Byron Bay Creative Retreat | StyledYou Australia
Earlier this year we traveled to beautiful Bryon Bay to host a StyledYou Creative retreat at the Shutters on the Hill Luxury residence. This retreat was deeply inspired by the palette and feel of Byron Bay and Australia’s Gold Coast, as we wanted to find a location that coupled luxury with relaxation. The laid-back vibes and free-spirited nature of this coastal paradise set the stage for a relaxed, rejuvenating retreat where twelve ladies could come from all over the world to unwind, recharge, and truly to invest in their businesses. And from the moment our babes arrived onsite, we greeted them with cocktails, custom gift bags, and the chance to start creating with a statement earring making class with The Eddies Studio.
The first night of the retreat is always so special - filled with so much excitement and anticipation for what the week will hold. As everyone started to settle in for our welcome dinner, attendees and vendors sat around a stunning table, passing delicious, locally crafted dishes cooked by our incredible private chef. And even though our group had only been together for a few hours, the glasses of wine stayed filled long after we cleared our plates as everyone sat together sharing stories about their dreams and lives across the globe.
To fight the jet lag and get the day started with a centered mindset, we started the next morning with a private yoga class on the patio. The day also involved two of our favorite retreat courses with Mae&Co Creative - “Fundamentals of Design & Styling” as well as “Branding Your Dream Business.” At each retreat, we love investing in our attendees to help them learn how to tell new stories through their branding to not only attract the exact clients they want but also help them land those dream jobs. It’s always so encouraging to watch creative across the industry - florists, photographers, planners, and more - start to pinpoint what they value most for their business, and then create a roadmap to orient their business in a way they’ve only ever dreamed possible. Other highlights for our first full day included an organic skincare class with Botany of Desire (who doesn’t love face masks and body scrubs?!) and another beautiful family style meal on the patio.
The next morning our attendees woke up to presents - beach towels from The Beach People & Coola sunscreen - and you know what that means? Beach day! Before running off to the beach, we gathered together to enjoy an SEO livestream master class with Catalina Jean of SEO is Fun and a unique floral arranging course with Josie of Good Seed Floral. Once at the beach, everyone savored the chance to relax after a couple busy days of learning. At our StyledYou creative retreats, we believe in taking time to pamper our attendees with experiences that will allow them to unwind and put their health and happiness front and center. And spending an afternoon together on a beach dotted with umbrellas, wide expanses of white sand, and long clear waves was absolutely deserved.
The next day we started off with another live stream session, this time watching Seek Paper Co teach her famous flat lay course! Then we invited our attendees to utilize the knowledge and skills they’ve gathered throughout the week to collaboratively design their very own styled shoot. We broke the attendees into groups, assigned each group a dress from Grace Loves Lace, and then each group worked together to select the onsite location of their sweetheart table, ceremony and invitation suite flat lay. It was so incredible to watch each attendee thrive in their own creative role, designing, styling, and arranging all aspects of the shoot, including the models hair and makeup, selecting the grooms suite, designing the bridal bouquet, all the way down to the particular shots they would like from our onsite photographer, Karra Leigh Photography. As each group styled their shoot using speciality rentals from The Wedding Shed and custom floral design by Good Seed, it was so inspiring to watch attendees bring unique designs to life against the stunning backdrop of Byron Bay.
And while it’s always so tough to gather for hugs and goodbyes at the end of a StyledYou creative retreat, we love getting to celebrate the ways that these ladies all arrived as strangers and left as lifelong friends; with a newfound support system to encourage them in business, to support them in life, and to cheer for them as besties.
StyledYou is a retreat for all creatives; seasoned professionals and newbies alike! If you’ve been thinking about joining us, we have some exciting new retreats on the horizon, and we hope you’ll join us - click here to learn more!
Here’s what one of our attendees had to say about their experience at StyledYou Byron Bay:
“Where to begin. I first discovered Mae & Co about a year prior to StyledYou. I fell in love with Manda's art, so naturally when I heard the announcement of the next StyledYou in Byron Bay, it was an absolute no brainer. I had just quit my full time job and started to really invest into my own business and this was a non-negotiable investment for me. StyledYou turned out to be everything and more. The experience to connect with like-minded people from all across the world, to share ideas and knowledge with fellow creatives and to whole-heartedly feel so welcomed (especially for an introvert (until I'm not) like myself), I felt at home immediately.” - Honeyfig
RETREAT CREDITS
Venue: Shutters on the Hill
Photography: Karra Leigh Photography
Design & styling: Mae&Co Creative
Florals: Good Seed Floral
Speciality Rentals: The Wedding Shed
Virtual SEO course: SEO is Fun
Virtual flat lay course: Seek Paper Co
Jewelry Class: The Eddies Studio
DIY Skincare Class: Botany of Desire
Yoga Instructor: Byron Yoga Centre
Catering: Personal Chef Byron Bay
STYLED SHOOT
Wedding gowns: Grace Loves Lace
Models: Ashleigh Derhy & Emmanuel Derhy
Makeup: Melanie Jane Makeup Artist
Hair: Aleesha Darke Hair Stylist
Florals: Good Seed Floral
Speciality Rentals: The Wedding Shed
Design: Mae&Co Creative
Photography: Karra Leigh Photography