As always, a big shout out to our members that have made the news. Below you'll find members that have been highlighted or otherwise recognized. Thank you to those that submitted news this month and thank you to our members that continue to push the outside of the envelope in some way.
Brit Bertino has announced the sale of her secondary planning company Simply Weddings Las Vegas to Las Vegas WIPA member Cristina Gonzalez. Brit has owned and operated this budget-friendly, package driven, wedding planning company for 12+ years and she is excited to pass along the legacy to Cristina. You can still find Brit participating in the wedding and event industry as she still manages her full event production and design company Brit Bertino, event excellence as well as her other brands Totty Belt and Ceremonies Unveiled, Weddings from Around the World.
Bespoke Edge was awarded Top of the Town by 5280 Magazine for best Local Men's Boutique!
Alan Katz of Great Officiants was Awarded “Best Officiant in Los Angeles” by California Wedding Day Magazine.
This was voted on by his piers in the industry and awarded at their Annual Awards Event which was held virtually this year. He joins the other winners in celebrating the best of the best in the industry.
SB Beauty, headed by WIPA NYC member Sharon Becker, had a wedding featured in the Fall/Winter "The Knot" magazine, NY area.
Elizabeth and Nora Sheils of Rock Paper Coin and Bridal Bliss discussed ‘Key Strategies for Mastering Expectations with High-End Clients’ on Bridal Business Bootcamp. They also shared with Sage Wedding Pros ‘How to Network and Get on Vendor Lists, Especially in the Time of COVID-19’.
Oleta Collins, Founder and Owner of Flourishing Art Design Studio was featured on Goodshuffle Pro for ‘Wedding Planning During COVID-19: How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Venue.’ Oleta gave advice on Generation Tux on ‘Biggest Fall Wedding Trends in 2020’.
Kinsey Roberts of She Creates Business was featured on Special Events on ‘Tips for Event Pros on Being a Tourist in Your Town -- Virtually’. She’s also booked to speak on Business Reputation as part of the The International School of Hospitality’s Summer 2020 Hospitality Speaker Series.
Michelle Loretta of Sage Wedding Pros shared advice on Special Events for ‘Promoting a Pivot for Special Event Pros’.
Christie Osborne of Mountainside Media was featured on Catersource discussing ‘Mid-Year Check-In: Evaluating, Refining, and Enhancing Your Marketing Strategy.’ She also shared her expertise on Special Events for her article on ‘Three Content Types in a Smart Social Media Strategy for Event Pros’.
Kevin Dennis of WeddingIQ offered insight to Generation Tux on ‘6 Questions to Ask Before Choosing Your Groomsmen.’ Kevin was featured on WeddingIQ for ‘Making Time for Virtual Education’.
Jennifer Taylor of Jennifer Taylor Consulting shared advice on WeddingIQ on ‘Embracing Automation as a Creative Without Losing a Personal Touch.’ She also offered ‘Best Practices for Effectively Responding to Inquiries’ on NACE.
Emily Sullivan of Emily Sullivan Events discussed ‘The Ins and Outs of Micro Weddings’ on Allseated. She was also featured on Catersource Summer Digital Magazine for ‘Celebrating the Big Day the Micro Way’.
José Rolón of José Rolón Events recently presented Building Business After a Life-Changing Moment to NACE Austin + ILEA Austin in a joint virtual meeting in July
Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting is booked to speak on ‘Habits of Highly Successful Event Pros’ as part of The International School of Hospitality’s Summer 2020 Hospitality Speaker Series.
Andy Kushner and his popular podcast, The Wedding Biz, was mentioned in Harpers Bazaar as one of "The 20 Websites You Can’t Plan Your Wedding About.”
The SF Film Centre (a Norcal WIPA member) is partnering with some amazing vendors to offer micro-packages to help couples that still want 2020 as their wedding year!
Please see link on https://sheryldenker.com/
Renée Dalo of Moxie Bright Events was a recent guest on the Wedding MBA podcast chatting about sales. She's also launching The Profitable Planner Bundle, a curated variety of online courses, resources, and education to get you through 2020 - and into the land of Profitability & Sustainability in 2021 and beyond. The Bundle will be available August 10-15.
Elizabeth Sheils, co-founder of Rock Paper Coin and senior planner with Bridal Bliss, was recognized by Special Events as one of the Top 25 Young Event Pros to Watch in 2020. She was also a guest on the Talk with Renee Dalo podcast about Brand Consistency and Growth. Rock Paper Coin was featured in a guest article on Catersource about Bringing Your Event Team into the Digital Era, as well as on Sage Wedding Pros about How to Network and Get on Vendor Lists, Especially in the Time of COVID-19. Additionally, Bridal Bliss was included in roundups on Catersource about The Future of Weddings and on Catalyst Wedding Co. about COVID Wedding Plans.
Margaux Fraise of Harmony Creative Studio discussed ‘Streamlining Your Sales Funnel’ with the Business Unveiled podcast. She was also featured on Catersource where she shared expertise on ‘Adapting Your Speaking Topics into Podcast Interviews’. This past month, Margaux also founded the Los Angeles Wedding Collective, which includes fellow WIPA members Renée Dalo, Holly Gray and Michelle Castillo.
Small gatherings - big life moments. CREATE MEMORIES in your own personal venue, your backyard, your home. http://www.hensleyeventresources.com/love-big-celebrate-small
Noah Gordon of House Island in Portland, Maine was featured in a number of publications describing his business model pivot for 2020 from ultra-luxury venue (for weddings, retreats and other landmark events) along with inaugurating the region's most exclusive new yacht club, to renting House Island as a safe haven: Business Insider, Inman, NY Post, FOX BUSINESS NEWS, Bangor Daily News
JP Reynolds of JPR Weddings was named Orange County’s “Best Officiant” by California Wedding Day Magazine for the 3rd year running.
Friar Tux was honored to have their Virtual Style Sessions experience for couples featured in The New York Times article Say ‘Yes’ to the Dress Without Leaving Your House by Alix Strauss. From the classic black tuxedo to vibrant colors, Friar Tux also serves up some serious fashion with their Types of Tuxedos, A Style Guide blog post. Eric Acuna, Vice President of Sales for Friar Tux and Stitch & Tie, was a recent guest on the Santa Barbara Wedding Style Podcast, now available on their Blog, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Android. Friar Tux re-opened more stores last month. For more information about safe store operations and current hours, visit FriarTux.com/reopen. For those who prefer to plan from the comfort of home, Friar Tux continues to connect with couples everywhere through Virtual Style Sessions.
NAPA VALLEY LINENS has moved their operations to Napa. Their stunning new facility is located at 620 Airpark Road, Napa. They can be reached at 707-266-3181 or by email at [email protected] Hours are Monday through Friday 9-5. As a special gift to their new neighbors, they are extending a delivery rate of $19.00 to Napa and Sonoma counties. This special delivery rate includes free pick up, until the end of 2020.
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