Introducing The Hive Wedding Collective! Our Friends at Wood Grain & Lace Just Got a New Look
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We've been working with Christine Haines Greenberg literally since day one of Catalyst Wedding Co. Her wedding boutique Urban Set Bride co-sponsored our first {un}convention, and her wedding event planning and design company Wood Grain & Lace has been sharing awesome wedding advice on our site for the last few years.
The badass team of Wood Grain & Lace has taken on a rebrand in the last few months, and we are in love with the new look and vibe! Rebranding can have its ups and downs, but we know that for The Hive Wedding Collective, there will be nothing stopping this amazing team!
We got some time with founder, Christine, to hear more about the rebranding process, what their new brand means to them, and what she wishes they knew when they started the process.
What is the mission of The Hive Wedding Collective?
We are a team of diverse women that are committed to creating experiences for our clients and empowering our local industry to serve clients better. We have a range of backgrounds in fashion, catering, hotels, and the travel industry and our different experiences bring a well-rounded team to the event planning table.
Our philosophy is less is more. Find three things that are important to you and your partner, and let’s invest in those things. Cluttered tchotchkes and trendy décor distract from the real reason you’ve gathered your family and friends together.
We aim to provide clarity, style and organization to the planning process. Our years of experience will help guide couples to a successful event that is personal, meaningful and filled with love. We will take their vision and design it into a tangible experience that represents who they both are as a couple.
What motivated you to rebrand your business?
I started Wood Grain & Lace as a side hustle in 2011. I had no idea that it would transform into a full time career and a bridal shop. By the beginning of this year, my team of three bad ass boss babes and I decided we were ready for a refresh. Wood Grain & Lace really represented the style that was popular in weddings in 2011 and not us. Rather than leaning on wedding trends, we wanted our new name and brand to represent our planning style and personalities. Something to stand the test of time.
Why did you choose to call yourselves The Hive?
Heather, one of our event coordinators, suggested the name after weeks of hemming and hawing over other name options. We all loved it immediately. What sets our company apart is that we are four full-time planners that are constantly collaborating and leaning on each other for support, advice and guidance. So a buzzing bee hive made total sense for our brand imagery.
What does it mean to be a "wedding collective"?
I own a bridal shop, Ciera is a travel adviser, Heather has an extensive background in catering, and Noelle has years of hotel hospitality experience AND owns her own gift box and welcome bag company. So, we aren't just wedding planners. We not only bring expertise from complimentary fields but we lean on each other a lot as well.
How do you hope your rebrand will help you reach more of your ideal clients?
The new look is clean, modern and chic. We hope that the new look better represents the weddings we've done in the last few years AND attracts diverse, interesting, love-focused clients in the years to come.
What's one thing about rebranding that you wish you knew before you started?
Our email system is VERY complicated because we own two businesses that intersect (the bridal shop and the event planning company.) So, I've spent a few hours on the phone with Google Cloud support and we are finally all set up. But I knew that would be a pain in the butt.
If you're in the Richmond or Charlottesville, Virginia area then The Hive Wedding Collective is our top choice for inclusive wedding planners!
CHRISTINE HAINES GREENBERG
Christine met her very first bride in 2011 when she leased her an apartment in Richmond. The bride needed a temporary home because her fiance was in a medically-induced coma awaiting a heart transplant. So, she uprooted her life in Chicago to move to Richmond and be near her loved one. Christine bonded with her immediately as she had just lost her fiance the month before to brain cancer.
A bond was created and planning a wedding was a good distraction for both of them. A year later, the groom had a new heart and had made a full recovery, ready to greet his new wife as she walked down the aisle at Pippin Hill Farm + Vineyard in Charlottesville. And a career for Christine was born.
