Wedding MBA - Las Vegas Conference

Elevating Excellence: Our Inspiring Experience at Wedding MBA in Las Vegas

This year, we had the incredible opportunity to attend the renowned Wedding MBA Convention in Las Vegas, and we’re still buzzing with excitement! As passionate professionals in the wedding industry, we’re constantly striving to improve our skills and knowledge to deliver the best possible experience for our clients. Attending this three-day event was an investment in both our growth and our commitment to excellence.

Why We Attended

The wedding world is ever-evolving, with trends, tools, and techniques changing year after year. We wanted to immerse ourselves in an environment filled with creativity, innovation, and expertise. Our goal was simple: to bring back ideas and insights that will elevate the services we offer and make every wedding we plan even more memorable and seamless for our clients.

A Dynamic Learning Experience

The convention featured a vibrant mix of workshops, presentations, and hands-on activities designed to educate and inspire. We learned from some of the industry’s leading experts, diving deep into topics like:

• Cutting-edge design trends for 2024 and beyond.

• Innovative marketing strategies to better connect with couples.

• Streamlining event operations to ensure flawless execution.

The experiential components stood out as particularly impactful. Whether it was participating in mock setups or brainstorming creative problem-solving approaches with other attendees, we left with fresh ideas and renewed enthusiasm.

Exploring the Expo

The massive expo was a highlight of the convention. Imagine a bustling space filled with wedding professionals showcasing their latest products and services. From dazzling decor and stunning floral arrangements to advanced planning software and unique entertainment options, it was an incredible hub of inspiration. We connected with many talented vendors, discovered exciting new products, and explored ways to collaborate with others in the industry.

Why It Matters to You

Our time at Wedding MBA was more than just an inspiring experience—it was an opportunity to refine the way we serve you. Every session we attended, every product we explored, and every conversation we had was focused on one thing: delivering an unparalleled wedding experience for our clients.

As we implement the knowledge and skills we’ve gained, you can look forward to:

• Enhanced Planning Tools: Streamlined processes to make planning stress-free and enjoyable.

• Fresh Design Ideas: Creative touches that reflect your unique story and style.

• Stronger Industry Connections: Access to the best vendors and products to bring your vision to life.

Looking Ahead

We’re thrilled to bring these new ideas into our upcoming weddings and events, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to have attended such an amazing convention. If you’re as excited as we are about creating unforgettable moments, let’s start planning your dream wedding today!

Thank you for allowing us to grow and evolve so we can continue making your celebrations extraordinary.

-Written by Frank Riley in collaboration with AI

Where It All Began: Kristen's Story

As a wedding planner, floral designer, venue owner and flower farmer, I find my days busy and fulfilled. I am very grateful that I am somehow lucky enough to spend my time doing the things that I genuinely enjoy. There were lots of arduous, long days and nights before I got to this point. While I don’t miss those days, they were eminent in making me the person I am today. They developed my character and gave me the experiences I needed to run my business successfully. 

I grew up working in my father’s restaurant in central Massachusetts where my priorities were a little different.  At the time I enjoyed arranging deep fried frog legs on a plate in shapes that resembled synchronized swimmers. When I was in high school, I had differing interests. I became a vegetarian and wanted to explore a field where I was surrounded by nature. For this reason, I took on an additional job.

My second job was at a place that I had always loved going to as a kid. It was packed to the gills with flowers. My favorite part was their woodsy display of shade grown plants, trees and shrubs. With decor sprinkled throughout, I felt like I was in a perfectly curated, mystical forest. Working at this garden center assured me that I do love working with flowers and plants. I love every aspect: tending, shaping, designing, seeding… I used to take home little stems that had fallen off of the plants. I would make mini bouquets to put in my bedroom. The vibrant colors of chrysanthemums and dahlias were the first to catch my attention.

I certainly enveloped the “work hard play hard” aspect at a young age, which I have since grown out of. I was very social. With my father’s restaurant in a different town, I had a wide range of friends. My parents were just as social, which left me with an empty house on the weekends. This is when I developed my affinity for party planning. It wasn’t until many years later that it proved to be a useful skill.

In the spring of 2008, I graduated and went off to Green Mountain College, where I received a degree in environmental studies with a focus on policy. In my time there, I found myself gravitating toward sustainable agriculture, more parties, and Frank Riley. At the age of 19, who would have known I would have my whole future in front of me? All of my interests had been unveiled and I just had to figure out how to make them all fit together.

I spent a summer interning at a community garden in Atlanta and catering weddings. For the rest of my time in college, I would continue to help build and maintain community gardens in my surrounding area. I also continued to build a beautiful relationship with my future husband, who was also interested in hospitality. 

Frank and I settled in my family’s farmhouse in Westmoreland, NH in 2013. It was the perfect place for us as we love nature, and there is plenty of land. It allowed me to explore what I like to grow, and how to grow it. We started various landscaping projects on the property over the years, the first being our perennial garden, then our rose trellis, then our outdoor cocktail garden where an old barn used to be.  While tending to the land during the day, we spent our evenings serving and behind the bar.

By 2021 I had worked at various restaurants interacting with a myriad of personalities. I found and accepted early on that because I was a young woman, there would be different rules for me. I will have to work a thousand times harder in order to “deserve” that lead role. If I get it, I will be questioned by all staff, sadly men and women. I have always just kept doing my job, because I was held to a different standard than my male colleagues, or my manager’s next side piece. I knew this industry wasn’t always (or ever, really) fair. I knew if I let it get to me, it would swallow me whole.

These jobs shaped me. It feels so good now, knowing that my husband and I have a business that we built together. It also feels good that we can employ young women who can feel valued for their hard work. In an industry that has such a way of making their talented employees feel dispensable, my husband and I aim to make our employees feel valued and appreciated. We work toward creating a safe working environment where we encourage our employees to put out their best efforts. 

If I can give any advice, it would be to get your partying phase over when you are younger so you can stay laser focused on your goals. Never get distracted by the naysayers that will always be lurking in the shadows. In the words of the great Kandi Burress, “I rise above all the haters. It is beneath me.” Your true friends and supporters will be there, and that is all you need. When you do inevitably have that moment of self doubt, just go do that thing that makes you happy. For me, I go to my garden because the only thing that can happen in there is the growth of a beautiful flower.