Tapestry’s Vision for the Wedding Industry: The Planning Journey
Writing about our vision for the future of an industry is no small act. There are so many facets to consider, so many potential lives impacted, and so much already bound up in marriage and weddings. How to untangle all of that into a vision?
The only way I know how to write this blog is by rooting for the future that I wish already existed today. The ideas that follow are not revolutionary because they are new. They are not revolutionary because they do not already exist. Instead, they are revolutionary because they are not common practice.
What we envision at Tapestry, more than anything else, is an industry that shifts its center from binding traditions, aesthetic trends, and consumerism to an industry based in meaningful ritual, diversity and inclusion, and thoughtful investments in art and connection. So from that intention, here is our vision for the future of the wedding industry.
ABOUT THE PLANNING JOURNEY
WE ENVISION A FUTURE WHERE THE EXPERIENCE OF PLANNING A WEDDING IS…
Aligned with the relationship that already exists AND the relationship that the couple wants to build into together.
So often, planning a wedding is framed as a “to do” or a one-year interruption on what has been an otherwise steady deepening of a couple’s relationship. It is often understood as an endeavor that zaps a lot of time, energy, and resources to plan and execute successfully. So it’s no wonder that many couples feel discouraged by the perceived enormity of the task at hand when embarking upon planning a wedding.
The questions we ask at Tapestry are:
Why can’t the experience of planning a wedding be just the next in the continuum of a couple’s relationship?
Why can’t we extract all the incredible work that the couple has done to identify and strengthen their family’s values and build that into the identity of their celebration?
Why does a wedding have to be framed as an interruption, rather than as an exercise in identifying, externalizing, and inviting loved ones into the family culture cultivated by the couple?
Rather than framing a wedding as a one-year paradigm shift, we’ve created a planning experience that allows the wedding planning process to exist in parallel to a couple’s identity, family culture, and values. We know it’s possible because we’ve built it for our community. We would love to see this same sense of event-to-lifestyle alignment echoed in the industry to create a more grounded launch into marriage for all couples endeavoring to host a celebration.
Good for their nervous system.
We don’t believe in shrouding the wedding planning process in mystery. We believe that our planning powers are most potent when we take our couples on as partners throughout the process. That’s why we provide a visible and accessible plan of action for events. We nix hidden agendas and withholding information so that our couples always trust they can come to us for full transparency. Instead, we host thematic meetings and provide ongoing access to our thorough communication resources. We thoughtfully streamline the extra fluff that doesn’t align with a couple’s values system, while also lending our expertise in any and all the areas where a couple needs support. We always lead with the truth and work hard to develop our communication skills to the benefit of our couples. We check in with our couples and ensure we connect with them as PEOPLE FIRST, before diving into the part of our world where we plan an event together.
Through a strong commitment to organization, transparency, truth, and connection, we create an atmosphere where couples can show up authentically, free themselves from fear or anxiety around voicing their values and needs, and lean into a collaboration that feels as good as the event they are co-creating.
Images courtesy of Forthright Photo.
Aligned with their values, both relational and financial.
We see the traditional wedding world operating with an underlying set of assumptions: the way things are supposed to be, the way things have been done, the ways things are expected to pass. Nine times out of ten, there is an assumed format for wedding events that fits nicely into the box of how we're used to ceremonies looking and feeling. Behind that format, there's a tried, true, and often tired formula that makes building your marriage event feel prescribed and, at times, misaligned with the rest of your life and relationship.
We do not believe that you are an interchangeable variable in an event hosting formula. We believe that you sit at the center of an event building ecosystem. And while many vendors in the industry employ language intended to make you feel one of a kind, a critical look at how open ended their questions about you and your vision will quickly tell you the truth.
We believe in and have created a system of wedding planning that is built around your stated values. We lead mindful inquiry about what matters most to you and support you in declaring those values unapologetically. We develop a budget, a planning strategy, and a vision that integrates your values into a planning path to your celebration. We host emotionally intelligent conversations and help guide you through decisions that fit with your priorities as an individual and a couple. And we place these skills in an intelligent and adaptive project management system that helps you understand how your event ecosystem will come together. We know this is possible because we’re doing it today.