Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Arellano.
Hi Cynthia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi! My name is Cynthia Arellano, and I’m the Co-Founder and Principal Planner at In Reverie, a luxury wedding planning and event design company based in Houston, Dallas, and Austin.
Looking back, the way our paths crossed feels almost serendipitous. We were both at the very start of our marketing careers; a mutual friend had recently moved on from a boutique agency where Kylen was working, and I was brought in to step into that role. From that shared professional beginning, our friendship naturally bloomed.
Immersed in the world of entrepreneurs and brands day in and day out, we felt a growing inspiration to cultivate something of our own. We realized early on how well our strengths complemented one another: I leaned into a natural knack for the “how,” focusing on seamless logic and execution, while Kylen led with the creative “why,” trusting her intuition to ensure every design felt honest and true.
Of course, as two people in our early twenties fresh out of college, we knew we couldn’t build this in a vacuum. We invested heavily in relationships with event professionals across the city, taking them to coffee or lunch to absorb every bit of wisdom they were willing to share. Eventually, we began shadowing these experts in action. Those formative experiences provided the foundation we needed to establish our own brand.
When Kylen moved to Dallas, we took the plunge to officially expand our markets. Since those early days, what began as a duo has evolved into a dedicated team of four. We’ve welcomed Kyeria Kingery in Houston and Meghana Thota in Austin as our Associate Planners. They have been instrumental in helping us scale the “white glove” intimacy we’ve become known for. Having them on board allows us to dive even deeper into the intentional details of a couple’s story, ensuring that every wedding we touch feels like a custom-built legacy for our clients and their guests.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not! But the road for any creative business is rarely a straight line, and we’ve come to view the bumps as essential chapters of our narrative. Building a business is a “trial by fire” experience where the learning is never truly finished. There are countless moments we look back on and think, “I wish we had known that then,” but that’s the beauty of the process. Because we didn’t follow a traditional blueprint, every process, value, and brand pillar we’ve established exists because we believe in it—not because someone told us “that’s just how it’s done.”
Early on, our greatest challenge was resisting the urge to be “put in a box.” The wedding industry often tries to define luxury through excess or specific, trendy aesthetics. We had to remain firm in our conviction that true luxury is deeply personal; it’s not about what’s loud, it’s about what’s felt.
Like anyone else, we’ve also navigated our fair share of imposter syndrome. It’s easy to get caught in the “comparison game” on social media, feeling the constant pressure to be bigger, do more, and chase an ever-moving goalpost. We eventually had to take a step back and ask: Is this reflective of who we are? Are we giving ourselves the space to be proud of what we’ve built? Our company has survived countless evolutions—market shifts, pricing updates, and service refinements. But we are incredibly proud of where In Reverie stands today because we realized that the brand is at its best when it authentically represents us, rather than what we think the industry expects us to be.
As we’ve grown into a team of four, we’ve found that our best work happens when we allow our contrasting strengths to breathe together. By bringing our Associate Planners, Kyeria and Meghana, to the table, we’ve added even more heart and a deeper level of care to our process. Logic and art aren’t competing here; they are simply two halves of the same story. Every challenge has only reinforced our commitment to being the “dedicated, discerning hand” for our couples. Ultimately, we hope to turn that experience into mentorship, fostering the passion of young planners who are exactly where we once were: driven, but looking for a place to start.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In Reverie is a full-service wedding planning and design house with an emphasis on luxury that feels inherently approachable. Our clients seek excellence, but they want it on their own terms—nothing stiff, nothing performative. We don’t view ourselves merely as “planners,” but rather as consultants. While the logistics are a given, they are only one part of the equation; we approach every event holistically, managing risk, guest experience, and overarching design direction with equal weight.
Our specialty lies in the intersection of connection and storytelling. We believe we cannot wholeheartedly craft an event around a couple’s history without knowing them on a personal level first. Our couples value us because they know we are more than just a service—we are their true advocates. By exploring the symbols, values, and memories that define them, we are able to authentically create a day that resonates with their guests on a deeply intimate level. To us, that is the essence of true event design: it should stir the soul and leave a lasting impression long after the last guest leaves.
What sets us apart is our willingness to move beyond a Pinterest board. For us, the answer is not always “yes”—it is “why?” We push past the surface to ask: What do you want this to feel like? What atmosphere are you trying to create? We handle every step of the process as if it were our own wedding, obsessing over the micro-details because we know they are what create the macro-impact. When a couple tells us their day felt “wholeheartedly them,” that is our ultimate success.
When we look back at what we are most proud of, it’s those two women fresh out of college who knew very little about starting a business but knew everything about wanting to make an impact. We were driven, yet terrified of failing or putting our dreams on display. We did it anyway. We leaned into curiosity, set aside our egos, and built a brand that prioritizes heart over artifice.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
We owe a significant debt of gratitude to Shavonnah Schreiber, the CEO of the marketing agency where Kylen and I first met. Shavonnah was simultaneously our inspiration and our fiercest advocate; she didn’t just give us a place to work, she gave us the space to grow. There was no greater masterclass in leadership than watching a powerhouse woman of color build her own firm from the ground up with such poise, resilience, and wisdom. Even now, we carry the business and life lessons she instilled in us. She even allowed us to use her suite during lunch breaks and after hours to huddle over our business plans and map out what In Reverie could become. Her belief in us provided the foundation we needed to finally take the leap.
As we’ve grown, our team has become our heartbeat. Having Kyeria Kingery and Meghana Thota as our Associate Planners has changed everything. They are more than colleagues; they are dear friends who have helped shape the very soul of this company. Having them by our side means more creativity, more diverse perspectives, and—crucially—more peace of mind. They are a primary reason we are able to maintain such a calm, focused environment for our couples.
Then, of course, there are our clients. We are incredibly fortunate to work with couples who truly trust us. They invite us into their lives and histories, allowing us to translate their most personal connections into one-of-a-kind celebrations. Without their vulnerability and their willingness to define luxury on their own terms, we wouldn’t have a story to tell.
Finally, we have to credit our loved ones. Our partners, who have listened to every late-night brainstorm and celebrated every small win, often sacrificed their own quality time so we could show up fully for our couples. Our families have been the steady ground beneath our feet while we built this dream.
Every person mentioned is the reason we return to this work with passion every year. They are the inspiration behind our name. A “reverie” is, essentially, a daydream. We chose it because it encompasses the feeling of being lost in love, but also the deep love we have for our craft that fuels us to keep going.
Pricing:
- The Signature: Full-Service Wedding Planning & Design – Custom Quote
- The Aesthetic Edit: Wedding Management & Design – $6,500
- The Coordination Edit: Wedding Management – $3,500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.inreverieweddings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inreverieweddings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InReverieWeddings/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@inreverieweddings
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@inreverieweddings
Image Credits
Photography | Jessica Capri
