Coterie Retreat 2014 Recap and Photos - Part 1

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Jan 8

Coterie Retreat 2014 Recap and Photos - Part 1

Wow! Where do we begin?

2014 was truly an amazing year not only because of all of the milestones we achieved, but because of the major accomplishment of launching the Coterie Retreat. Our first retreat was a major success. And we owe all of the thanks to you.

Without your dedication and support, we couldn't have pulled this all together. What's really astonishing to us is that you had nothing to reference. It's our first conference, so you didn't have a clue on what to expect...or if we could even pull it off. And yet you still came. For that, we are truly grateful and humbled.

On December 9th, wedding and event professionals came together from all parts of the country and even the Cayman Islands and Canada for three days of education, networking, and inspiration. It truly was like a family reunion on the picturesque grounds of Innisbrook Resort. We learned, we laughed, we cried, we danced, we cried again...we bonded. I've been to conferences, but have never experienced the energy and comfort and camaraderie like at the Coterie Retreat.

We are so thankful to all of our sponsors (all listed at the end of this post) who were influential in making our first event a success. We'd also like to thank our committee - Neakai Lewis, Tara Melvin, and E liana Baucicault - whom we spoke with every week for the last six months. Thanks for everything you do and for believing in us! We also need to thank Shelby Tuck-Horton, our fabulous MC, for keeping the attendees going. And thanks to the Innisbrook staff for their exceptional service. Lastly, thanks to our staff for their hard work and dedication.

Without further ado, enjoy Part 1 of our recap with photos from Amy Anaiz Photography and Joshua Dwain Photography. We will be announcing the date and location for the next retreat soon, so make sure you sign up for our mailing list here, to be notified once registration opens up. It will sell out fast!

Day 1 - Welcome Party

Our welcome party took place at Osprey Restaurant in Innisbrook. The temperature in Florida was cooler than normal for no good reason, so around this fire pit was the place to be. ellyb Events worked with our floral sponsor Botanica to create a warm and inviting lounge area where attendees could unwind and network.

Day 2 - General Sessions

We were blessed to hear influential talks from the best in the industry including Andre Wells, Diann Valentine, Grace Ormonde, Amsale, Matthew Jordan Smith, Kathryn Hamm and a dynamic panel of industry professionals including Tara Melvin, Andria Lewis, Ross Oscar Knight, Elle Danielle, Eliana Baucicault, Ian Prosser and Keith Cephus. Attendees were greeted with die cut place-cards and custom gold foil notebooks and pens/pencils from Papered Wonders along with the cutest bento boxes filled with goodies by From Sir With Love.

Winter Wonderland All-White Party

On Day 2, all of the attendees and speakers were treated to an exclusive "all-white attire" dinner party at the Straz Center in Tampa, Florida. The team at the Straz Center, led by Karen Candales, put together a winter wonderland themed dinner with entertainment provided by ESP and lighting + florals provided by Hanna hs Floral. We have to give a huge thanks to Tara of Perfect Planning Events for making this possible and thanks the entire Straz team, for a night we'll never forget. Violinists on stilts, live performances, dinner on the stage...it was truly magical.