With each retreat, I dread the question, “How was your retreat??” Because there really is no possible way to answer it, apart from inviting that person to experience the retreat for themselves. But instead, I just shake my head as a slight smile creeps across my face and say, “It was everything.” And by ‘Everything’ I mean: powerful, life-altering, exhausting, invigorating, empowering, false-belief-shattering, and more incredible than I could have possibly dreamed.
But you can’t KNOW, until you KNOW. And once you do, you’ll never be the same. And if you don’t believe me, you can ask any one of the 9 women that attended the Spring Retreat last month.
You see, Persephone Unleashed isn’t just about getting away and having a sexy photo shoot with yours truly. It’s about escaping to a magical circle of women where you and your mess are welcome, held, and seen. It’s about nourishment, restoration, and sisterhood. It’s about awakening our creativity, challenging lies we might believe about ourselves, and releasing what no longer serves us in order to make room for beautiful new things. And yes, the photo shoot plays a piece in that — but it is just one of many pieces that make up the healing and powerful experience that is Persephone Unleashed.
This Spring, we gathered at The Holly Farm in Carmel, an otherworldly oasis who’s very land welcomed us into her arms and held space for us in her sacred earth. I want to tell you the whole story of the weekend, or at least try… but for starters, here is the Grove of Goddesses that brought the whole thing to life. It wouldn’t have been what it was without each and every one of these amazing vendors (many of them dear, dear friends of mine):
Photographer + Hostess: Sarah Kathleen
Venue: The Holly Farm
Stylist: Spark + Sparkle Events
Florals: Laughin’ Gal Floral
Catering: La Creme Monterey
Hair + Makeup: Rozetree Bridal (Juju & Rhyan)
Stationer: Nicole Joy
Yoga + DJ: RyToast + Yoga & Mixtapes
Energy Healer + Workshop: Jen Chen
Spa: Rozetree Botanicals
Vintage Rentals: Kiss Me In Carmel
Tabletop Rentals: All About Events
Table + Chairs: Chic Event Rentals
Wine: Ruby Cellars
Black Lace Lovelies: Blackwater
Matching Sweatshirts: The Pine Torch
Day One:
The ladies arrived one by one, and were each overwhelmed by the lush and wild, tropical landscape of The Holly Farm. After they settled in and got to know one another, we sat enjoyed a natural beauty makeup class led by the beauty Goddess herself, Rhyan Townsend. After we had learned a thing or two about seeing and enhancing our own gorgeousness, we wandered into the garden for a floral crown workshop with a Spring Goddess in her own rite, Amanda of Laughin’ Gal Floral. Adorned in queenly blooms, we then retreated indoors for a pajama party dinner & spa night — where we dined on flatbreads and did Rozetree Botanical face masks, and danced to 90’s music until our bellies hurt from laughing so hard.
Day Two:
After a previous two days of rain, the sun finally came out and breakfast was served (La Creme brought ALL the nourishment and delicious luxury to the weekend). We then started our morning with a divine yoga practice, led by RyToast (Yoga & Mixtapes) — her original “Wonder Woman, Super Girl” postures were EVERYTHING we needed. Yoga was followed by a powerful Release workshop with Jen Chen. Together we dove into our heartspace, held one another through powerful and tearful releases, and built a beautiful spiral out of foraged spring bounty. There is SO much more I could say about this workshop with Jen, but I know better than to try to convey the powerful thread of energy that threaded through our circle. So I will let the photos do the talking.
After many hugs and a refueling lunch, the bare sessions began. Hair and makeup queens, Rhyan & Juju, hustled like MAD to whip out look after look (4 shoots in one day, many with multiple styles). The women felt like royalty as their wine glasses were filled and their inner wildness & beauty was personified. Not to mention they had their own DJ — RyToast — to hype them up with their jams of choice while getting ready for their closeup. Needless to say, it was some kind of party.
It. Was. So. Fun.
We ended day one around a beautifully set table (styled by Spark + Sparkle Events) under a majestic oak tree. Glasses clinked, laughter rang through the air, and bodies were nourished after a long and magnificent day.
Day Three:
Sunshine. Breakfast. Tea & coffee. And all the yoga.
Part two of Jen’s workshop was all about Renewal. After the Release, there is always a welcoming of the New. And so we dove back into our heartspaces, and asked our hearts what it needed. Again, it is impossible to explain the magnitude of healing we experienced in that circle. But I will say, the seeds we planted that day will grow into beautiful reminders of what left in and took away from that spiral.
More photo shoots. More hair and makeup sorcery. More dance parties around the DJ booth. Oh! And I am so grateful to my dear friend Lisa (Hemlock House Photography) for snapping some BTS shots of little old me.
Both days, while I was photographing half the women, Jen worked lovingly on the other half, using her healing skillset as a Lightworker. If you are in the need of energetic healing and attention, I cannot speak highly enough about this woman. She is the real deal, and I am so grateful to know her.
On this, our final evening together, we dressed to the nines and feasted once more under the fairy kingdom of that beautiful oak tree. It was a truly a dinner fit for a Goddess. Many goddesses, in fact.
Day Four:
The final morning, and the most delicious chocolate croissants I’ve ever tasted.
After a lite and meditative yoga practice, we gathered in the stunning lounge (by Kiss Me in Carmel) one last time to close our circle. And then, we brunched. Because how else could you possibly end a weekend like this.
Overall, we began the weekend as strangers, and departed as sisters.
And I already can’t wait to do it again. And again. And again.
Three seats remain for the Fall retreat in September.
Maybe one of those seats is meant for you.
I would love, LOVE to meet you in this incredible circle.
Who knows what magic awaits us.
A little over one year ago, Kelly and Ron pandemic-pivoted their entire wedding, and got married anyways. And instead of throwing in the towel on the wedding they originally wanted, they stayed committed and threw the most epic “one year anniversary party” of all time.
I first starting talking with Jon & Lindsey about photographing their wedding a year and a half ago, and it is CRAZY to think how much has changed since then. I had just celebrated my daughter’s 1st birthday, and they were was months away from the very happy surprise that would be the 6 month old baby boy at their wedding. Through wedding rescheduling, child birth, newborn madness, and all over LIFE-ing together — Jon & Lindsey are two of the most in sync, well suited, beautiful people I’ve ever had the honor of photographing. You can tell upon meeting them that they have faced their share of hardship and unexpected curveballs, but despite it all, they have built an incredible life together. Their surprise baby, Jacob, is the squishiest, most precious little man — and it’s weird to think that he wasn’t always a part of their wedding plan, because he felt SO RIGHT when it came down to it. It just goes to show, the best things in life are seldomly planned at all.
