A Colorful April Luncheon with KC Wedding Guild at Piropos

Etienne Warnery
Apr 26
3 min read

Red and yellow tulips in bloom with Piropos restaurant building in the background

Every couple of months, the Kansas City Wedding Guild hosts a networking luncheon that brings together great people from the local wedding world. I’m lucky to photograph these events regularly for Ellen Hein, who runs both KC Wedding Guild and KC Engaged. She trusts me to capture the feel of the event with candid, documentary-style photos, which happens to be my favorite way to take pictures!

The April 8 luncheon was held at Piropos, an Argentine restaurant in Briarcliff Village that also hosts weddings and private events. It’s a warm, light-filled space with big windows, vibrant art on the walls, and food that’s distinctly different due to its Argentine roots.

Like every luncheon, this one included time to mingle, a wonderful lunch, and a guest speaker to round things out.

Drinkable Art and Springtime Style

Before each luncheon a styled shoot is organized with a specific vision that brings together a group of creative vendors. This edition features fresh pastel spring colors, perfectly appropriate for the season! While we don't get to see the styled shoot itself, we benefit from the beautiful setup left for our luncheon!

The luncheon took place in Piropos’s event room, with huge windows lining the walls and a gallery of bold artwork adding energy to the space. A saxophone player performed alongside the DJ during the networking hour, which gave the room a cool, upbeat vibe. It’s the kind of thing that makes you smile without even thinking about it. KC Cocktail Company brought out their latest acquisition: a machine that can write on your drink!!

Great Food, Good Company, and a Little Inspiration

After some relaxed networking and a lot of hugs between familiar faces, everyone sat down for lunch. Piropos served an Argentine-inspired menu: Focaccia bread with Argentinean spices ; Cheese and Beef Empanadas ; Chicken oregano ; red pepper risotto ; au gratin potatoes! Flavorful, creative, and a fun departure from the usual. The tables were full of wedding professionals catching up, meeting new people, and passing business cards and for most, it felt more like a gathering of friends than a formal event.

The guest speaker was Paige White, the founder of KC Cocktail Co. She shared her story of building a business from the ground up—what it’s taken, what she’s learned, and why community and networking matters so much. Her energy was honest and immediately relatable.

Something Special from BAC Music

We had a unique art giveaway from BAC Music, one of the few remaining makers of trombones and trumpets in the world, based right here in KC. It was a small scale reproduction of a piece of art exposed in the new MCI airport terminal: KC Jazz Bird representing a bird made with saxophones.

Why These Events Matter

There’s something special about these KC Wedding Guild luncheons. They’re not just about networking; they’re a chance to do what I love : capture candid, artistic moments that feel real. Plus I get to spend time with friends in the industry, meet new people, and feel more connected to the wedding community in Kansas City.

Big thanks to all the vendors who made this event possible and to Ellen for trusting me to document these events. I’m already looking forward to the next one. Here are the list of the vendors that participated on the luncheon: Venue and Catering: Piropos - https://www.piroposkc.com/ Rental: Avenue Blue event Rentals - https://www.avenuebluekc.com/