October 2017

WIPA 2017 Awards are now open for entries 

The 2017 WIPA Awards of Excellence will recognize wedding professionals demonstrating excellence in their field representing over 16 rigorous disciplines. .Each will be judged anonymously by a group of their peers across the country. Open only to WIPA members, once you log in to WIPA.org your login will transfer to the entry site where you can begin your submission. You do not need to complete your entry all at once, you can log in as many times as necessary to submit photos, tr\weak the descriptions or update the details.

Important log in information. If you are using a third part marketing or public relations firm to submit your entry and they are a member of WIPA they can use their login and submit on your behalf. If the third party is not a WIPA member, they will use your wipa.org log in to enter the entry site.

The WIPA Awards of Excellence will be hosted by the WIPA Las Vegas Chapter on November 29 at the J.W. Marriott Resort. Tickets for the event will be available October 15, 2017 AT wipa.org.

See Awards Categories

 

Nominations for WIPA Leadership Open until Oct 10

By Brit Bertino, Nominations Chairman

 It’s that time of year when YOU can take part in the future of WIPA.  WIPA is North Americas first nonprofit association for the wedding industry and in 2018 we will be marking 10 years as an organization.  Equally importantly, WIPA was founded to focus on improving the Wedding Industry, not just for professionals and creative partners in the industry, but also for our Brides their families and friends. 

 As a member, you have a right and a responsibility to be part of that success. 

 Nominations for leadership in your chapter and the International level are now open.  Have you had some great ideas to improve the organization and the industry?  Or have you identified someone you think would be a great asset to the leadership?  This is the one time each year you can step up and see that change take place.

 All members in good standing who are, according to the bylaws, eligible to vote are also eligible to nominate themselves or another person for either a Chapter Board Position or the International Board.  All three nominations forms are located on the Members Landing page ofWIPA.org.  

 https://wipa.memberclicks.net/member-landing- page

Each form is submitted by the individual completing it and is held on file on the WIPA website where it can be viewed by administration.  Don’t delay -- Nominations will close on Oct 10, 2017.

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   WIPA Webinar Series - Education on Demand

In case you missed the recent WIPA Members Only Webinar presented by Caroline Fox Wedding BIZ Law,  The Law Office of Caroline J. Fox 
 it’s not too late. All programs are archived so you can view at your convenience. 
Just go to https://wipa.memberclicks.net/education.

This is a “members only” resource so you must be logged in at WIPA.org with your personal username and password to access these four previous webinars. Also listed are the upcoming webinars scheduled for the first Wednesday of each month. So plan to take advantage of the expert presenters that are available to you at no charge. When the registration link is emailed it only takes a moment to register. The WIPA Programs and Education committee is always open to ideas for sessions you would like to suggest so if you have ideas, please email your suggestions to Chairman Carolee Higashino  [email protected]

 

November

 

NOVEMBER 

Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Market Research/Advertising ROI, Speaker Christie Osborn, Mountainside Media 
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM EST

                                                                                                         

Wedding Industry Forms 

 AVAILABLE FOR WIPA MEMBERS -- Log into your online WIPA account and download an array of Wedding Industry Forms

Thanks to the WIPA Advisory Board, Immediate Past President Brit Bertino has completed an effort to provide standard forms for many of the Wedding industry disciplines, AND, here is the best part, as a member of WIPA there is no charge for accessing the forms and using them whenever you need to find one for your business use!  So please take a look at this valuable member benefit by logging in to the Members Only section of www.WIPA.org  with your email and password. There under the Resource tab you will scroll down to the Member Library and can download any of these forms for your use.

Here is the list of forms:

Band/DJ Checklist

Wedding Stationery Checklist

Day-Of-Wedding Party Sample Schedule

Floral Checklist

Hotel Room Block

Videographer Checklist

Photography Checklist

Wedding Day Production Schedule

Wedding Day Don't Forget Checklist

Wedding Guest RSVP

 


 Exclusive Offer for WIPA Members

A discounted rate of $1600 to all WIPA members to attend Be Sage Conference with use of the code “WIPA” upon registration at:  www.besageconference.com . This is $200 off the regular rate.

Sage Wedding Pros is dedicated to creating financially and operationally sustainable businesses in the wedding industry.

We hope to see you at Be Sage, December 4-7! 


 

Join Us in New Orleans!

At The Special Event (TSE), the industry’s largest tradeshow and conference for event professionals, you’ll connect with over 5,000 event colleagues, exhibitors, and mentors. We hope to see you on the exhibit hall floor, we’ll be in booth #1310.

Register with discount code WIPA for special pricing or a free exhibit hall pass!


 

 


WIPA would like to welcome & thank our newest members for joining and supporting our organization as we continue to expand across the nation! Please be sure to reach out and welcome these new members.  

 

Chicago Chapter in Formation

Maha Abuagel

Divine Designs & Events

[email protected]

www.divinedesignsandevents.com

847.260.5173

Event Decor and Floral

 

Lindsay Parrott-Masiewicz

P3 Events

[email protected]

Www.p3events.com

312.318.3225

Full Wedding & Event Production Company specializing in Planning & Event Styling

 

Bianca Sansosti

Bianca Sansosti Artistry

[email protected]

www.biancasansosti.com

630.7458539

Hair & makeup collective that specializes in on-location services.

  

Colorado New Members

Moira Kennedy

J. La Plante Photo

[email protected]

www.jlaplante.com

303.652.7346

J. La Plante Photo is a husband and wife team specializing in vibrant wedding photography for couples getting married in breathtaking places.

Meridith Lowe

Larkspur Events & Dining

[email protected]

www.larkspurvail.com

970.754.8048

Larkspur is an elegant and stunning 5,500 square foot space, complete with a modern and thoughtful design featuring breathtaking views of the Gore Range, to elevate your wedding. With accommodation for up to 500 guests, we provide nothing short of world-class cuisine and generous hospitality in our ideal Colorado mountain setting.

 Rachael Teufel

Intricate Icings Cake Design

[email protected]

www.intricateicings.com

303.479.9922

Specializing in custom designed luxury wedding and event cakes that are as flavorful as they are visually stunning

 Las Vegas New Members

Vincent Landin

New Romantix & Rhythms Event Center

[email protected]

www.newromantix.com

702.755.9166

Pop-up wedding company & event venue

 Chetna Sutaria

Henna art

[email protected]

Www.hennaartlv.com

702.354.6088

Henna Art

 Kris Thomas

Caesars Entertainment

[email protected]

www.caesars.com

702.866.1017 

Caesars Entertainment Corporation, is an American gaming corporation based in Las Vegas, Nevada that owns and operates over 50 casinos and hotels, and seven golf courses under several brands

 Jazmin Toma

New Romantix & Rhythms Event Center

[email protected]

www.newromantix.com

702.272.8706 

Pop-up wedding company & event venue

New Orleans Members

Elizabeth Dondis

Elizabeth Dondis Photography LLC

[email protected]

elizabethdondis.com

504.621.1414 

Fine Art Photography

 Caroline Parrone

Stella Plantation

[email protected]

stellaplantation.com

504.919.7474

Event Venue

Karla Setser

The Knot

[email protected]

www.theknot.com

682.503.6748

The Knot is a wedding media brand.

 

Phoenix New Members

Dawn Peterson

Creative Coverings

[email protected]

www.creativecoverings.com

480.766.9366

National specialty linen rentals & sales - providing wholesale pricing to event professionals

Laura Segall

Laura Segall Photography

[email protected]

www.segallphotography.com/

602.354.2509

Wedding photojournalist

  San Francisco Bay New Members

Samantha Olson

Creative Coverings

[email protected]

www.creativecoverings.com

775.359.6733 

National specialty linen rentals & sales - providing wholesale pricing to event professionals

Rachael Tanner

Officially Hitched

[email protected]

www.officiallyhitched.com

628.400.2684 

I work with couples to create custom ceremonies that are uniquely tailored to authentically represent their unions.  I am a guide and co-creator;  weaving together the ancient and the contemporary, the traditional and the unconventional.

 Southern California New Members 

Hillary Boyd

The Knot

[email protected]

www.theknot.com

858.847.2192 

The Knot is a wedding media company owned by XO Group, Inc. (publicly traded as XOXO on the NY Stock Exchange)

Natalia Camarena

Blueprint Studios

[email protected]

ww.blueprintstudios.com

855.922.9004

Blueprint Studios continues to build the largest collection of cutting-edge event rental furnishings of its kind. Our vast inventory enhances your ability to create the most unique and tailored networking or social environments with value-added service and one-stop design.

Wil Kiser

Blueprint Studios

[email protected]

www.blueprintstudios.com

855.922.9004

Blueprint Studios continues to build the largest collection of cutting-edge event rental furnishings of its kind. Our vast inventory enhances your ability to create the most unique and tailored networking or social environments with value-added service and one-stop design.

 Leah Neumann

Sweet Lady Jane

[email protected]

www.sweetladyjane.com

347.515.3092 

Bakery, Specialty Cakes, Treats, Wedding Cakes, Custom Cakes

 

Michael Reese

MJ Entertainment LA

[email protected]

www.mjentertainmentla.com

323.529.3439

We provide Top 50 talent from American Idol, The Voice, X Factor and more to perform at weddings and other events, from solo musicians up to a full 9 piece band.

 

Krystal Sossaman

The Knot

[email protected]

562.951.8200

 

Francesca Yaniz

Trés LA Group

[email protected]

tresla.com

323.466.1835

Trés LA Group is a full-service Catering Company that also owns two venue spaces, Carondelet House and Ebell Long Beach


  WIPA'S RECENT EVENTS!   

Colorado Chapter 

Rave in the Woods 

The WIPA Colorado Rave in the Woods was our 3rd Quarter Event. There was so much networking, beauty and fun at Flying Diamond Ranch in Steamboat Springs!! This is just a snapshot from Frances Photography of all the décor, design and styled shoot planned by Bella Design and Planning and brought to you by WIPA Colorado! Our speaker, Cameron Clark of Cameron and Kelly Studio spoke about Growing your Business and it was insightful, witty and we all had some great take aways from the presentation. Thank you so much to all the incredible partners who worked for months on producing this incredibly fun and unique event! 

 

 

 

We feel so grateful to have such a vibrant group of creative partners all over Colorado.

Design + Planning: Bella Design & Planning Venue: Flying Diamond Ranch Weddings & Events Speaker: Cameron & Kelly Studio Photography : Frances Photography Florist: Perfect Petal Denver Printed Materials: Tyrian purple Rentals, Furniture, and Lighting: Pink Monkey Solutions Colorado Tents and Events Linens : La Tavola Fine Linen Catering : Steamboat Meat & Seafood Co. Entertainment : DTP Events - Dance Trax Productions Alcohol : Applejack Wine & Spirits Beer : Mountain Tap Brewery Bartending : Petals & Pours Glow Tattoos: Divine Beauty Artists Brunch: Bella Vista Estate, Steamboat Springs, Colorado 

 

 

Altlanta Chapter

We had a fantastic meeting on September 7th in Atlanta! Special thanks to our speaker Morgan Montgomery of Paisley & Jade and our sponsors City Winery AtlantaLaura Stone PhotoThomasvisionfilmsUnique Floral ExpressionsFrom Sir With LoveCollection Event FurnishingsSinful SweetsBBJ Linen and Krystin O'Mara, Classical Guitarist.

 

 

 

New Orleans Chapter

That should be illegal, so delicious! August Luminous Events of New Orleans, LLC Dyle Films Just Ask Rental BBJ Linen

And a big thank you to our speaker Julie Roth Novack!

 

Las Vegas

Our third quarterly event was a splendid occasion in a dazzling space filled with designer touches! WIPA members and future members were received at Enclave, a spacious and chic new venue just east of the strip. While everyone was greeted by Cut & Taste with lush mango margaritas, our active members were delighted with a gift from the Membership Committee... professional name badges! Complete with a darling gift bag featuring a tucked in mini-wine and a box of chocolates, it was one of the highlights of the event. After small bites and sips, guests enjoyed the comfort and style of FWR Haus designs as they seated themselves to be educated on the Art of Attracting Destination Clients by wedding planner tycoon Emily Sullivan of Emily Sullivan Events, New Orleans. This power-hour highlighted the many ways we can embrace the uniqueness of Las Vegas and showcase it to our destination brides. After our educational segment, guests moved into the dining room for a wonderful lunch service at stunning tables festooned with mid-century inspired stemware, mixed-pallet linens, and gilded flatware. The day ended perfectly with rooftop champagne as Enclave cut the ribbon for their new space. Our penultimate event of 2017 was bursting with all the things that make WIPA - inspiration, education, and networking!



Sponsors 
Venue - Enclave Las Vegas http://enclavelv.com/
Food & Beverage - Cut & Taste Catering http://www.cutandtastelv.com/
Floral - Flourish https://www.flourishlv.com/
Decor & Furniture - Fresha Wata Rental Haus http://www.fwrental.com/
DJ/Photographer - Harry O Productions http://www.harryoproductions.com/
Videographer - Memory Lane Video https://mlvnv.com/
Photobooth - Shutterbooth http://shutterbooth.com/photo-booth-rental-las-vegas/
Stationery - Paper & Home http://www.paperandhome.com/
Linen Rental - BBJ Linen http://www.bbjlinen.com/
Glassware & Flatware Rental - Dogwood Party Rentals http://www.dogwoodpartyrentals.com/
Dessert Truck - Tropic Crust https://www.tropiccrust.com/
Headshot Photography - Taylored Photo Memories http://www.tayloredphotomemories.com/  
Lipstick Bar - Makeup In The 702 https://www.lasvegaswedding-makeup.com/lipstick-bar/
Drape - Quest Drape https://www.questevents.com/

 

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Kevin Dennis of WeddingIQ recently shared his thoughts on the top industry associations with WeddingWire EDU, as well lent insight to maintaining creative partner relationships on the NACE blog. Kevin is also confirmed to make his return to both TSE 2018 and Catersource 2018. 

Emily Sullivan shared Destination Wedding Trends with Travel Press and will be returning to Catersource 2018 as a conference speaker.  

Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting will be presenting on Wedding PR on the art of storytelling at the upcoming Be Sage Conference. This November, she will be one of the headliners at the 2017 Wedding Industry Forum, presented by Visit Loudon. 

Phillipvn Photography was featured in Brides.com for his coverage of a unique brunch wedding at the Norwood Club in Manhattan. A few more photos were later featured in a brunch weddings roundup on Brides.com as well.

Bespoke Edge was featured in Feedspot as one of the Top 60 Bespoke Tailoring Blogs. They were also highlighted in Huffington Post for their YouTube style series, the Daily BE.

Cerbelli Creative has been named a preferred partner at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. Company founder Michael Cerbelli, longtime host of Michael Cerbelli's: The Hot List™ at The Special Event, is celebrating 40 years as a special event professional.

Michael Cerbelli was featured on the cover of Corporate & Incentive Travel Magazine with a spotlight on the 16th annual Michael Cerbelli’s: The Hot List™: 2017.

Cerbelli Creative won two awards for the Bigger than Brooklyn Bar Mitzvah at the 2017 ILEA Esprit Awards Gala. Their first award was for Best Print Marketing/Design Collateral, a joint effort with Alpine Creative Group, and the second was for Best Technical Production.

The Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center is going through a renovation. Our changes will offer spectacular new event space, upgraded sleeping rooms, a reimagined contemporary lobby and great room, and a stunning façade to welcome our guests. We are very excited to share our beautiful, new hotel with our guests and partners in the industry. The renovation will begin in October 2017 and we are slated to complete our transformation by Spring 2018!

San Francisco Bay Area WIPA member, Sage McRae, has transitioned from Loews Regency to the iconic Fairmont San Francisco, atop Nob Hill, where she will plan and coordinate weddings, galas, fundraisers, and other social events. The next upcoming WIPA event, for October 12th at Blu Bungalow, will feature her designs inspired by the French artist Henri Matisse.

Tino Productions has won the #1 spot in LA's Hotlist competition for best wedding band. The OC Register named Tino Productions as "best sounding & most versatile dance band on the West Coast". Tino Productions regularly performs for private dance events for DWTS. This year to date, Tino Productions has done weddings in Sonoma, Las Vegas, San Diego, Santa Barbara as well as countless others in LA, OC and Inland Empire.  
Carol Rosen, CSEP, of Party Designs by Carol wants her friends from WIPA and the event industry to know she has officially retired from event planning.  She still plans to keep up with events, and she is looking forward to the next chapter.  Carol thanks everyone for their friendship and support over the years.  “It’s been a great run!”

Rose Alemi at the Philadelphia Museum of Art is delighted to share the classic all-white wedding held at the Rodin Museum and Perelman Building featured in Philadelphia Wedding. This same wedding was also recently featured in the print copy of the magazine. 

FiftyFlowers has created a FREE directory service called FlowerPro Directory for floral companies or individuals who help brides with special event flowers. Offering industry trade discounts on wholesale flowers, and substantial traffic and regional search traffic in the vendors area.

Napa Valley Linens is extending their partnership agreement to Stuart Rentals. Stuart Rentals is a perfect fit for our offering, and we look forward to supporting their growth in the the South Bay, Peninsula, and East Bay. Stuart Rentals extends our visibility in a geographical area beyond our other stellar partners service area, Bright and Encore Events.

National piece, 54thirty was recognized as one of the hottest new bars in the country! Click Here. Along with, Local recognition for top 10 sexiest new bars/restaurants. Click Here.

High Style Rentals, is proud to announce it's partnership with AllSeated, a collaborative network for planning events. High Style Rentals' furniture collection is now available for designing your event with the AllSeated platform, including a NEW 3D & VR mobile View experience. HSR offers collections of modern furniture and prop rentals to event professionals, and venues.

Party Slate recently celebrated the launch of Party Slate Dallas following Chicago and Los Angeles where celebrity planner Mindy Weiss joined them as a consultant and advisor. Party Slate is also excited to announce that they have closed a three million dollar seed round to expand to 12 more cities. 

Premiere Party Rents is featured on Ruffled Blog for this Citrus Hued Whimsical Wedding and this Soft and Romantic Lombardi House Wedding.  

Jessica Lauren Events was named one of the "Top 25 Wedding Planners You Need to Follow On Instagram" by Loverly. Their new industrial glam office was also featured in Style Me Pretty

WIPA NYC has teamed up with ILEA New York Metro to host the unveiling of the new Ziegfeld Ballroom! On Tuesday, October 11th, the building that was once known for hosting movie premieres, will open its doors exclusively to the private events world. With superb live entertainment and a panel of event industry veterans, it will surely be a fun and informative night. Click here to Register.
Rayce PR is thrilled to have partnered with leading luxury wedding blog Strictly Weddings in their coverage of New York Bridal Fashion Week. Rayce PR has recently welcomed three new team members, Marisa Torres, Mandy Wu, and Hannah Onderdonk.  

Wedspire: During Wedding MBA 2017 in Las Vegas Wedspire’s CEO and Co-founder Afeisha James-Kipps spoke on the exhibit stage. She shared sneak peeks of their Wedspiration Feature and announced that they will be accepting submissions from pros for features starting mid-October. 

Chef Neal Fraser and Amy Knoll Fraser have added a garden on-site at Redbird | Vibiana, a career long dream of theirs. The 6,000 square foot space is located just behind the cathedral on land shared with the Little Tokyo Library. A multi-faceted endeavor, the garden is an additional private dining space for weddings, parties, brunches, dinners and more. In addition, it serves as a source of various ingredients for use on the restaurant menu and a place that gives back to the community through a public-private partnership with the Little Tokyo Library and support of other local organizations.

LUXE Linen has recently been featured in the latest print edition of Grace Ormonde for a beautiful design at the LUXE Launch. They have also been featured in California Wedding DayStrictly Weddings and The Knot for various weddings and styled shoots. Clients and customers can new view LUXE Linen's new collection and entire product line on their website.

 

 


  

UPCOMING MEETINGS 

        Colorado Chapter

WIPA Colorado MEMBERS ONLY Event - October 11th
Walker Fine Art Gallery
300 11th Avenue # A
Denver, Co 80204
303-355-8955
www.walkerfineart.com
@WalkerFineArt

Las Vegas Chapter

 Official Hosts of the 2017 WIPA Awards of Excellence

November 29, 2017

 New York Chapter

If you’re an NYC Event Professional, you have to attend the opening of the New Ziegfeld Ballroom!!! We’ve teamed up with ILEA to host this event and the lineup is legendary.

Click the link to register and stay tuned for more details. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/285028?eb=469692

 

 

Atlanta Chapter

 

 

San Francisco Bay Area

Sip and Social 

October 12th, 2017

 

Southern California

 


 

Email [email protected] with any news, images, and social media squares for international promotion! 

Wedding International Professionals Association
8711 E Pinnacle Peak Rd #227
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
United States
844 - 444 - 9300