Gals Abroad Gatherings x Frankfort Candle Company
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As the former social chair of my sorority, you could say I LOVE hosting events.
Not to brag but our sophomore year mom’s weekend where I hired a hypnotist & took our friend group out for an evening of mother-daughter karaoke is still spoken about in hushed reverent tones (lol).
In some ways, planning our Gals Abroad Getaways trips scratches that event planner itch in me (just on a much larger scale) but these trips only happen a few times a year (for now).
After we ran our first two trips in 2022, one of the things I was hearing from our gals was that they wanted a sense of continued community after they return home. I too was feeling like there had to be a way for our gals to connect more locally. And for new gals to join us and see what the Gals Abroad Getaways vibe is all about.
You know what the best thing about being your own boss is? You can add new and fun things to your business when you feel called to do so.
SO, I CREATED GALS ABROAD GATHERINGS
These are quarterly events starting in Chicago but eventually growing to other cities where the Gals Abroad Getaways community can come together for a shared unique experience, mingle with other gals & support amazing local small (mostly) women-owned businesses.
Whether it's candle making, wine tasting, or a food tour in a city near you, my aim is to use these Gatherings as a way to give our gals a taste of what the Gals Abroad Getaways experience is all about in a city near you.
WE HOSTED OUR FIRST GATHERING AT FRANKFORT CANDLE COMPANY AND IT WAS A MASSIVE HIT (in my humble opinion but also via the gals who attended haha).
Galentine’s Day will always be a special holiday for our business, one because of the name (duh) but also because it represents what we as a business are all about: honoring and cherishing the special women in our lives.
So it felt right that our first event would be in honor of Galentine’s Day. And we couldn’t have found a more PERFECT place to host our gathering.
LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO THE MAGIC THAT IS FRANKFORT CANDLE COMPANY & ITS OWNER MELISSA.
Frankfort Candle Company is a woman-owned small business that crafts one-of-a-kind clean burning candles in vintage antique vessels. Each vessel is totally unique and is displayed in this beautiful rainbow on the ever-evolving wall in the shop.
Here’s what I love so much about what Melissa - who is the coolest creative human ever - has created with her business.
After you're finished burning your candle, you can either use the vessel in your home as decor or send it back to be refilled with a different scent. Melissa even offers options for you to bring in your treasured antiques and heirlooms and turn those into candles too.
Melissa started this business out of her kitchen during the pandemic and officially launched her shop in 2022 (the same year as Gals Abroad Getaways). I love how sustainable her business is & that a portion of its proceeds are donated to local charitable causes.
ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT, I WAS SO CALM AND OVERWHELMED WITH HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER TO HELP ME PULL THIS OFF (in less than a few weeks).
The idea to host a candle-making workshop came out of a dinner with my dear friend Amy, who just so happens to run the PR of Frankfort Candle Company. Actually, it came out of the candle that Amy & Melissa so generously sent to me last year to introduce me to Frankfort Candle Company. Needless to say, it couldn’t have been a more perfect fit.
Amy represents so many amazing local Chicago businesses that I’ve been lucky enough to get to know and love and working with her on this event couldn’t have been more aligned.
Before our gals arrived I had Linda, Melissa, Amy and my amazing gal pal Neha helping me set up. There’s truly a special place for women who just get sh*t done and help when needed without needing to be told exactly what to do.
From there, my bestie Lexi showed up to help me capture all the photos from the day that you see featured in this post and I truly could not be more grateful to have these memories captured.
Not only that but I am forever grateful to all the small businesses that generously gifted us some amazing items that truly brought the event to life.
SPECIAL SHOUTOUTS
Let me take a quick moment to introduce you to the brands we worked with for this Gathering that I think you should know about.
FRANKFORT CANDLE COMPANY - As I mentioned earlier, we are so aligned with this company. Plus, they offer workshops to the general public! This would be such a fun event to do with your girlfriends, co-workers or family!
CHI-CUTERIE - I recently was introduced to this amazing small business that’s actually right in my own backyard (Geneva). Chi-cuterie made the most stunning cheese board filled with locally sourced meats and cheeses (they offer cheese board-making workshops and I'm thinking that might be our next Gathering location!)
FLOWERS FOR DREAMS - All the beautiful bouquets on the table were created by this small Chicago-based biz. What I love most is that they donate a portion of the $$ from each bouquet to local charities
UVINA SKIN - A small local woman-owned business that curates the most simple and clean skincare routine (GALSABROAD gets you 20% off)
FARMER'S FRIDGE - You'll find these fridges all over Chicago but I LOVE that they are in airports across America and that's my go-to spot for healthy airport food on the go! (you have a gift card!)
BARRYS - If you're looking to get your body moving and grooving in 2023 - you’ve gotta check out their amazing repertoire of classes.
OLIVE & JUNE - they are an amazing woman-owned business & have some of the best nail polish colors & products out there!
TUBBY'S TASTE - I’m not kidding, these are the most delicious vegan cookies that everyone loved!
AGED & INFUSED - this company makes these amazing infusions that you can add alcohol to or make a delicious mocktail with. They truly make creating cocktails for events SO easy!
AND CAN WE JUST HAVE A MOMENT FOR THE EVENT ITSELF?
I always like to start out every Gals Abroad Getaway & Gathering with a little get-to-know-you circle. As so many of the women who join us are coming solo, I feel like a fun icebreaker is always the perfect way for everyone to get a little more comfortable around each other and learn about all the things they have in common.
While it wasn’t a question that was asked, many of the women shared why they were interested in joining us on a future trip. Their answers ranged from wanting some time just for themselves, meeting new travel-loving gal pals and of course because many of them were tired of waiting for their friends to commit to a trip (we all know how that goes).
I’m truly so honored to have the privilege to bring a community of like-minded, kind, traveling-loving women together. And even more excited to help facilitate amazing new connections and friendships.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US FOR A FUTURE GATHERING MAKE SURE THAT YOU’RE SIGNED UP FOR OUR GALS ABROAD GETAWAYS NEWSLETTER.
This is of course where we announce future trips but also the place where you’ll get access to purchase tickets to future events before anyone else.
I would also LOVE to hear what you’re looking for from future events & if you have any requests or suggestions, please feel free to shoot us an email at galsabroadgetaways@gmail.com.
xx Alle
