Today we’d like to introduce you to Blake Briand.
Hi Blake, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Archway Events started after a few years of running a custom fabrication business with my dad. I wanted to build something that was scalable and could grow into a larger company over time, but still stay connected to craftsmanship.
One thing I always disliked about custom fabrication was spending weeks building something beautiful, delivering it, and then never seeing it again. I liked the idea of creating pieces that could become part of important moments instead of just one sale.
When I looked at the wedding rental industry, I felt like there was room to elevate what was available. I wanted to build pieces that felt more unique, more handcrafted, and more intentional than a lot of what I was seeing.
I spent about a year building the original inventory alongside my dad. A big part of Archway is honestly about him. He’s getting closer to retirement age, and my goal is to turn the shop and the skills he taught me into a company that can support both of our families long term.
We officially started Archway Events in 2024, with a soft launch in late 2024 and a more serious launch in early 2025. Right now it’s still just me and my dad running the operation.
I didn’t really know anyone in the wedding industry when we started, so growth has been steady rather than explosive because it’s such a relationship-driven business. But every time people see the products in person, the response is the same — they think it’s beautiful, different, and unlike what they usually see available locally.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest challenges has honestly just been entering such a relationship-driven industry as a complete outsider. Most planners, venues, and clients naturally reach out to people they already know and trust, so when you’re new and don’t have those connections yet, it can take a long time to get your foot in the door.
Like most businesses, there have also been financial challenges in the beginning. Starting a company comes with a lot of overhead, equipment costs, and pressure to grow quickly. If I’m being honest, when I originally modeled out the business financially, I expected growth to happen a little faster than it has.
That said, I really can’t complain. Relationships are forming, people are starting to recognize the work, and growth has been slow but steady. We’re coming up on two years soon, and I think we’re building a really solid foundation for the future.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I think one of the things that really sets us apart is the combination of traditional woodworking and modern fabrication technology. I learned a lot of the old-school carpentry side from my dad, and then over time I added CNC machining, CAD design, and digital fabrication skills on top of that.
What that allows us to do is create products that feel handcrafted and traditional, but are also engineered really intentionally from the ground up. A lot of our pieces are designed to break down easily, transport efficiently, and handle the realities of the rental industry without sacrificing how they look or feel.
The goal is for someone to see one of our tables or pieces and think it looks like a real heirloom-quality piece of furniture you’d put in your home, while underneath that it’s actually been designed specifically to function as a durable, modular rental product.
What were you like growing up?
I was honestly a pretty nerdy kid growing up. I was in band all through school, became drum major, and eventually went to college on a trumpet scholarship. But at the same time, I was always helping my dad whenever I could. Most of my first jobs were working for him, and he started teaching me fabrication and carpentry when I was just a little kid.
At the same time Music is still a big part of my life to this day, and I’m currently working on an album that I’m hoping to release sometime within the next year or so.
Pricing:
- Mainly you can find pricing on our website set up for different guest counts
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.archwayevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archway.events/
