitney (from OLOL… aka raddest guy in ATL), Jesse (raddest gal in ATL) and Ashley (she’s rad too. She’s been so helpful with this little party we are throwing in Vegas.) sure know how to make me have a good time!   Thank you Atlanta and Nashville for making this week so life-changing for Jeff and I.

OK ok, so we attempted to record this video a couple weeks ago in Chicago and got so busy we never posted it.  Goodness!  You’d think we were traveling the country or something??  So, break out the DeLorean and take a little trip back to the future with us… (and you’ve been warned: this is what happens when you travel to 6 cities in 10 days and do 80 hours of deep soul-searching work)

There are just a small handful of cities on the books left for the Making Things Happen Intensive Tour, so we want your input on where we should go next.  Leave a comment here with the city you want us to visit. Keep in mind that we really will pick the next stops based on your comments.   If there are votes from at least ten people in one city, we’re there!

PS Klienfeld was AMAZING and Katharine’s dress is to die for! Pics from our NY adventure coming soon.

PSS I have a very exciting auction I’m announcing tomorrow.  Get your auction paddles ready, y’all!

PSSS I’m headed back to Hotlanta in 10 days to speak at this little shindig.  You should come.

PSSSS I’ll have a little time in ATL for individual mentoring sessions.  Want one?  Email me.

PSSSSS We’re having a Valentine’s Day party tomorrow and you’re invited.

PSSSSSS AIRHORNS!!!

[Smilebooth hair thrash action above with my bff Sandi and dear friend Annette Thurmon of Chaviano Couture. Annette was also a model in our Watercolor shoot for Southern Weddings V2 shot by Fred Egan]

Love,

Jeff, Sandi and Lara