“You all know that Camp Wedding is one of my favorite wedding industry conferences- and i’m so happy to be asked to speak and teach again this year, and i am going ALL OUT ya’ll. i have some surprises up my sleeve, i’m not telling, but it’s gonna be goooood.

But seriously, it is a ridiculously good time because it’s just not pretentious. you know what i’m talking about- we, in the wedding industry- can sometimes put on airs. it’s all ‘look at all the amazing weddings i’ve worked on’ or ‘i’m so fancy’ and that can be really intimidating in a learning environment.

This is NOT that type of learning experience. Yes, we may get pampered to the max with gifts, experience incredible food prepared by celebrity chefs, relax by the lake with a cocktail, awaken (in the cutest little rooms or teepees you’ve ever seen) to a breakfast spread you can only imagine in your wildest dreams already prepared for us by magic elves working before the sunrise (seriously)- but it’s the ‘camp’ environment that allows everyone to loose their intimidation factor and really let down to create meaningful networking connections and create a safe place to ask questions and really learn.

Everyone smells like campfire and has camp-hair and probably some stray seaweed hanging off their shoulder from the lake. no one is too cool to approach, no one is worried about their image, everyone is there for the same goal- to unwind, to network, to learn, to be inspired.

But the best part is the fact that all types of wedding professionals are there. it’s not just a conference of one genre- because do we realllly need to network with more people of our same industry? As a photographer, i want to be spending more time with planners, florists, magazine editors, bakers, calligraphers, watercolor artists- other creators that are doing game-changing things in their own field that i can take inspiration from. and i have things to teach those people too (like, how to take ridiculously awesome pictures of your own creations even if you’re not a photographer, or how to set up your work at the wedding so the photographer can get the best photos of your creations as well). it’s this type of give-and receive that is so valuable.”