Lemon welcome party inspiration

If you’ve been a longtime reader of Equally Wed, then you know we love partnering with our inclusive colleagues in the wedding industry and attending illustrious events for sharing LGBTQ+ wedding information and inspiration with wedding pros, nourishing and creating relationships, and receiving inspiration of our own. One of our favorite recurring industry events is Engage! Summits, a luxury wedding conference founded by renowned industry titans Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce. (For background, Grinnals and Arce were part of the team that launched Disney Fairy Tale Weddings and Honeymoons.) Engage!25 Santa Barbara in early December was no exception for creative and innovative wedding and party inspo for all marriers, couples and wedding planners.

Each summit is steered by a different creative director, typically a local wedding or event pro. Tyler Speier, owner and creative director of Tyler Speier Events, served as the visionary planner and designer of Engage!25 Santa Barbara. Speier’s floral design background combined with the plentiful offerings of fresh California flowers, plants and produce made for a spectacular treasure trove of unique wedding and event ideas for design lovers, event producers and celebration planners.

In fact, the wedding inspiration from the three-day event is so phenomenal and varied that I’m breaking it into separate posts so each creative theme can shine and inspire you for your own parties. As they’re published, I’ll link them here.

Let’s start with the lemon party, which would make for a zesty welcome party or gathering celebration for your wedding weekend. On day one of Engage, after registration of 500 or so luxury wedding pros attendees from around the globe are checked in and loaded down with welcome gifts that highlighted both Santa Barbara’s artisans and locally based global brands, Engage invited everyone to a lemon-themed citrus afternoon delight with brightly colored appetizers, light bites, sweet treats and plenty of yellow decor accents.