Where do I begin? What a week I’ve had! Just touching down from the Caribbean, and I actually have a tan as I type (for me, that’s no small feet)! Twice a year the amazing women of Engaging Concepts (Rebecca & Kathryn) put on a three day wedding industry event. This time it was named Engage!11: Cayman Islands, a conference that rivals any destination wedding you or I have probably ever been to. The plan? To party, mingle, engage, and learn from and with the most talented wedding industry experts across the country. The venue? The fabulous Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. The result? A week filled to the brim with perfectly branded swag (by the gals at Gifts for the Good Life, Trisha Hay Design, Kristy Rice and Two Paper Dolls), parties galore designed by the talented on island company Celebrations LTD, and speakers, speakers, speakers, and more speakers with the perfect mix of inspiration, ideas, cold hard facts and ways to improve our wedding businesses. As always, I had the most amazing time. Let me say it again, I’ve been to every single Engage event and I had the Most. Amazing. Time. Each year, those who attend make more and more friends and each year coming back to the beautiful Cayman Islands feels a little like a luxury summer camp where we get to visit and catch up with wonderful familiar faces and supporters…all over a Chunky Monkey cocktail or Pina Colada delivered via a handsome server neck deep in the Caribbean Sea (seriously). Engage is a mix of inspiration for destination brides (as you can see from the photos) and inspiration for us in the industry to be that much better at what we do. So here’s a sneak peek at what your wedding planner and photographer might have been up to last week when you got that out of office reply. The top left photo is of our fabulous hosts, Kathryn Arce (left) and Rebecca Grinnals (right)…two people who have inspired me more than they will ever know. As a matter of fact, the blog you’re reading right now, Jet Fete, was a result of their last Engage!11 event in San Diego!
{Photos by Rebecca Davidson Photography}
To get a glimpse of why we go to Grand Cayman for this incredible week, the talented beyond talented video team of Cloud 9 Creative created a short film about the Engage!11 location – the Cayman Islands. Yes, it’s hard work coming here for business, but we managed to get through it! If you’re looking for an island getaway for your destination wedding, this video gives you a great look at what Grand Cayman is really like!
But the week wasn’t all work, we did manage to get in a bit of R&R and fun! We had plenty of down time on the pristine Seven Mile Beach where the resort is located (some of the whitest sand and clearest waters I’ve ever seen). Then Red Sail Sports took all 250 of us out to Stingray City where those brave enough to swim with the stingrays had a once in a lifetime experience. (I got in, but let’s just say, I didn’t exactly play with the rays). From there we were off to Rum Point and then back to the Ritz Carlton for more parties, parties, and parties!
{Photos by Aaron Rebarchek Photography}
Thank you Rebecca, Kath, Trisha, Cindy, Mr & Mrs Miller, and the entire Engage team! I cannot thank you enough for having me and allowing me to be a part of your speaker roster in such amazing company! As always, you have outdone yourselves and this week will go down as one of the most memorable in my career (and it was a lot of fun too)! xo
