Spending 30 hours in New York City was not on my 2025 Bingo card. However, when Ms. Krystel Stacey, the CEO and Founder of Société Privée (the most exclusive curated list of wedding professionals around the world) is hosting High Tea at The Plaza, you know this is an opportunity you can’t pass on! An opportunity to impress industry leaders. I was going to craft luxury watercolor guest portraits on the spot for the attendees. The thought that this might change my career and extend my industry connections intimidated me, I was giddy with excitement and within minutes of confirmation all my accommodations were booked! I was going to paint luxury watercolor guest portraits in New York City!
But this wasn’t going to be the usual watercolor guest portraits. Oh no. These had to be elevated and completely unique. I only had a 3 week notice for attending this event, so I immediately began intentionally gathering inspiration for the direction of this new service that I was to offer. I went straight to my local library and dug through vintage Vogue catalogs. There is where I found just what I was looking for! Drawing inspiration from the 1950’s Chanel, Dior and even Barbie, I felt confident in the direction of the illustrations.
Guest Portraits during High Tea
I awoke early that morning to take a few sights and sounds of the city. Indeed the April air was crisp and cold but the city was buzzing. I grabbed a corner bagel and a fresh coffee of course, and began to get ready. The dress code was simple: High Fashion. Designer brands were a must. I elected for a spring time yellow MacDuggal dress from Nordstrom’s. The pleats and ruffles imitated that that of an Orchid, which were abundant at The Plaza! Undoubtably, Krystel and her right hand gal, Katie Tetrault, arrived looking completely fabulous! Krystel wore Nardos, which is a high end, NYC designer while Katie complemented her look with a Chanel bag. All the guests looked a 10!
The guests began to arrive and I was starstruck. The Palm Court filled with some of the wedding industry’s creme de la creme! Planners for top celebrities and companies mingled. Many highly published photographers and videographers socialized and shop talked. It was truly awesome to be in their presence and providing a service for them. These were individuals with high expectations of the very best! Of the 30 or so guests, I was able to complete around 20 onsite and took the remaining home with me to ship out, which took about a week to send. The day was full of incredible connections, one that will likely lead me to Paris in Spring of 2026!
Have you had an opportunity present itself that you knew you couldn’t pass up? Did it lead to benefits that you can remember? I would love to hear about any similar experiences you have had in your life and business! Email me at Olivia@denverweddingpainter.com to be featured in an upcoming blog!
