MORE SPACE | To Create Experiences
When I Stopped Creating Things and Started Creating Experiences
For most of my adult life, I thought I was someone who couldn’t quite land on a lane.
Interior design.
Then home organizing.
Then stationery.
Then content creation.
Then hosting a pickleball community.
Then event planning and holiday decorating.
From the outside, it probably looked like I kept reinventing myself — following whatever felt interesting at the time.
But recently, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before.
I wasn’t changing directions.
I was moving closer to people.
From Designing Spaces to Designing Experiences
Interior design taught me to see possibilities in a space.
Organizing taught me how people actually live inside a space.
Stationery taught me how people communicate meaning.
Hosting gatherings taught me how people connect.
And event design?
That taught me how people feel.
Somewhere along the way, my work stopped being about producing something beautiful - and started being about preparing spaces where people could be fully present.
That realization changed everything.
The Rehearsal Dinner That Shifted Something
This past January, my friend Rachel of Gracefully Gathered and I designed an intimate rehearsal dinner. We originally met as moms at the same school. Later, we partnered on Courts & Couture events. Then she invited me to help her with Holiday home decor. And now we are having the most fun coordinating small private celebrations.
For this rehearsal dinner, we sat with the groom’s mother and listened.
We listened to their story.
Who they were as a couple.
What mattered to them.
What would make the celebration feel like them.
She trusted us with more than logistics. She trusted us with a making memories and creating connections.
And so we eagerly got to work! We collaborated with incredible vendors - layered linens, thoughtful florals, specialty desserts, lighting, signage, menus and details most guests would never consciously name but would absolutely feel.
Piece by piece, the room became something that hadn’t existed before.
And then the doors opened.
The Moment I Love Most in Event Planning
There is always a moment at an event.
The doors open.
Conversation pauses.
Guests take their first look.
I don’t watch the tables.
I watch faces.
Shoulders soften.
Voices change tone.
Someone smiles before they even know why.
They feel welcomed before a single word is spoken.
That is my favorite part of event planning.
Not the spreadsheets.
Not even the finished design.
The moment people realize:
I’m cared for here.
Why I Love Collaborative Event Design
I’ve realized I love that events have a beginning and an end. A defined window of time where people are invited to step fully into celebration, reflection, connection, or joy.
I love envisioning what could be.
I love partnering with other creative professionals and watching their gifts come alive - bakers perfecting details, florists shaping arrangements, rental teams setting the foundation, hosts anticipating guests.
Beauty multiplies when it isn’t owned by one person.
And maybe the most surprising discovery of all:
It doesn’t have to be my event.
I love coming alongside someone else’s dream.
Whether it’s:
A rehearsal dinner
A business retreat
A holiday gathering
A sports community event
An intimate celebration
What draws me in is helping shape the experience.
Helping create an environment where people feel welcome, inspired, comfortable, and present.
From Content Creator to Experience Curator
For years, I measured my work by what I produced.
Graphics.
Posts.
Decor.
Products.
Now I measure it by what people experience.
Do they feel connected?
Seen?
Celebrated?
At ease?
I used to think I was just creative.
Now I understand that what I truly love is preparing spaces where people can embrace the moment they’re in and experience connection.
If you’re creating something meaningful and want a partner in shaping the experience - that’s where I love to be.
Kendall P. Gilbert is the founder of Kendall P. Gilbert Creative Studio, where she partners with Rachel Reynolds of Gracefully Gathered on events, paper goods, and meaningful gatherings that bring people together.