A New Method for Collaboration

I was invited to dinner last week in Chupi’s flagship store. Details were sparse. But when you get invited to anything in that space, you go - because you know it’s going to be gorgeous. Was it a launch, was it an event, was it a new product? Or was it simply a dinner among a group of women in industry? What unfolded inside Chupi’s Powerscourt Townhouse store last week was the Wedding Super Series; a dinner co-hosted by Chupi, Heather from Flowerpop, Blánaid Hennessy of Folkster Bridal and Grace Cahill of Studio Grace - a living showcase of the depth and breadth of creators and makers in our wedding industry. But underneath that?
It was a masterclass in collaboration.

There’s been a gold rush in what I’d call the “CoLab” space - the fusion of two brands that reads more like a quick cash grab than anything with real meaning behind it. A limited edition product. A joint Instagram post. A shared audience play that benefits both parties in the short term and means very little to anyone else. We’ve all seen it. Most of us have done some version of it. Don’t get me wrong - when it’s done well (mission, vision, values, audiences, communities, vibes all aligned) - everyone wins; the brand and the audience. Joanne McNally and Lifestyle Sports, Simone Rocha and Crocs, ASAP Rocky and RayBan.

But too many times, “collaboration” feels staged, forced and mercenary.

This was not that.

About twenty-five women gathered around a table that Grace had transformed into something extraordinary. Flowerpop’s flowers were everywhere - bold and luxurious, subtle and statement and all grown in Ireland.. Blánaid - and her sister Roisin (Head of Bridal at Folkster) had a bridal pop-up running in the background, not demanding attention, just quietly being beautiful and available if you wanted it. Menu cards and table settings were co-created with Laura from Calligraphy by Laura (one of Ireland’s most in-demand calligraphy professionals) and family-style dining was provided by The Pepperpot Cafe; a female-ran cafe in the heart of the Powerscourt Centre. There was absolutely no hard sell or pitch. Each got up to say a few words about trends, shifts, patterns and behaviours they were noticing in the wedding industry. Nothing formal, no panels. Just a room that felt easy, passionate and authentic.

Two things became very clear to me that night.

The first: the Irish wedding and bridal industry can stand toe-to-toe with anything internationally. We have the makers, the thinkers, the builders and the creatives who are producing contemporary, genuinely world-class wedding experiences. The imagination coming out of this space right now is quietly extraordinary…it makes sense as a nation of storytellers, but the industry has taken a collective leap forward in vision and expanse.

The second - and this is the one that left a lasting mark - is that we witnessed a masterclass in real collaboration. Four distinct operators from the premium bridal space, each exceptional at something different, coming together to create a living, breathing wedding world. Something that felt simultaneously bridal, cultural and forward-facing while being intimate, subtle and genuinely inviting.

But why is this remarkable? Because none of these businesses exist only and exclusively in the bridal space. Each of these women and businesses have multiple projects, multiple revenue streams, multiple audiences, multiple demands on their time. Every single thing that could make them too busy to create space for a collaborative event. And yet…

There’s a version of business thinking that demands you protect your territory. Guard your contacts and your contracts. Don’t share the referrals. Stay in your lane. That instinct comes from somewhere real; scarcity thinking is baked into most of us - especially women (there’s only so many seats at the top table etc etc) But what this dinner demonstrated is what happens when businesses operate from the opposite belief. That the pot grows when you’re all in it together. That showcasing someone else’s strengths doesn’t dilute your own. That referring a customer to the best person for a job isn’t losing something; it’s building something. Trust. Cumulative reach. A reputation that no single business could generate alone.

Everyone who left that dinner (whether they work in bridal, adjacent to it, or had no particular connection to it) left knowing exactly who these four businesses are and why they’re the best at what they do. Not because they said so. Because they showed us. Together. Through a beautiful, curated experience they collectively and collaboratively built.

When we see a true value-alignment rather than just a vibes-alignment (vibes are necessary too, but we need depth as well as sparkle) it feels so much more authentic. It feels more like a movement and a moment.

And it’s the most compelling kind of marketing I’ve seen in a long time.

More of this, please.

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