[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/luxury-wedding-inspiration-from-engage-at-nemacolin\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/luxury-wedding-inspiration-from-engage-at-nemacolin\/","headline":"Luxury wedding inspiration from Engage at Nemacolin","name":"Luxury wedding inspiration from Engage at Nemacolin","description":"Engage Luxury Wedding Summits lead the wedding industry with creativity and hospitality. Equally Wed shares a recap of the latest event.","datePublished":"2024-07-29","dateModified":"2025-01-09","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/kpalladino\/#Person","name":"Kirsten Palladino","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/kpalladino\/","identifier":2,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/76421eab241dc39d43a493849d7bc676e4b1c60c6b1167f727466599b6882eca?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/76421eab241dc39d43a493849d7bc676e4b1c60c6b1167f727466599b6882eca?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/engage24-nemacolin-Welcome-Party-Paul-Morse-105.webp","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/engage24-nemacolin-Welcome-Party-Paul-Morse-105.webp","height":800,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/luxury-wedding-inspiration-from-engage-at-nemacolin\/","about":["Inspiration","Planning"],"wordCount":1917,"keywords":[" pink","Engage!","flowers","luxury weddings","Pennsylvania"],"articleBody":"Engage Luxury Wedding Summits Lead the Wedding Industry With Creativity And HospitalityI recently had the pleasure of attending my ninth Engage, a luxury wedding summit. Several times a year the upper echelon of wedding professionals\u2014and those wanting to learn from them\u2014gather in some sumptuous setting to experience three days of luxury events for themselves as guests. Extravagant parties, top-tier education and star-eyes-emoji entertainment all dazzle and inspire the attendees.In June, Engage went to Nemacolin, an eclectic and magical resort in Farmington, Penn. Because I knew there were large animal enclosures (actual lions, tigers and bears, all of whom were born in captivity and many of whom were re-homed from other facilities) never want to put ourselves in danger, especially when our kids are with us. But my fears were allayed\u2014which I\u2019ll get to in a bit.All Engage summits flow in much the same way, and they\u2019re chock full of wedding inspiration that can be applied to weddings of any budget if you get creative. It all begins with suggested attire in the form of Pinterest boards sent to attendees well ahead of the event (it really does make for the prettiest of pictures and hypes up the guests).Photo by Corbin GurkinPhoto by Kylee YeePhoto by Kylee YeePhoto by Bo ShimKirsten Palladino and Josh Spiegel | Photo by Bo ShimPhoto by Bo ShimPhoto by Bo ShimPhoto by Kylee YeePhoto by Ryan GreenleafThe first event on the conference timeline was the registration and gifting attendee check-in, where \u201csoft solid shades of summer\u201d were encouraged and attendees were greeted with gifts such as custom patches and denim bar (for our new gifted denim jackets), noise-canceling ear plugs by Loop, laser-etched personalized Corksicle bottles, Calpak water bottle holders to carry them lest our hands tire, and a new Hana Canvas Boat Bag by Graf Lantz to put it all in.Engage is All About Engaging!I spent time with friends and colleagues I hadn\u2019t seen in a while and met new people as well. That\u2019s really the heart of Engage, after all: nourishing relationships. Like many other industries, the wedding industry is a relationships-based business. Talent and skills are critical, but most vendors and venues also depend on referrals for their next year of weddings.Photo by Corbin GurkinPhoto by Paul MorseThe opening session of speakers followed registration and gifting. The 300 or so attendees were guided to a humongous tent divided into two large rooms, a smaller room as a foyer and surprisingly well-appointed pop-up bathrooms with bathroom attendants.Flowers, Flowers and More FlowersThe d\u00e9cor\u2014and overall theme of the conference\u2014was wildflowers. Colorful foam flowers reaching upwards of 15 feet set on faux grass happily greeted attendees as we entered the tented area (yes, there was absolutely air-conditioning), along with a coffee bar, snacks and bevvies in abundance.Kathryn Arce and Rebecca Grinnals, founders of Engage! Luxury Wedding Summits | Photo by Ryan GreenleafRebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce, Engage founders and former Disney Weddings and Honeymoons employees (actually, Grinnals launched the Disney Weddings and Honeymoons program), opened the session and, as their custom, welcomed someone from the host property to say a few words. But first a video played introducing us to Nemacolin. The cinematic delight featured aerial views of the expansive property 2,200 acres), shots of some of the activities available (fly fishing, art tours, axe throwing, spa pampering, to name a few). But then the video showed an outdoor wedding that caught my breath. The wedding was for two men, and I lost it. I wasn\u2019t audibly wailing, but the tears were flowing.Engage has, of course, always supported LGBTQ+ marriage, which is why they continue to invite Equally Wed as their media guest and have had me speak several times. This wasn\u2019t what surprised me. It was the gay wedding\u2014the only wedding in that video\u2014that stunned me. My wife and I had been worried about going to a resort in rural Pennsylvania, and yet here we were where LGBTQ+ love was unabashedly celebrated. That wedding was between Jordan Millington-Liquorice and PJ Magerko-Liquorice, son of Nemacolin owner Maggie Hardy. Deepak Chopra officiated, and rumor has it that Lady Gaga performed at the reception. You can read all about it in Vogue. Once I saw that video, I relaxed. Of course, as we know in our community, a few progressive and inclusive folks at a property doesn\u2019t mean everyone\u2019s an ally, but the leader of a business sets the tone, and the tone at Nemacolin was all love. We continued to bask in that love the remainder of the visit.Each event that followed for the next two days was better than the last, all of which offered inspiring ideas for any wedding or celebratory event.Woodland Welcome PartyWoodland welcome was the theme of the first night. The welcome party was held at a large pool deck with guests in refined nature-inspired looks.Kirsten Palladino, AJ Williams and Shafonne Myers | Photo by Banga BoothPhoto by Corbin GurkinJordan Millington-Liquorice and PJ Magerko-Liquorice | Photo by Bo ShimDamilola Okuboyejo | Photo by Bo ShimKunbi Odubogun and Kirsten Palladino | Photo by Paul MorseBob Conti and Ed Libby | Photo by Roey Yohai StudiosPhoto by Paul MorsePhoto by Roey Yohai StudiosPhoto by Gooden CinemaWelcome Party EntertainmentThe evening took a more exciting turn with a drone show that announced a special guest, Kesha, who rocked the stage for several scream-worthy songs.Photo by Joel and JustynaKesha and her dancers | Photo by Joel and JustynaKesha and one of her dancers | Photo by Joel and JustynaPhoto by Bo ShimLinen and LaceDay two\u2019s inspiration: linen and lace. The second day of Engage is all-day education separated by a seated lunch and punctuated with dine-arounds for the guests to experience the restaurants. When we walked into the second tented room for the seated lunch, I was not the only one who audibly gasped. The room was transformed into a blooming garden with posh pops of pink everywhere. Pink and green wedding inspo galore right here, folks.Photo by Joel and JustynaPhoto by Paul MorsePhoto by Gooden CinemaPhoto by Corbin GurkinPhoto by Corbin GurkinWildflower linen by Nuage | Photo by Ryan GreenleafPhoto by Corbin GurkinPhoto by Bo ShimAfterward, conference attendees traveled across the lawn to the Grand Lodge for a meet the media event, where they were able to mingle with editors at several wedding magazines and websites, including Equally Wed.Kirsten Palladino | Photo by Joel and JustynaFlights of FancyThe evening dress suggestion was flights of fancy, and people took that in all sorts of creative directions with feather-rimmed caftans to feather boas. After dinner at the various restaurants, everyone gathered for the dessert afterparty where oversized hot air balloons and sugary surprises awaited.Photo by Paul MorsePhoto by Afrik ArmandoPhoto by Afrik ArmandoShira Savada and Joel Bedford | Photo by Kylee YeePhoto by Ryan GreenleafPhoto by Ryan GreenleafPhoto by Bo ShimPhoto by Bo ShimPhoto by Bo ShimPicnic PrintsDay three, the final day, is always a half-day of education which finishes with a to-go lunch. Fittingly, our dress theme was picnic prints. After the breakout sessions, we gathered to grab our picnic basket bags.Kirsten Palladino, JoAnn Gregoli, Jennifer Stein and Harmony Walton | Photo by Dennis KwanKirsten Palladino, Jennifer Stein and Shafonne Myers | Photo by Dennis KwanPhoto by Corbin GurkinPhoto by Corbin GurkinAfternoon ActivitiesFor our afternoon break before the gala, attendees were able to take part in some of the property\u2019s activities, such as watercoloring, a tour of the property’s art collection, pasta making, axe throwing and fly fishing. I chose fly fishing, which was so fun, even in the pouring rain. We had a terrific guide, and one of my fishing buddies even caught a trout! (She quickly released it back into the water.)Photo by Afrik ArmandoPhoto by Afrik ArmandoPhoto by Afrik ArmandoCathedral in the Clearing GalaThe theme of the Engage Nemacolin gala was Cathedral in the Clearing: “Dramatic Blacks, Whites & Silvers.\u201d I wore a simple black gown. We were told it was in a secret location, and on the shuttle rides (which had the nicest shuttle drivers I’ve ever encountered) everyone was buzzing on who the surprise entertainer would be. Not every time but nearly most Engage Summits have some special performer who comes out to wow the crowd at the galas. Past Engages I\u2019ve attended have included Flo Rida, Salt-N-Pepa, Ne-Yo, spoken word artists, choirs and some with ironclad NDAs where we weren\u2019t allowed to take pictures.Damilola Okuboyejo, Kunbi Odubogun, Akeshi Akinseye, Emily Campbell and Eliana Baucicault | Photo by Paul MorsePhoto by Ryan GreenleafTodd Fiscus and Jeff Fowler | Photo by Roey Yohai StudiosPhoto by Kylee YeePhhoto by Kylee YeePhoto by Kylee YeePhoto by Paul MorsePhoto by Paul MorsePhoto by Afrik ArmandoThe secret location turned out to be near the golf club where the guest planner and creative director Ed Libby orchestrated the building of a glass-like cathedral in a meadow\u2014the clearing. Walking into the cathedral was pure magic. It was all black, white and a rich woody green. It was a seated dinner at mostly round tables with calla lily centerpieces. In the middle of the meal, I had a spidey sense that we were about to be surprised by someone on stage, so I made my way to the dance floor. Maggie, her son and son-in-law came out to thank everyone for attending, and then Maggie introduced the special guest: Diana Ross. The queen herself entered in swaths of purple and belted out favorites like I’m Coming Out and Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive.Diana Ross | Photo by Ryan GreenleafPhoto by Afrik ArmandoErica Carvalho, Perry Vaile and Kirsten Palladino | Photo by Afrik ArmandoPhoto by Afrik ArmandoKirsten Palladino and Kim Starr Wise | Photo by Kylee YeePhoto by Ryan GreenleafPhoto by Ryan GreenleafThe next day, Engagees departed with the usual don\u2019t-make-me-leave sadness. My family stuck around for a few rounds of putt-putt golf (it’s a great course with waterfalls and bridges!) and one last visit with the animals before we, too, had to head home.And while Engage is strictly for wedding professionals, the wedding and fashion inspiration is for everyone. Engage recently launched The Engage Edit, a website of their own which offers glimpses into past Engages to inspire luxury wedding and event ideas.Host property: NemacolinEvent: Engage Luxury Wedding SummitCreative Director, Event Design & Floral: Ed Libby & Co. EventsArt Direction, Branding, Gifting Curation & Paper: TPD Design HouseEvent Planning: LeFeastHeadliner Procurement & Production: SOP HouseEntertainment: Elan Artists Custom Linen: Nuage DesignsAV & Production: See Hear ProTabletop Rentals: Maison de CarineFurniture Rentals: Luxe Event RentalsDrone Show: Sky Element DronesMixologists: The Cup Bearer Photo Director: Corbin GurkinPhoto Team: Paul Morse, Bo Shim Photography, Kylee Yee, Joel and Justyna, Ryan Greenleaf, Gooden Cinema, Roey Yohai Studios, Afrik ArmandoGraphic Design and Show Director: Trisha Hay DesignPhoto Styling: ShiramisuAdditional Linens: Party MosaicStylized Photo Booth Nights 1 and 3: Banga BoothStylized Photo Booth Night 2: 888 Portrait ExperienceNapkins: My Drap"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Luxury wedding inspiration from Engage at Nemacolin","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/luxury-wedding-inspiration-from-engage-at-nemacolin\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]