Welcome to Open Invitation!

Today, we are proudly writing our first blog post as the Open Invitation team! Why is that so exciting? Well, because there is not only one of us, but two! Darby launched Open Invitation in 2009, turning her lifelong passion of transforming perfected details into perfect moments into a way of life. After five years of being in business, Darby asked herself, “How can I make my business BIGGER and BETTER?”(She is from Texas, ya’ll!) which, brought her to meet Ashley! Ashley is the first addition to the Open Invitation team and with a strong décor based background; her passion is to make all things beautiful through design. Together, Darby and Ashley embody a perfect balance of knowledge, expertise, and passion.

The months, weeks, and days leading up to your BIG day will be all about you, but we are firm believers that the relationship you have with your wedding planner is similar to a mini marriage. We want you to feel comfortable with your team at Open Invitation so today; we’re sharing some fun tidbits about ourselves.

Darby Fitzpatrick- Reber, President and Event Planner

    ~ Unconditional love for me is defined in one word, FINN…my 3.5-year-old son. He is a blond, brown-eyed beauty with a wicked clever personality. 

 ~ My husband and son refer to me lovingly as “the toucan.” 

 ~ I am a foot reflexology junkie! 

~ My favorite nightly escapes are burying my “toucan” in a great book or watching episodes of Naked And Afraid, Boardwalk Empire, True Detective, and Say Yes To The Dress.

~ I am a BIG fan of ocean and lake views!

~ After all these years, I still cry at every couple’s wedding! 


 Ashley Schnippel, Event Planner

~ I live for Sunday dinners with my family.

~ One of my favorite ways to relax is to rent a sappy love movie and catch up on my latest gossip or wedding design magazines.

~ I love coffee and discovering new local coffee shops. Two of my favorites are Sambalatte and Sunrise Coffee, but of course, I am a true Starbucks addict at heart.

~ I work to travel! Although I have yet to travel outside of the country, I love to pack a bag and visit new cities within the US. My goal since I graduated college has been to see two new cities each year. So far it has been very successful and has created GREAT memories.

~ I fell in love with planning weddings and events at the young age of 16. I was planning my friend’s Surprise Sweet 16 party along with a Christmas get-together for my friends and realized THIS is what I am passionate about. I always heard the phrase, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Luckily, Darby gave me the opportunity to experience JUST THAT!

 

We made our dreams come true, now it’s time we concentrate on yours...

Cheers!

Your Open Invitation Team