All Things Weddings
We hope your 2017 is continuing to be a year for of success! We are in awe of the amazing work our members and chapters are doing already this year.

We're excited to partner with HoneyBook to give you less work— and more life: Members save an average of 3 weeks a year on admin tasks!
HoneyBook's easy online client management system was designed just for creatives. You can create, send, and store proposals, contracts, and invoices all in one place, which means you stay organized, and your clients enjoy a modern, professional experience.
It has never been easier to get up and running! WIPA members save 20% off an annual plan,* plus complimentary account setup. Click here to schedule a personalized demo and start your free 14-day trial.
*Offer is only available for the first year of service, and to current WIPA members.

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!

Is time-saving one of your goals for 2017? If so, our newest WIPA Partnership will be right up your alley! WIPA is thrilled to have an exclusive partnership with Where Will They Stay?, a unique service offering custom hotel room block procurement for wedding and event planners. Their free service means that you, or your clients, save the time and hassle of reaching out to hotels for a discounted room block, and their shared revenue model means that their industry partners earn commissions on every referral.
WIPA members will exclusively receive a 20% commission for every referred block. Visit www.wherewilltheystay.com to learn more about their services today!

April's WIPA Webinar: 4/26 at 2pm ET/11am PT led by OFD Consulting owner, Meghan Ely.
Register here: https://app.webinarjam.net/register/33980/043a871076
Ely combines in-the-trenches event experience with a love of wedding PR to empower her clients to take their businesses to new heights. Meghan is a WeddingWire Education Expert as well as a regular contributor to Wedding Planner Magazine, Wedding Business Magazine, Honeybook, Catersource and SpecialEvents.com. Meghan is the national Vice-President for the Wedding International Professionals Association and the 2017 chair of the NACE conference education committee. She is also an adjunct professor in the Mass Communication department at Virginia Commonwealth University, specializing in Public Relations.

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.
Atlanta Chapter New Members
Courtney Clough - Four Seasons Atlanta
[email protected] - 404-253-3815
Windsor Thompson - Paper Daisies Stationery
[email protected]
Colorado Chapter New Members
Sarah Faulkner - Ever So Chic Events
[email protected]
eversochicevents.com - 423-595-7112
Ever So Chic Events is a luxury wedding planning and event design company serving Colorado and wherever love may take us. We accept only a limited number of events each year so that we can focus on offering unmatched service and attention to detail.
Lisa Herrera - A Cake Come True
[email protected]
www.acakecometrue.com - 813-624-2290
Wedding Cakes
Susan Kistner - The St. Regis Aspen Resort
[email protected]
www.stregisaspen.com = 970-319-5533
The St. Regis Aspen Resort is a contemporary version of a Gilded Age mountainside manor which provides an uncompromising base for arbiters of fine food and wine, connoisseurs of culture and adventure seekers. Located just steps from Aspens signature slopes and featuring premier amenities and St. Regis service, welcome to our signature Aspen resort
Jess Walker - Le Meridien & AC Hotel Denver Downtown
[email protected] - 340-344-5254
www.lemeridiendenverdowntown.com
New Orleans Chapter-In-Formation New Members
Ashley Brodie - Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group (RBRG) Brennan's Restaurant
[email protected]
www.brennansneworleans-food.com, www.neworleans-food.com - 504.934.3329
RBRG- Restaurant Group- Brennan's Restaurant
Cayse Landry - Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group
[email protected]
www.redfishgrill.com - 504.539.5508
Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group- Red Fish Grill
Aaron Miller - Aaron Lane Pro DJ Entertainment
[email protected]
www.AaronLaneEntertainment.com - 337-945-6721
We are a fun, professional DJ, Lighting & Photobooth company, operating in New Orleans and Lafayette, LA
Anita Montero - Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group
[email protected]
www.neworleans-food.com - 504.488.5100
Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group- Ralph's on the Park
Timothy Pham - Ardent Studio
[email protected]
www.ardentstudio.com - 504-236-3206
Antoinette Savoie - Pigeon Caterers
[email protected] - 504-262-0412
Full Service Catering Company
Kimberly Sayatovic - Belladeux Event Design
[email protected]
belladeuxevents.com - 504-323-2100
Full service event design, planning, and management
Beth Sigur - Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group
[email protected]
www.napoleonhouse.com - 504.934.4704
Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group- Napoleon House
Emily Sullivan - Emily Sullivan Events
[email protected]
www.emilysullivanevents.com - 504-444-1165
Destination Event planner in New Orleans, LA
Beebe Tran - Studio Tran Photographers
[email protected]
www.studiotran.com - 504-258-7260
Wedding and portrait photography
Corine Tran - Studio Tran
[email protected]
www.studiotran.com - 504-352-0225
Wedding and Portrait photography
Melissa Ursin - Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group- Heritage Grill
[email protected]
www.heritagegrillmetairie.com - 504.539.5511
Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group- Heritage Grill and Ralph Brennan Catering
Gail Varuso - Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group- Ralph Brennan Catering
[email protected]
www.ralphbrennancatering.com, www.heritagegrillmetairie.com - 504.539.5515
Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group- Ralph Brennan Catering and Heritage Grill
Jennifer Vu - Firefly Ambiance
[email protected]
www.fireflyambiance.com - 504-258-3564
Specialty Event Decor, Lighting & Furniture Rental
New York Chapter New Members
Rachel Dalton - Premier Parties
[email protected]
www.premierpartiesnyc.com - 914-589-9792
Rachel Dalton, President, is a NYC-based attorney who secures and produces celebrity talent (musicians, comedians, athletes, chefs, speakers and more) for all types of events and unique, personal experiences.
Harlan Ellis - Hank Lane Music & Productions
[email protected]
www.hanklane.com - 212-767-0600
Full-service event entertainment & production
Leah Hoos - Mandarin Oriental, New York
[email protected] 212.805.8857
Offering a bird’s eye view of the city, Mandarin Oriental, New York is a luxury hotel with a five-star difference. Offering one of the most striking event locations in Manhattan, distinguished by the stunning views from our event spaces and guest rooms. The magnificent backdrop of Central Park and the New York City Skyline will make your event or occasion truly outstanding.
Phil Karatzia - Total Entertainment
[email protected]
totallylive.com 201-894-0055 x206
Entertainment/Event Production
Harris Lane - Hank Lane Music & Productions
[email protected]
www.HankLane.com 212-767-0600
Full-service event entertainment & production
Sonal Peiris - Sonal J. Shah Event Consultants, LLC.
[email protected]
www.sjsevents.com - 212-683-0683
Sonal J. Shah Event Consultants, LLC. is an event planning company, specializing in South Asian Weddings. Owner, Sonal J. Shah has over 12 years of experience in wedding planning and has planned more that 1,100 weddings, including destination weddings.
Jennifer Thompson - NST Pictures
[email protected]
www.nstpictures.com - 212.643.3200
We are passionate about creating gorgeous, artistic wedding films that capture the atmosphere and emotion of one of the most important days in a family's history.
Phoenix Chapter New Members
Devin Berko - Something New Media
[email protected]
somethingnew.media - 602-730-0478
Photography and Videography Services in the Arizona and Chicago Markets
Rachael Koscica - Rachael Koscica Photography
[email protected] 480-444-6571
I'm Rachael Koscica, an Arizona fine art wedding photographer who specializes in working with couples who want fine art quality photography, a friendly partner in the planning process, and someone who can make them feel relaxed, at ease, and naturally beautiful in every shot. With over 5 years experience specializing in weddings, I love serving couples on one of the happiest day of their life.
San Francisco Chapter New Members
Jamie Lagoyda - Las Alcobas, Napa Valley
[email protected]
www.lasalcobasnapavalley.com - 707-963-7000
Luxury Resort & Spa in St. Helena, Napa Valley
Selma Santoyo - Westin St. Francis
[email protected]
http://www.westinstfrancis.com/ - 415-774-0450
The Westin St. Francis is the Premier Wedding Venue in Union Square.
Southern California Chapter New Members
Cindy Celis - LUXE Linen
[email protected]
www.luxelinen.org - 310-606-1265
Boutique Linen Vendor
Robert Hilo - Hilo Productions
[email protected]
www.hiloproductions.com - 714-365-1597
Dj, Emcee and Lighting Design
Tino Macchia - Tino Productions
[email protected]
www.tinoproductions.com - 949-533-1006
Live dance band
Rob Pausmtih - Contemporary Catering
[email protected]
contemporarycatering.com = 310-558-8190
See Contemporary Catering Corporate Profile
Jenny Quicksall - Jenny Quicksall Photography
[email protected]
www.jennyquicksall.com - 626-390-6022
Wedding Photography
Emma Seitz - Grace & Gold Events
[email protected]
www.graceandgoldevents.com - 503-329-8464
Wedding Planning & Coordination
CHECK OUT WIPA'S RECENT EVENTS!
Atlanta Chapter
We had an amazing time at the Members Only WIPA Wine and Weddings Tour! Atlantic Limousine provided a luxury bus as we toured beautiful event spaces and tasted the finest wines Georgia has to offer from Three Sisters, Frogtown, Kaya and Wolf Mountain Vineyards. A gourmet lunch was provided by Three Sisters Catering. Thank you Julie Anne Photography, LLC for capturing the day!






Phoenix Chapter
Thank you to sponsors from our last event on March 31. Take a look at some photos of the day! It was a beautiful event.




San Francisco Chapter

For March, we had our March Mixer at the Bluxome Winery Tasting room at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. It was a great success with our generous and amazing sponsors. We enjoyed wine from Bluxome Winery, savory bites from Herbs & Spices Catering, Cheese from SF's Cheese School, and sweets from Carrie Dove Catering. Our rentals were not your everyday matching dishware. We had beautiful stacks of cake platters from Julia's Cake Stand Rentals, vintage rentals from Katy Birds- she brought different wine glasses that made us all feel like we were royalty!! Kate Holtzen photographed the entire event- we have proof that everyone enjoyed the DIY floral crowns- even all the gentlemen!
Our March Mixer provided a professional fun space to network, meet new vendors and showcase the many talents of the Bay. Amanda Fein Events & Design paired the fun florals, vintage rentals, creative bites and bright linens from Napa Valley Linens with live music from Reggae Speaks, Robert Ledesma sang acoustic sets for the duration of our sunshine filled event.
We had an amazing evening with an energetic crowd.
Las Vegas

Oh what a night February 1st was for the WIPA LV Chapter. Everyone was dressed to impress and ready for the fun evening ahead. Champagne flowed for the meet and greet which took place in the Foxtail lounge, while everyone was greeted by the past 2016 and upcoming 2017 board members. The room was dressed with lovely floral centerpieces that were just the right accent for the space. Foxtail Lounge has two large existing birdcages in the center of the room that we adorned with tall draped floral candelabras that you couldn’t help but use as your backdrop for a photo opp. Our keynote speaker Vanessa Chamberlin was energetic as she encouraged the group to be the best you can be moving into the New Year no matter what trials and tribulations your encounter in life.



After the keynote speaker; WIPA members and their guests were escorted to the Congo Ballroom. Upon arrival to the room, all the guests were greeted with big bright white marquee letters that spelled out WIPA and an interactive step and repeat to capitalize on their fancy attire and the dates they were encouraged to bring. Destinations by Design had decided to go with a light grey, ivory and lavender color scheme. Complementing the ballroom where long mirror top tables were dressed with a meandering lavender and ivory centerpiece down the center. The rounds were complete with towering crystal candelabras to add some height to the room; as the stage was treated with a candlelit glow atop large mirror striped pedestals. The dance floor was inviting to everyone to take part either by cutting a rug or enjoying the stylish grey furniture groupings lining the dance floor.

Throughout the evening guests enjoyed signature cocktails served from the cool ICE bar. The meal and service was nothing but top notch and had everyone full of enjoyment. During the meal, our 2017 board was sworn in by our WIPA National President Rrivre Davies. WIPA Las Vegas also held their first chapter award ceremony; which three awards were handed out to surprised members. The night ended with a fun upbeat dance party but not complete without our foam glow sticks!

Sponsors Venue & Catering: SLS Las Vegas Floral & Décor: Destinations by Design Photo & Video: Stephen Salazar Photography DJ: Livinh Events Stationery: Aisle Bound Marquee Letters: LED Unplugged Ice Bar: The Vegas Ice Man Step & Repeat: LV Photo Hair & Makeup: Amelia C & Co.
WIPA Southern California
Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for our March WIPA Socal meeting! It was a great day of networking, catching up with friends, and education. Congratulations to our new board that was installed.




Sponsors:
Jessica Lauren Events
Classic Party Rentals
Hoo Films
Wildflower Linen
DJ Sota Entertainment
Pixter Photobooth
The Dollybirds
StudioBloomLA
Ron Levy Photography
The Dirty Cookie
Love By Three Concepts
Paradise Delight Floral & Event Productions
Balboa Bay Resort
M Culinary Concepts has earned the #1 Off-Prem Caterer title from Phoenix Business Journal for the 8th year in a row!
Amelia C & Co Hair and Makeup Artistry is excited to announce our expansion from our home base in Las Vegas to Chicago! We are looking forward to meeting and working with wedding professionals in the Chicago and surrounding areas starting this fall!
M Catering by Michael’s, part of the M Culinary Concepts family of hospitality brands, was the preferred caterer for top NCAA Final Four clients and the Phoenix Local Organizing Committee at the March Madness Music Festival at Margaret T. Hance Park and the Tipoff Tailgate Celebration at University of Phoenix Stadium, serving over 6,000 VIP guests over four days in two cities!
Jessica Lauren Events was thrilled to be featured in Southern California Bride for their Glamorous Oceanfront Wedding. California Wedding Day also featured their Rustic Laguna Beach Wedding!
Eddie Zaratsian of Eddie Zaratsian Lifestyle and Design releases new DIY floral video tutorials every week. Start creating today.
Saddle Ridge at Beaver Creek Resort, an Iconic Weddings destination, was featured in print and online in Martha Stewart Weddings Winter 2017 for the elegant mountain wedding of Alyssa and Lindsay. #LoveIsLove
Jeremy from Karma Event Lighting & AV will be speaking at this year’s Wedding MBA in Las Vegas. The seminar will include ideas on creating dramatic moments with lighting and video projection along with tips for sales and marketing.
Alan Katz of Great Officiants just got cast as the Officiant on another TV Wedding Reality Show Series for TLC. One episode has been shot so far with hopefully more to come. Once the show dates are announced Alan will announce it publicly. This after officiating the now famous Finale Wedding on 90 Day Fiancé. Also in April the Disney Chanel show Walk the Prank will show 3 episodes where Alan pranks 9 of his Officiants on a “Hidden Camera Show” The pranks will be up on YouTube and keep your eye on Alan’s Facebook page for the links.
Legendary Events just won 2 Allie Awards for ‘Best Menu Presentation’ & ‘Best tabletop Design’ at the 27th annual Allie Awards.
Legendary Events’ 20th anniversary year is off to a great start, thanks to Founder and CEO Tony Conway, CMP, who was recently honored with 2 prestigious accolades, the Special Events Magazine, Richard Carbotti Gala Award, which salutes philanthropy, and the Buckhead Business Association Sam Massell Bullish in Buckhead Award, which is given to a member of the Buckhead community, for actively promoting the area in a positive light.
Kevin Dennis of WeddingIQ was featured in Wedding Planner Magazine, as he shared his insight on transforming a business. Kevin also hosted the recent NACE Members-Only Virtual Hangout on the topic of Event Décor and Lighting.
Premiere Party Rents was featured on The Knot and People for exclusive looks at celebrity event planner David Tutera’s recent rehearsal dinner and Los Angeles wedding.
Premiere Party Rents is also a 2017 California Wedding Day Best of Finalist for “Best Rentals” in the Los Angeles region.
Tony’s Catering and Occasions Catering announced that Occasions will take over Tony’s full-service catering operations. Tony’s Catering, a division of Tony’s Meats & Market, will continue to offer pick-up, drop-off, and limited service catering to its clients. Occasions will assume all of Tony’s full-service clients, including weddings, business gatherings, and non-profit fundraisers. Once the two companies have completed the transition of existing clients, they will explore deeper partnership opportunities that leverage the strengths of the two longstanding Denver businesses.
Amy Green and Melanie Marconi of Where Will They Stay? were recently featured in Wedding Planner Magazine, where they spoke on diversifying services. They also had a guest blog published on AllSeated about booking room blocks for weddings. Where Will They Stay? is also delighted to offer WIPA members a 20% commission for every referred block.
Thomas Bui from Thomas Bui Lifestyle will be speaking at The San Diego NACE chapter in April. The topic of discussion will be trends in the luxury wedding market.
Cystal Plaza Group is celebrating their 100th year in business.
Las Vegas Director of Membership, Tara Federico of Scheme Events, welcomed her second baby girl into her family on Monday. Mom and baby are doing well!
View the Aspen Chamber Resort Association’s new listing on Grace Ormonde’s Platinum List for 2017.
Breluxe Beauty has partnered with the Beauty Bus Foundation to help Bring Beauty Home and pamper individuals who are chronically or terminally ill and their caregivers. The first event with them will be Beauty Drive on May 7th at the Skirball Cultural Center.
LUXE Linen recently hosted its LUXE Launch 2017 event at Vibiana. This event pairs California's best wedding designers and florists as they create a vignette using LUXE Linen's latest collection. The night featured 13 designers and florists and was enjoyed by over 500 guests.
Breluxe Beauty is very excited to welcome their newest account manager, Amber Hulse! Amber came to Breluxe with a plethora of experience in managing and has already started showcasing her talents.
On March 21 the Bently Reserve hosted the incredible “Swing Into Spring Party” produced by Entire Productions in partnership with AllSeated. This interactive celebration showcased the Bay Area’s best talent, entertainers, and event suppliers. There was even a special VIP reception with Celebrity Wedding Planner Mindy Weiss.
Rachel Havel Photography was featured in Harper's Bazaar for actress Aimee Carrero's Majestic Mountain Wedding in Aspen. She was also featured in Style Me Pretty, Magnolia Rouge, and Bridal Guide's latest print edition.
Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting is thrilled to announce the April launch of the OFD Collective, a membership site for educational opportunities and exclusive press opportunities.
Solage, an Auberge Resort has received Five-Stars from Forbes Travel Guide. Solage is now one of only two Five Star-rated hotels in Napa Valley.
Rayce PR and Marketing had a productive and eventful March with the successful execution of Luxe Launch 2017 for client Luxe Linen. The showcasing and design event was held for the second year in a row at Vibiana and was attended by hundreds of top industry professionals.
Snapbooth Entertainment is excited to announce the addition of two new photobooths which are capable of: Animated Gifs, Morphing, Adding Photo Filters and Boomerang Gifs. These new booths offer mermaid backdrops that the guests can write in!
Mike Fazio has been traveling and speaking a lot this year. He was an instructor at PBPI (www.pbpi.org) in front of 150 photobooth owners in New Orleans. Mike also spoke in Las Vegas at PBX www.photoboothexpo.com in front of 500 photographers, photobooth owners, and DJ's learning how to build relationships with venues to branch into the photobooth world. Mike will be speaking again in Sunny Southern California April 10-12 for The Booth Summit (www.boothsummit.com) Mike is Passionate about helping others to start, grow, or spark their photobooth companies!
Jonathan and Kaye won the Modern Luxury Diamond Award for best Wedding Videographer.
Jonathan and Kaye won the Allies Award for best Event Videographer.
Jonathan and Kaye was voted Best Wedding Cinematographer in Atlanta by Borrowed & Blue.
Take a look at the new event spaces at Carnegie Hall. Contact Bethany to hear about their new wedding package.
Opened since 2015, Chateau Luxe is a premier event venue conveniently located in north Phoenix. Chateau Luxe embodies a modern ode to decadence and luxury that carries through the entire venue in the lush fabrics, spectacular custom designed chandeliers and luxurious furniture. This high standard follows to the new garden opening just adjacent to the venue. The Garden at Chateau Luxe is surrounded by spectacular mountain views at every turn that showcases the natural beauty of the desert. Tall palms line the 25,000 square feet garden with bright, seasonal flowers, mini palms, desert shrubs, and lush vines strategically placed throughout the space. The garden’s versatility makes it the perfect space for cocktail parties, ceremonies, receptions, intimate dinners, fashion shows, large-scale events, and corporate functions.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Atlanta Chapter

Join WIPA Atlanta as we Light IT Up at the Commerce Club April 19th with a panel of lighting gurus.
Hear first hand how Heath Alan Ray from Jackson Durham incorporates lighting into his designs. Learn how lighting color choices and position effects photos and videos from the talented Spencer Clark of Anna and Spencer Photography. Matt Clauser of Active Production and John Scroggins with MAGNUM will be onstage to talk us through the technical aspects of event lighting and their personal experiences lighting events. This panel is designed to help take your events to the next level with lighting that will blow your clients’ minds. Find out what works and what doesn't work. Discover tips to help you encourage clients to focus on lighting to add to the guest experience!
Register here https://wipa.memberclicks.net/atlanta
Thank you to our sponsors
Linen, Floral and Decor: Jackson Durham Furnishings: Event Rentals Unlimited Venue & Catering: Commerce Club Video: Jonathan and Kaye
Colorado Chapter

Please Save the Date!
May 24, 2017 - WIPA Colorado 2nd Quarter Event!
11 AM | Registration
11:15 - 11:45 | Networking Activity
11:45-1 PM | Luncheon
1-2 PM | Speaker
2 PM | Q&A + Networking
Sponsors:
Venue: McNichols Building
Speaker: Lindsay Longacre of LVL Weddings
Catering and Decor: Amora Group
Paper: Details Delivered
Floral: Poppy Pine
Entertainment: Hipster Mama Productions
Photography: Danielle Defiore
Videography: Seven 5 Films
Learn how to grow your team and build a sustainable business model. Registration and more details to come! You can attend one WIPA Colorado event as a Non-Member.
Philadelphia Chapter
Join Wedding International Professionals Association (WIPA) for an educational evening on 'Attaining Expert Status- How To Become an Event Industry Leader' with our Keynote Speaker Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting.
Timeline: 5:30-6:30: MEMBERS ONLY Reception with Meghan Ely 6:30-7:45: Cocktails, Bites & Networking 7:45-8:30: Program 8:30-9:00: Dessert & Mingling
PLEASE NOTE: Registration through the link provided in necessary to be added to the Guest List of this Event. This is a ticketed event with limited space, so please register soon before tickets sell out!
New York Chapter

WIPA NYC will be hosting their next event on May 11th at Above 12, 247 West 38th Street 13th floor, from 6:00PM– 9:00 PM. The event will include discussions about design trends with insight from some of the top luxury designers in the New York City. The panel will include Ron Ben-Israel of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, Ed Libby of Ed Libby Designs & Floral Creations and Christine Traulich of Red Bliss Designs. The moderator will be announced at a later date.
San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
We can not wait for our May 1st meeting.
Las Vegas Chapter
Save The Date: June 1, September 7, November 29

Phoenix Chapter
Save the date for our next event on May 10.

Southern California Chapter

Don't forget to mark your calendars for our next educational event taking place on Wednesday, May 3! We are excited to announce that the event will be taking place at the beautiful Mr. C Beverly Hills. We are excited for you all to see this amazing venue. Stay tuned for more details to come #wipa #wipasocal #wipawednesday

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