It started with a choice: Country, City or Ocean. Three very different settings. Three different conversations. One shared intention: elevating one another and celebrating community.
Co-founded by Andrea Jauck and Michelle Raymond (Elevated Experiences), Ladies Night In brought together women from across the region for an afternoon that blended connection, conversation, and purpose.
Three Elevated Experiences
Before the Garden Party began, sixty-five women gathered across three intimate Elevated Experiences, bringing together members of the Vancouver REALTOR® community, keynote speakers, and guests from across the Lower Mainland.
Created by Michelle Raymond to support Ladies Night In, the Elevated Experiences were designed to bring Vancouver REALTORS® into the larger celebration, expand the event’s reach, create more opportunities for meaningful connection, and showcase three very different luxury residences across the Lower Mainland: a legacy equestrian estate in Langley, a historic Edwardian residence in Vancouver, and a water-view designer home in Port Moody. Three luxury residences. Three hosts. Three keynote conversations. One intention: more connection, more community, and ultimately, more meaningful impact.
The Country
At the Langley equestrian estate, listed by Tamara Baltic, guests gathered for Natasha Raey-Soo‘s keynote conversation, Authentic Empowerment, exploring what it means to step into one’s power, trust one’s voice, and lead from a place of courage and self-belief. Baltic was originally scheduled to host but was unable to attend on the day of the event, and Am gracefully stepped in to guide guests through the gathering, with Brooke Jesus, winemaker from Hester Creek, and Meghan Simington adding another layer of warm hospitality to the experience.
“What a beautiful afternoon spent surrounded by incredible women connecting, encouraging one another, laughing, and sharing genuine conversation. I left feeling inspired, encouraged, and reminded of how powerful it is when women lift each other up,” Am McKinley shared.
Unable to attend, Baltic reflected on the lasting bond of the essence of the occasion. “The feedback I have received has been amazing. Some afternoons stay with people. This was one of them. I’m grateful for the women who brought their stories, their humour, their strength, and their whole selves into the room… This is what community looks like.”
Countryside surroundings, thoughtful pours, women settling in among horses in a luxury barn, and conversations that continued long after anyone had planned.
The City
At the historic Geary House, Michelle Raymond hosted guests for Rebecca Bligh‘s keynote conversation, Creating Inspiring Change, with sommelier Axelle Dubé bringing a warm presence to the welcome.
Bligh was chosen for the way she leads and for her commitment to creating meaningful change within the city. Her conversation invited guests to consider not only the change they hope to see, but the individual role each of us can play in creating it.
Raymond described the afternoon as an afternoon of connection, collaboration, and community. “To witness the ripple effects of expanding an opportunity to include more women, more meaningfully, was something I didn’t just see I deeply felt. I am beyond grateful to everyone who wholeheartedly supported the vision and said yes! Yes to opening their homes, yes to authentic empowerment, yes to creating inspiring change, yes to creating miracles, and YES to building community together.”
In honouring the historic location, she commented, “The Geary House is an award-winning residence with more than a century of history and through an elevated vision became the setting for a deeply relevant conversation about leadership, contribution, and the courage required to seek what is true and then act on it.”
The Ocean
At a water-view designer home in Port Moody, host Tobi Dobranski welcomed guests for Susan Turner‘s keynote conversation, Creating Miracles, an invitation to remain open to possibility and trust what can unfold. Sommelier Katia Movsesian brought the wine experience to the afternoon, and Stefanie Artuso provided beautiful live music.
“For me, it was about creating the kind of space I believe we all need more of — a place where women can come exactly as they are, feel safe enough to be their authentic selves, and know they are surrounded by women who genuinely want to see them shine,” Dobranski noted.
A water-view residence, a summer afternoon, and a conversation about real-life miracles.
Different homes. Different conversations. Different experiences. But underneath each was the same invitation: to leave feeling more connected and elevated.
The Journey to the Garden Party
Guests from all three Elevated Experiences were collected by limousine and transported together to Ladies Night In: A Garden Party, turning the journey itself into a celebration as guests danced their way to the main event.
Ladies Night In: A Garden Party
More than one hundred and fifty women gathered throughout the estate grounds for curated lifestyle experiences, and beautiful food. Music filled the air, along with laughter, conversation, and a true spirit of celebration.
Founded by Andrea Jauck, Ladies Night In is brought to life with the support of a dedicated committee, including Jessica Prasad, Danielle Jones, Janice Amoruso, and Michelle Raymond, with additional contributions from Lisa Marsden. Together, they have helped grow Ladies Night In into a gathering that brings people together while supporting the wider business community.
Community, Purpose and Dress for Success Vancouver
Behind the scenes, an extended community of sponsors, partners, and contributors helped bring the many details of the afternoon to life. This year, at the heart of that purpose was Dress for Success Vancouver. Guests arrived carrying professional clothing donations for the organization’s wardrobe program, helping support women entering or re-entering the workforce as they move toward greater economic independence.
Among the larger moments was something wonderfully simple. At each Elevated Experience, guests were invited to write handwritten notes of encouragement for Dress for Success clients, personal messages intended for women they may never meet. Perhaps that gesture captured the day better than anything else could.
Looking back on the day’s achievements, co-host Andrea Jauck captured the overarching impact of the collaboration: “Ladies Night In was about so much more than one beautiful afternoon. To me, it was about women coming together, supporting one another, and proving what is possible when we combine our individual strengths for something bigger than ourselves.”
Because yes, there were beautiful homes, flowers, food, bubbles, thoughtfully poured wine, and live music, all the lovely things one hopes will accompany a summer afternoon. But the real story was community. REALTORS®, community leaders, keynote speakers, friends, and guests coming together. Stories being shared. New introductions being made. Women celebrating women they already knew and encouraging women they may never meet.
Country, City, and Ocean may have started the afternoon in three different places, but by the end of the day, everyone had arrived in the same garden, ready to shop, sip, and support.
The conversations, connections, and encouragement continued. It was an afternoon of women showing heart, helping one another, and celebrating together.
Photography credits for collages:
Country: Meghan Simington of Ready to Launch
City: Ali & Flora of Content Craft Studios
Ocean: Tobi Dobranski
A Garden Party: Brooke Redelle of Redelle Creative and Julia Burakova of Silver Moon Photography
Author Profile
- Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Communications & Marketing Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine and PORTFOLIOY.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury and luxury lifestyle niches. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read business magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and is an EIC for Hire. Connect with her here: [email protected].
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