Willows at the Woodmans

Wow—what a couple of days! Our very first Gather + Grow event outside of the Cotswolds was something truly special. We kicked things off in the stunning setting of The Willows at the Woodmans in Newcastle, and from start to finish, the energy was just incredible. Bringing together amazing guests, inspiring speakers, and insanely talented artists, this event was everything we dreamed of and more. Seeing so many of you connect, learn, and share your experiences reminded us exactly why we started Gather + Grow in the first place. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and helped bring this event to life. Special appreciation to @bonitacontentcreator and @blossomrosephotography for capturing both days so beautifully.

Here is a breakdown of what was covered over the two days:

Tuesday:

Hannah Taylor - like in our November event, Hannah set herself a challenge but this time it was to complete, not 1, not 2 but THREE hairstyles! Again, creating effortless looks with hacks you can actually use on a wedding morning!

The Resilient Hairdresser - Having heard such great things about Hayley and her work, we were excited to see her in action. She did not disappoint. He talk was all about recognising burnout and what we can do as Bridal HMU’s to try and avoid it. Throughout her session there were so many nods of agreement and tips we can use in our working and personal life.

Teresa Havvas - Principles of Branding, communication and Blue ocean thinking Again, we had not worked with Teresa before but she did not disappoint. Not only was she the sweetest and most humble human being, she came with all of the credentials from her career to deliver two amazing talks. Implementing business practices into our line of work and presenting, frankly shocking, facts about our industry certainly left everyone thinking differently on their personal branding.

Paige Whitton - The queen of Hollywood Waves! Now Paige will agree that whilst watching Hollywood waves, the process can be a little repetitive. Paige could have just done the look and made everyone watch but instead she was giving tips and tricks throughout and insights into her business and how she got into education. The buzz in the room and each stylist sharing their experiences was amazing to see.

Wednesday:

Botias - If you came to our November event you’ll know how funny, talented and real Boe is. Based off previous feedback we thought it was really important to highlight diversity and bridal makeup and of course Boe delivered! She created a stunning glam makeup look for an Asian bride and whilst talking through every process and her creative flare.

StriveX - Annabella joined us for her session on Accountancy 101 for Bridal HMU’s. Sometimes we think that we just need to perfect our craft but actually to run a successful and thriving business we need to know numbers. Annabella stripped it all back and gave us all of the tools to become more financially literate in our businesses. Not to mention, she highlighted the allowable expenses we can have as Bridal HMU’s!

Ausra Ruksene - Ausra joined us for the two days and to see how involved and curious she was with all of the talks and demos made us love her even more! Ausra delivered an incredible session, showcasing her favourite ‘Hayley Bieber’ look. Firstly, she is one of the most stylish stylists we have come across, (I don’t think we saw her take her heels off for the two days) but she was a natural educator and answered all questions in such detail and giving her tips on how to break into the destination wedding market. We also just want to take the time to thank the incredibly generous venue Willows at the Woodmans, the could not do more for us.

Every event we are blown away by the generosity of makeup and hair brands. To ask for large quantities of their stock, especially when they are independent, is a huge ask so we want them to know how appreciated it is! A HUGE thank you to the below:
@iso_clean
@lordandberry_official
@bethhoneyhair
@blossomrosephotography
@annaemay
@curljar

Watch Day 1 Content video here.

Watch Day 2 Content video here.