Cabana Life Founders cheersing

Behind-The-Shoot: 15th Anniversary Photoshoot

Our founders (finally) reunited after over a year of being a part due to COVID-19 for our 15th anniversary! As business partners & best friends we shared many laughs, peanut m&ms and even some cocktails. They started the business in their 20s while living in bustling NYC. As their families & the business grew they were driven to different states, but their constant phone calls & emails always keep them connected. 

Cabana Life Founder Melissa Papock resides in sunny Ponte Vedra Beach, FL where our headquarters is located. Our co-founder Alyssa Adams lives in Dallas, TX which is conveniently where our warehouse is!

As if their reunion wasn't enough to celebrate, we planned a local photoshoot in honor of 15 years in business. Melissa & Alyssa stepped in front of the camera. With the help of local photographer, Victoria Agaeva, they took a shot at modeling some of their favorite Cabana Life styles. 

Cabana Life Founders with balloons

The Location

Not everything goes as planned... Our photoshoot was supposed to take place in beautiful Atlantic Beach but the forecast brought rain the entire week. Believe it or not, Florida isn't always the sunshine state! Luckily, we were able to score a fun spot for the shoot, The Glass Factory in downtown Jacksonville, FL. 

Cabana Life founders

The Glass Factory is Jacksonville’s premiere industrial, historic wedding and event venue. With over 16,000 square feet, the space is fully customizable! We loved using their bridal suite and the open venue space for a beautiful picnic. The existing industrial-style gave us a variety of backdrops for our shoot. The modern updates juxtapose the historical nature of the building. 

Built in 1936 by Henry Klutho, The Glass Factory is a unique piece of Jacksonville history. Commissioned by the Pittsburg Plate Glass Company, the space maintains a highly sought after industrial aesthetic. Over the years the building has housed many different operations, yet the original charm remains untouched. 

The Glass Factory Jax LLC is under the direction of Lauryn Howell, Business Manager. Ms. Howell is the power behind the marketing, operations, and direction of this historic industrial facility and all events. Starting in 2020, she has been working with local designers and contractors to preserve the historic integrity of the former factory while bringing in modern comforts and esthetics. Lauryn has renovated the 3,500 sq ft back rooms in a mid century modern style that honors the character set by the building’s notorious architect, Henry John Klutho. 
Picnic setup

The Picnic

After seeing the recent picnic craze all over Instagram lately, we decided we had to try it out ourselves. While it wasn't on the beach as we had planned, Priddy Picnics made it magical despite being indoors to escape the rain. From flatware and serveware to candles and pillows, they truly thought of it all!

picnic

The setup was quick and we were immediately able to enjoy the picnic scene. With a variety of picnic themes to choose from we opted for the coastal look to incorporate some of our favorite colors, blue!

Priddy Picnics goes well beyond their beautiful picnics, they also create elegant slumber parties & romantic private movie nights. If you're in Jacksonville area, check out their packages to make your next event unforgettable.

Cabana Life founders with sparkler cake

The Cake

A party wouldn't be complete without a cake! Alleycakes Bakery created this stunning naked style cake with glitter details to make it truly shine on camera. The best part? It's champagne flavored – yes, we said champagne! Don't worry, we brought the cake back to the office for the whole Cabana Life crew to enjoy. 

Cabana Life founders with cake

Local to Jacksonville in Neptune Beach, Alleycakes is a cake studio specializing in custom designed luxury wedding and event cakes. Ali and her team were a joy to work with and their cakes do not disappoint. 

Cabana Life founders with cake

Our founders were so happy to finally reunite, especially under such special circumstances (aka Cabana Life's birthday!) Thank you for supporting our women-owned business on a mission to eradicate skin cancer. Help us celebrate our 15th anniversary all month long with amazing deals and exciting drops – stay tuned!

Learn more about our anniversary as our founder Melissa reflects on the past 15 years in business.