THE EXPERIENTIAL WEDDING
01
THE HUMANS BEHIND
A visionary in experience design, Julie Comfort is the creator of the Experiential Wedding and an experience design educator at Kaospilot and Catalyst Institute in Berlin, where she merges strategic design methodologies and positive psychology to craft transformative experiences.
As the founder of the Experiential Wedding, she pioneered her signature framework for turning abstract emotions into tangible, intentional event design. Her work challenges conventional thinking, proving that meaning isn’t just found in joy, but in embracing complexity, discomfort, and deep human connection.
WHY I DO THIS
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WHY I DO THIS ↙
I love people
We are all a beautifully complex mix of emotions, needs, desires, and relationships. As technology becomes more integrated into our lives, I’m drawn to real, human experiences that build and foster genuine connections. I believe our gatherings should focus on our favorite people, not just our favorite colors.
I’m moved by a good story
People remember and retell experiences as stories. It’s how we connect, how we process information, and how we make memories that last a lifetime. Our work together focuses on answering the question, “What story do you want someone to tell about this experience?”
I believe in magic
The experiences that truly stick to our bones are the ones that shatter our expectations, that connect to a deep, sacred part of us, and that seem almost inexplicably magical. The workings of a well-designed experience are almost invisible, leading to moments that feel truly miraculous.
MEET THE TEAM
Lisa Thaens
Lisa is the connective tissue of every retreat experience. As host and co-producer, she designs the moments of human connection that give our retreats their warmth and intimacy. Lisa collaborates across every dimension of production, from logistics and operations to facilitation, ensuring that the experience is as seamless behind the scenes as it feels in the room.
Connection Designer, Host, and Producer
Estrella Bonilla
Estrella brings precision and creative intelligence to every experience she touches. As a core design collaborator, she leads the onsite execution of experience design activations, ensuring every element lands exactly as envisioned. Her instinct for ideation and her fluency in production make her an invaluable creative partner on both immersions and bespoke design projects.
Experience Designer & Producer
Culinary Experience DesignerGabriela Maariana
Gabi brings the art of fine dining into the experience design process, creating culinary moments that are as intentional as they are extraordinary. An expert chef with a deeply creative sensibility, she designs food experiences that engage all the senses and deepen the overall atmosphere of an event. Her energy is transformative and her food is unforgettable.
Collaborators
Beyond the core team, our work is enriched by an intentionally curated community of collaborators spanning the full spectrum of experience design. This includes experience architects, ritual designers, community strategists, culinary creatives, expert facilitators, and guest experience specialists from the luxury hospitality industry. They are all practitioners who bring deep craft and diverse perspectives to every project. When a wedding calls for something truly extraordinary, we draw on exactly the right combination of talent to make it happen.
Experience design is still a radical idea in the wedding industry, but these interviews are part of changing that. Hear me in conversation with hosts across the wedding and creative industries, exploring what it means to design events that are genuinely transformative.
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Wedding Pros Who Are Ready to Grow
Listen to me chat with Becca Pountney about navigating the ‘Experience Era’ in weddings. We are living in an ‘experience era’ where events need to go deeper than just logistics and design.
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Wedding Secrets Unveiled!
I sharee how I set out to fill a gap I noticed during my 10 years as a wedding photographer: the guest experience, and about my mission to create organic, emotion-filled moments.
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Photo Biz Xposed
If you’re a wedding photographer, on this episode I share how to intentionally design your clients' experience at every stage of working with you so you’re creating experiences people remember, talk about, and come back for.
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The Big Wedding Planning Podcast
What if your wedding was designed using a holistic approach focused on people and not things? How could you make sure that everyone at your wedding will feel like their presence is an integral part of the celebration? Listen in as Michelle and I cover how to do all this and more.
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The Flower Files
Listen in as we talk about the concept of feelings-first design. We dig into choosing color stories rooted in real places and memories, using scent and texture to deepen the narrative, and shaping flow so the timeline feels natural, not choppy, and more,
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Perspective
We talked about how experience design is a fairly new but growing field that takes a holistic, human-centred approach to design, part of a much bigger societal shift that’s guiding us toward a future of events designed around people, not things.
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How to Run Profitable Retreats
We sat down to explore how comfort, emotional journey, and intentional design directly impact retreat referrals, rebookings, and reputation. I share the overlooked secrets of transformational retreat design, from crafting welcome rituals and quiet moments of reflection to building anticipation and delivering micro-moments of awe.
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RSVP In Conversation With
In this engaging conversation, I share my journey into the world of olive oil production and my experiences living in various countries. I discuss the impact ADHD has had on my life and creativity, and the importance of community and connection in life.
