WIPA Design Challenge 2020

Did someone say challenge? YES. WIPA Design Challenge 2020! When Carly and I were asked to spearhead this design challenge, right then and there I was all in. Not only did I imagine how fun, exciting and not to mention great exercise for my creative brain, but I also thought this would be an amazing opportunity to introduce myself to all the talented wedding industry professionals that cohesively make up the established WIPA community. I wanted that win!

This year’s design theme was based on “sound” and each of the four designers were instructed to pick a song and design a quadrant of a room at Fete The Venue in Orange County. The first and only song that popped into my head was “Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds” by the Beatles. Dissecting the lyrics, there was so much to bite into; plenty of descriptions of visuals and colors. Carly and I knew we were on to something that was going to be eye-catching and gorgeous.

As the weeks approached the challenge, Carly and I worked on securing our collaborative partners. First stop was florals. I had my eyes set on Shawna Yamamoto Event Design as she has some of the most brilliant event designs out there (she and her team are creative geniuses). We were warned to not get our hopes set as Shawna is very busy and highly sought after, there was a good chance she would not be available. I took my chance and to our surprise, she said YES and that she and her team were excited to work with US on this challenge! From there, we secured our stationery, linen, and rentals. We wanted this win!

As the day of the challenge arrived, the set-up began and I must say, my favorite part about this whole experience was seeing the design come to life that each creative of the team played a part in! It’s such an awe-inspiring moment. It’s exhilarating especially when you start to see how magnificent it all really is and how each part of the design flows together to create this story or in this case song. Seeing the WIPA members’ reactions to this design also was a highlight. Seeing the smiles and “wow” on their faces. It gives you that natural-high we all so love. With all of that said, I’m happy to announce: WE TOOK THE WIN!