Wedding Academy | Wedding planner courses, wedding stylist courses, wedding business courses About

Meet the Wedding Academy Team

Jac Bowie
Owner & CEO

With a 15-year events career producing everything from book tours to burlesque shows, Jac Bowie is no stranger to managing demanding schedules, creative problem-solving on the spot, and curating once-in-a-lifetime experiences with meticulous attention-to-detail. Her portfolio includes work for iconic clients like Cirque Du Soleil, Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney—but she eventually found her true home in the world of weddings, where she could apply her impressive organisational skills and sharp stylist’s eye in a more intimate way.

As a seasoned event producer with over 500+ events under her belt, experience leading an array of wedding businesses, and passion for coaching others, Jac is pouring the breadth of it all into Wedding Academy as its new CEO. From founding Business in Heels and growing it to 54 franchises around the world and Darling Don’t Panic to a team of 18 planners across Australia to more than a decade of coaching business owners and sitting on the advisory board for wedtech company Thymebase, Jac’s mission is to support each of the driven wedding planners in the Academy community.

Mentor

I have just celebrated 10 years of my wedding planning business and looking forward to 10 more. It has flown by and I attribute that to the lifestyle it has given me and the fact that it does not feel like work.

A decade ago my life was very different, I was a secondary school teacher working long hours and having no freedom in my job. So rather than doing it till I retired I thought I should follow my heart and started setting up my own wedding planning business, so I have been where you are and remember it well.

I loved planning my own wedding (secret – not everybody does you know) and felt that I had more skills to offer and wanted to explore a new path. Might have been the hormones as I was on maternity leave with my third daughter, but whatever spurred me on I have never regretted it.

A short while into that journey I started working with the academy mentoring students alongside planning weddings and I have done the 2 side by side ever since. I am very lucky to have found a career that combines my 2 strengths and passions – teaching and weddings. Although I am not a great believer in luck, it was not an accident that this happened I take full responsibility for it and love sharing what I have learnt along the way with fellow wedding business enthusiasts.

Mentor

I’m Kristin, and so thrilled to connect with you. I’m based in the United States with offices in Florida, New Hampshire and Tennessee.

A bit about me….after experiencing a nightmare during my very own destination wedding I have since spent decades as a Destination Wedding & Celebration Planner. I am the Founder & Creator of The Bridal Retreat where “Wedding Planning marries Wellness”. During Covid19 I became an International Best Selling Author and launched my wedding retail line. After living in the Florida Keys and San Diego for many years, I am now making history in the Music City of Nashville, Tennessee.

I have had a few five minutes of fame in my career, one having a Wedding featured on ABC Primetime with Diane Sawyer; it will be the only time as I would never again allow my clients or myself to take part in the media circus during such an important time in their lives.

It is my dream to plan a destination wedding on a yacht, moored off the island of Hydra in Greece. I spent six weeks writing on Hydra one Summer and vowed to return for this!

Mentor

If I were a wedding I would be a multicultural destination wedding. Why? I have had the privilege of living in various places with some amazing friends who have all invited me to their weddings in some far flung places. Destination weddings satisfies my wanderlust and helps me connect with people who I enjoy spending time with and celebrating a special occasion in exotic locations.

I came into the wedding industry via my background in marketing and media sales and honestly I have never looked back. Moving from a bridal media owner selling advertising space on their website to joining the Wedding Academy and helping the next generation of wedding planners join our fantastic industry has been amazing. It’s been great to be a part of the wedding industry in Dubai, the community has grown and I have had the privilege of attending various conferences in and around the GCC and Europe as well as speaking and organising industry events and parties together with industry associations such as ILEA (International Live Events Association)

I love helping to connect people who go on to create amazing things together. It’s not about growing the industry for me but about helping people realize their full potential to live their dreams and become successful wedding business entrepreneurs.

Mentor

I’m Lisa,

I grew up in a small city in New Zealand called Nelson. I moved to Brisbane in 2008 and spent most of my 20’s perusing various careers trying to find just the think that I felt passionate about.

I knew from an early age that I was always going to start my own business one day. That was always my goal, I dreamed of having a career that supported my work life balance and allowed me to work flexible hours from home.

After moving to Australia I spent years studying everything from Business Management, Human Resources and Accounting. I worked in various corporate positions and never really felt satisfied with trying to climb the corporate ladder.

Everything changed for me in 2011 after I got engaged. I absolutely (like a lot of us!) fell in love with everything weddings! I felt like I had found something that I needed to pursue as a career. The whole wedding planning process brought me so much enjoyment. As a naturally organised person I knew my previous experience and skills would align perfectly with the change in career.

I signed up for a course with The Wedding Academy a few months before I got married in 2012. I knew straight away that I was on the right path. The months I spent completing the course and putting together a business plan for my own wedding planning business brought me so much fulfilment.

By the age of 24 I had my own business in Brisbane specialising in Wedding Styling and Planning. My business went on to achieve every goal I set for it, even the ones I felt that were never going to be achievable. I poured my heart and soul (as well as finances!) into growing my little business and I feel so proud of everything I achieved during the 4 years I owned it. Of course I made mistakes along the way and often spent way too much money on unnecessary things but I learnt so many valuable lessons that have allowed me now to go on to start other businesses in the industry.

After selling my business and having my son Lincoln, I moved back to New Zealand in 2018. I have worked for the Wedding Academy for over 4 years now and have really enjoyed sharing my experiences with other students as they work towards starting their own businesses in this exciting industry! I also currently own a Social Media Management business called Socialised, where I look after a variety of clients predominately across the Wedding and Events Industry.

Apprentice Wedding Planner

My childhood was heavily revolved around sports and competition. I was a competitive figure skater for 12 years and this took me all around the world and allowed me to experience my life in so many exciting environments. My day to day life consisted of rhinestones and sequins, early mornings and freezing cold ice rinks.

Being a competition kid meant that I was used to the varied pressures that came to present themselves in early adulthood.

For a very long time, I believed that skating would be my whole life and my career. I gave up when I was 18, when I realised that I needed to put the wheels in motion and properly consider what I would really like do for a living.

When dreaming of my future career, I always took my inspiration from my favourite chick flick idols. I decided I would either work in a publishing house, be a ruthless Editor and Chief (who looks just like Meryl Streep) at an elite fashion brand or a magazine journalist writing about classic dating faux pas in the Big Apple.

Of course, these all seemed extremely realistic to my 14 year old self. It was probably a mixture of these films that ultimately led me to do a degree in journalism.

But what about after university? After school?

What happens when we’re flung into adulthood headfirst with no roadmap?

The words “real job” have been embedded in my brain for about the last 5 years, and it’s no less daunting at 22 than it was at 17.

The industry is ingrained in my DNA as I’ve watched my mum be the successful entrepreneur that she is for so many years. Yes, she’s the CEO of the Wedding Academy.

So with all of this in mind, I’ve finally decided to take the metaphorical leap and take my first steps to becoming a certified wedding planner. My role at the Academy is to help those of you, who like me, feel stuck and want some help to take that leap into a career they love.

Zoe
Mckeown

Mentor

Kristin
Sullivan

Mentor

Lisa
Macale

Mentor

Mariana
Gonzalez

Academy Admin

David Tutera

- David Tutera

Leading Wedding & Entertaining Expert, David Tutera is hailed as an artistic visionary whose ability, uniquely creative talents and outstanding reputation have made him a tremendous success in the lifestyle arena. Tutera has created a name for himself by taking his passion for designing spectacular events and transforming it into a lifestyle. He continuously exceeds the expected with an unmatched level of inspiration, imagination and innovation to create the latest trends in entertaining.

Tutera’s grandfather, a successful florist, first noticed his grandson’s artistic ability at an early age and encouraged David to pursue his destiny. At age 19, with the sound advice of his grandfather and only one client, David opened his own event planning business. Today, David Tutera presides over an award winning company built from experience, dedication and Tutera’s natural talent for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. His name has become synonymous with style, elegance, creativity and vision.

David Tutera has a natural talent for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. His name has become synonymous with style, elegance, creativity and vision.

Honored by Life & Style Magazine as “Best Celebrity Wedding Planner,” David’s impressive client list includes Jewel, Star Jones’ wedding, Real Housewife Taylor Armstrong’s wedding, Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul’s wedding, NY Giants Antonio Pierce’s wedding, Shannen Doherty’s wedding and events for Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Brandy and Ray J, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Lil’ Kim, the Official Post Grammy Parties in New York City, Elton John, Barbara Walters, the Rolling Stones, Nancy Reagan, Prince Charles, The White House, private events for the Vice President, Kenneth Cole, Tommy Hilfiger, Susan Lucci, The John F. Kennedy Center, as well as countless film premieres and celebrity parties for royalty, politicians and socialites. Tutera has also designed events for several charities including the Prevent Cancer Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association, DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids) and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

David has made guest appearances on Today, Extra!, Good Morning America, The View, CNN, The Rachael Ray Show, The Talk, Steve Harvey, Wendy Williams and many more. In addition People, USA Today, In Touch, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, In Style, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Bridal Guide and Town & Country have all featured his work. Tutera has also made special television appearances in the popular daytime soap, The Young & the Restless and TV Land’s The Exes.

David lives in Los Angeles with his husband Joey, daughter Cielo and their rescue dog Lucy.

Chanda Daniels

- A Monique Affair

Recognized as one of the nation’s leading LGBTQ+ Wedding Experts, Chanda Daniels is the Owner & Creative Director of Chanda Daniels Planning + Design (www.chandadaniels.com) and founder of A Monique Affair (www.amoniqueaffair.com), one of the leading event planning companies in the San Francisco Bay area. A natural at designing and planning events, Chanda’s years of design experience have established her as an expert in her field. Earning a bachelor of the arts degree in hospitality management from San Francisco State University, Chanda has mastered the fundamentals of her craft. Combining these skills with her passion for creating events, she founded A Monique Affair in February 1999 and in 2018 founded Chanda Daniels, Planning + Design which focuses on refined fine art wedding weekends.

With 22 years of planning and design experience, Chanda has worked with some of the most prestigious venues and creatives in the industry. As an industry educator, Chanda loves to educate her peers and new creatives entering the wedding industry on LGBTQ+ Weddings and Diversity and Inclusion.

Chanda believes in celebrating milestone events with class, style and richness. Chanda’s weddings have been featured in several national publications, including Martha Stewart Weddings, Munaluchi Bride, The Knot, and Today’s Bride, and was named a Top Wedding Planner by Harper’s Bazaar, Martha Stewart Weddings & BRIDES Magazine.

Emily Sullivan

- Emily Sullivan Events

Emily Sullivan is the owner of Emily Sullivan Events, a boutique wedding and event-planning firm based in New Orleans, LA, that specializes in celebrations throughout the Southeast. With a passion for entertaining, she uses her intuition and attention to details to customize each and every wedding experience for her clients.

She is a sought-after national speaker, with recent and upcoming engagements including The Special Event, NACE, WeddingWire World, and Wedding MBA. Emily was the inaugural chapter president for WIPA New Orleans, and now serves as the immediate past president.

Emily has been recognized by several industry publications for her achievements and insight, including Brides, Country Living, The Knot, Southern Weddings, Style Me Pretty and Catersource.

Tara Fay

- Tara Fay

In 1997, Tara Fay opened the doors to Xena Productions, the first event company in Ireland to specialize in private parties, weddings, corporate and social events.

Since that time, Tara and her team has produced award-winning events for high profile and celebrity clients throughout Ireland, as well as the UK, Spain, France, Caribbean. She is known as the “Wedding Planner’s Wedding Planner,” and is a sought after industry speaker.

In 2018 Tara started a rebrand of her company to become known as Tara Fay Events. For the past five years she has been assisting the national tourist board of Ireland in creating a strategy and developing Ireland as an international wedding destination. This included overseeing the 2018 Engage conference at the award winning Adare Manor.

Tara’s work has been nominated multiple times for “Best Wedding” Gala Award at the Special Event Show and when she took home the honor in 2010, she became the first European ever to win this accolade.

A regular on national radio and TV, Tara and her work have been featured in Harpers Bazaar, Fortune Magazine, Hello Magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings, VIP, Brides and Destination I Do to mention just a few.

Her TV appearances includes her role as co-star of RTE Ireland’s popular production of “My Big Day: Home or Away”, alongside industry colleague Bruce Russell. This dynamic TV duo have recently launched their joint brand, “Bruce & Tara Live” which brings wedding planning expertise to the masses via digital media.

Beth Bernstein

- SQN Events and Essential I Dos

After nearly a decade working at Chicago’s top advertising agencies followed by several years planning events for non-profit organizations, Beth Bernstein founded SQN Events in May 2009 and added Essential I Dos to the SQN brand in 2020, and is a founding member of the Small Wedding Society.

Beth’s work has been featured in numerous publications and blogs, including: Carats + Cake, Destination I Do, Inside Weddings, The Knot, Modern Luxury Weddings, Style Me Pretty, PartySlate, and more. SQN Events was named one of the Top 50 Wedding Planners by PartySlate in 2018.

Beth has spoken at several industry events, including Engage! and WeddingWire World. She currently serves as Secretary for WIPA International and is the immediate Past-President of the Chicago chapter, which won the “Chapter of the Year” award for 2019.

A recipient of Wish Upon a Wedding’s Shining Star Award, Beth is well-respected amongst her peers as a leader in the industry, taking strong stands on topics such as transparency with clients, community over competition, and mental health awareness.

A New Jersey native living in Chicago for 25 years, Beth brings her East Coast edge and Midwest charm together, getting sh*t done with a smile. When she’s not working, you can find Beth at a coffee shop, SoulCycle, volunteering, or screaming her head off at her son’s hockey games. Beth resides in Chicago with her husband, Dan, and two children, Zoe and Jason.

Gretchen Culver

- Rocket Science Weddings & Events

Although she didn’t realize it at the time, Gretchen’s desire to run her own business started at a young age with her summer lemonade stands. After college, a lemonade stand didn’t seem to be the best way to pay back her student loans, so she entered the world of events working for a catering company. She quickly fell in love with weddings and has been creating them ever since.

Over the past 16 years, Gretchen has worked in almost every area of the industry. She launched her own event planning company, Rocket Science Events, in 2010, hoping to revolutionize weddings. In the same revolutionary spirit she launched Minne Weddings in 2020. Her side hustle is coaching and consulting for creatives.

Gretchen has been named one of the “30 under 40 to watch” by Special Events magazine and one of BRIDES and Martha Stewart’s Top Planners. Her work has won international awards and been featured in magazines, online and on TV.  She is active in her local International Live Events Association (ILEA) chapter, a founder of the Small Wedding Society, and proud member of House Ravenclaw. In her free time she loves building LEGO with her kids and Netflix and chilling with her husband.

Michelle Loretta

- Sage Wedding Pros

Michelle Loretta is a business consultant and ﬁnancial strategist for wedding and event professionals. As founder of Sage Wedding Pros she blends her past as an accountant for Deloitte, a sales and marketing manager for DDLA, a merchandiser for Coach, and a stationery entrepreneur to strengthen wedding businesses worldwide. Sage Wedding Pros produces the next‑level summit Be Sage Conference. Michelle has been asked to speak at a number of industry conferences, including NACE Experience, Biz Bash Live, and The Special Event.

Jon’ll Boyd

- Completely Yours Events

Jon’ll Boyd enjoyed a successful career in sales and marketing before embarking on her venture, as the CEO of Completely Yours Events. Her educational background and corporate planning experience led her to the fateful decision to pursue her own business after being unexpectedly downsized from her corporate career.
Today, she leads a team of four Lead Event Planners managing a large number of events each year. Boyd’s favorite aspect of the event business is the honor of being tasked with carrying out the vision of her clients and creating an experience for their guests that will last a lifetime.
She is fascinated by this industry that she feels chose her, and actively seeks out new ways to give back to the industry by paying it forward and mentoring other starting and transitioning planners as well as serving on the board of organizations such as NACE‐National Association of Catering and Events.
Outside of Completely Yours Events Jon’ll has also become an advocate for helping new, transitioning and upcoming planners understand
how to grow a thriving business by understanding “its a business not a hobby”. She has had the humbling opportunity to speak on national stages such as NACE Experience Conference, WeddingWire World, and ILEA LIVE amongst others.
She is the proud founder of The Planners Suite Conference. A unique and one of a kind experience created just for planners to focus on the business acumen of their enterprise.

Terrica Skaggs

- Cocktails and Details

Spreading her metropolitan style throughout the low country, Terrica Skaggs has been creating exquisite weddings in the Golden Isles area for the past ten years. Specializing in modern Southern weddings, she believes in creating custom experiences inspired by her clients’ love stories while infusing technology and efficiency. Selected as Jekyll Island’s Dream Wedding Planner for its Dream Wedding Giveaway, Terrica’s weddings and expertise have been featured in The Knot, Southern Weddings, BRIDES, HLN tv, and Style Me Pretty. Terrica is an ardent educator of those in the wedding industry with her education system, “Run the World”.

Ceci Johnson

- Ceci New York

A force in the design world, Ceci Johnson is an influential and highly regarded entrepreneur, artist, editor, and loving wife and mother. She is renowned for her creative talents, always pushing the envelope in business and design, as well as with her own fashion-forward style and sophisticated brand aesthetic. Dedicated to a lifetime pursuit of living glamorously through design, Ceci has built a powerhouse atelier and transformed the art of inviting and branding.

Ceci Johnson is a highly sought-after speaker on branding, design and entrepreneurship for women in business, designers, wedding industry professionals and numerous companies around the world from Goldman Saks to Adobe Software and luxury symposiums from Moscow to Paris. She is passionate about mentoring and consulting with other entrepreneurs as the first step in changing the path they’re on and transforming their strategy, branding and design for the better.

Bruce Russell

- By Bruce Russell

Bruce Russell designs world‑class weddings and events – from multi‑day destination celebrations to more intimate occasions. His innovative creativity, passion and flair, coupled with a keen eye for detail and bespoke touches, sees him curate unforgettable experiences which are enjoyed by an ever‑expanding global portfolio of prestigious and discerning clients.

His experience is hospitality, and includes tenures at The Plaza, New York and at London’s Savoy Hotel. Whether it’s a lavish wedding abroad, or a private party at home, you can rest assured that Bruce’s professionalism, strategic counsel and passion for perfection ensure that he delivers six‑star, unique experiences every time.

Michelle Kelly

- Pocketful Of Dreams

Michelle Kelly is a luxury wedding planner and founded Pocketful of Dreams in 2010. She has since planned and designed many weddings and events from Suffolk to the South of France, Yorkshire to the coasts of Cornwall. Her work has been featured in a wedding book as well as numerous magazines and blogs around the world.

Michelle creates authentic celebrations and considered gatherings that feel just like home. Inspired by the beauty of natural surroundings and wide‑open spaces, her style is organic, elegant and understated.

Her approach is always a collaborative one, to guide and support her clients to create that wonderfully visual, sensory and emotive experience they dream of.

Kathy Apostolidis

- Events by Nightingales

Kathy Apostolidis is the creator of leading Australian Wedding Planning and Styling agency –Events by Nightingales and Nightingales Wedding Designers. Established in 1994 with a vision to be able to oﬀer a bespoke Wedding Planning and Styling service that embodied the highest standards of quality and service and cutting edge style. Ahead of the ﬁeld in the wedding industry Kathy’s secret to success is a collective passion to pursue new ideas that expand the boundaries of both style and service and exceptional relationships with venues and suppliers.

Kathy has planned events in Australia, Europe and Asia ‑ her reputation in wedding industry circles is impeccable, with requests for media appearances as well as requests to style high proﬁle and celebrity weddings. With over 24 years of valuable experience to call on, Kathy is now focusing on sharing her experiences in education and training in event and wedding planning and styling.

Zainab Alsalih

- Carousel Events FZ LLC

Gifted with a natural sense of grace, and a passion for creating and celebrating beauty all around her, Zainab is the founder and creative force behind the Dubai based luxury weddings boutique, Carousel. One of the most respected authorities in the Middle East on all things related to weddings, Zainab has been covered and quoted in numerous regional and international programs and publications, in various languages, on radio & television, in print, and online.

She is also recognized as one of Dubai’s leading female entrepreneurs. Through Zainab’s vision and her passion, through her love of people and her compassion, and through her attention to detail and personal grace, Carousel has become one of the most highly sought‑after luxury wedding design and planning agencies in the Middle East, and a true inspiration for Middle Eastern women of her generation, and the generations that follow.

Jane Riddell

- Planned for Perfection

Jane Riddell is a multi award winning International wedding and event planner based in the Cotswolds and London. Jane has been running Planned for Perfection for over ten years and plans weddings throughout the U.K, Europe and the world. Providing an experienced, professional, yet truly personal approach to luxury wedding and event planning, Jane’s exceptional eye for detail and clear connection with her clients has earned her a reputation as one of the leading wedding & event planners in the UK.

Cathrin D’Entremont

- Cathrin D’Entremont Weddings

Cathrin was born and raised in Berlin German and has created events throughout the world. Having lived in many different countries she has been fortunate enough to experience the vast differences in cultures, which is now an asset in her creating weddings for her clients from many different backgrounds.
Her exceptional organisational skills allow her clients to relax and trust with confidence that she is fully committed to the execution of a flawless event. Cathrin’s work has been featured around the world.
Established in 2005, Cathrin D’Entremont Weddings is a full service wedding planning and styling company in Perth Australia.

Harmony Walton

- The Bridal Bar

Harmony Walton is the founder of the wedding marketing agency, The Bridal Bar and host of Bridal Bar Radio on iHeartRadio. In addition, she also expanded the brand into her passion of destination weddings with Jet Fete by Bridal Bar, a blogsite dedicated to weddings abroad and romance travel.

With a vast celebrity clientele and fourteen years experience in the luxury wedding space, her company has been recognized around the world in media outlets including The Associated Press, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Entertainment Tonight, People Magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings, and many more.

Chloe Atlan

- Aava Weddings

Well‑known for her knowledge and expertise, Chloé Atlan brings 18 years of experience to her company, Aava. She specialises in organising luxury events, with most of her clients coming from the UAE, UK & USA.
After graduating with a bachelor’s Degree in communication from the Nice University, Chloé interned for a well‑ renowned events company, based in Monaco, going on to be the company’s youngest Marketing Director. In 2002, she decided to start her own company with her mother Carole Sebban, co‑founding the very ﬁrst wedding planning company in France.
The founding of the company in 2002 coincided with the date of her own wedding, which while being a challenge, gave her a unique insight in to bridal expectations as well as the anxieties that naturally arise before the big day.
16 years later, and mother of 3 children, Chloé is an expert in creating beautiful celebrations that reﬂect the individuals’ involved, where no detail is too small, and no task too big. The overarching theme of each event she creates is elegance, sophistication and exclusivity.

Suzannah Dale

- Revelry Events

Revelry Events are award‑winning wedding planners who believe in rulebook‑free weddings.
We produce weddings that don’t ﬁt the normal conventions, push creative boundaries, capture your personalities and, most importantly, show everyone a damn good time.
Revelry are based in London but plan epic events all over the country and overseas.

Holly Poulter

- Revelry Events

Holly is also a Wedding Academy Alumni.

Christina Farrow

- Aisle Planner

A seasoned wedding planner with a reputation for creative design and innovative concepts, Christina Farrow brings 20 years of wedding planning and expertise to the table as Aisle Planner’s Founder and President. Realizing a need in the industry for better planning and business management tools, Christina turned her attention and years of experience working with couples, vendors and bridal media towards building a platform that would empower wedding professionals to build sustainable businesses and lead more balanced (and more organized) lives.

Jessie Westwood

- Studio Sorores

Having achieved a second class honours in Law at City University in London, Jessie spent three years in the West End working in professional publishing before moving on to a PR and creative agency, progressing extremely quickly in both roles to Commissioning Editor and Senior Account Manager respectively. Jessie has been able to combine her skills in managing large teams and big budgets with tough deadlines and time pressures, in order to bring both a calm and professional approach to the organisation and practical elements of event planning; whilst also being renowned in the industry for flawlessly combining this with beautiful event design and styling.

Jessie has planned, designed and styled well over one hundred wedding celebrations across different cultures and destinations, as well as collaborating with numerous entrepreneurs, brands and new businesses – we are perfectly positioned with all the experience to help you create a truly exceptional event, no matter what your priorities are, ensuring that you have the very best suppliers, all co-ordinated together perfectly with a cohesive and beautiful design plan.

Michelle Anderson

Michelle Anderson is a qualiﬁed Event Designer, Stylist and Planner. Her passion for designing and executing personalised celebrations began in 2007. Encouraged by increasing interest in her unique style ‑ Michelle launched Complete the Look, her boutique event management business in 2010. Her market has recently expanded to include international clients.
Michelle’s academic studies, along with her desire to present exciting opportunities to each client, has seen her understanding of styling and planning ﬂourish. Her events combine the purposeful use of each setting, as she fashions exclusive experiences that entice the senses and create cherished memories.

Michelle is also a Wedding Academy Alumni

Kate Cullen

- Kate Cullen

Kate creates plant dyed silk ribbons and table linens and has been in the wedding industry for several years, variously enjoying running successful companies including vintage hire and wedding styling. She now styles for fine art brands alongside her textiles, as well as running styling and Pinterest courses teaching others how to achieve sales and increase engagement with brides. Kate has also founded Nurture & Bloom ‑ a community for creatives which supports and encourages the cultivating of artistic processes in the industry alongside a monthly book club.

Aleisha McCormack

- Bridechilla

Aleisha McCormack is a comedian, TV producer and author. She is the founder and host of The Bridechilla Podcast and author of The Bridechilla Guides.

Bridechilla inspires and supports couples to plan their wedding without losing their sanity.

Having now produced over 300 episodes of hit podcast and built a community of free‑thinking Bridechillas from all over the world, Aleisha is delighted and surprised that what she started has become a movement. With the launch of The Bridechilla Guides in 2018, Aleisha is excited to see the brand and movement grow.

Brittny Drye

- Love Inc

As a lover of all things wedding and a ﬁerce cheerleader for marriage equality, Brittny decided to marry her two passions and create a content site where all couples—gay, straight and lesbian—can be equally represented, and in 2013 Love Inc. was born. Since launching, Brittny has become a leader in the equality‑minded wedding space and has been featured in the New York Times, OUT Magazine, The Advocate, NY Daily News, Reﬁnery29, The Knot and more for her work and expertise. She has also spoken at high‑proﬁle events such as WedTech, Hawaii Global Tourism Summit and NACE DC.

Louise Beukes

- B.loved

With a background in interior design, Louise has been the Editor of award winning wedding and lifestyle blog B.LOVED for 7 years. During this time, her styling work has been published in the very best bridal publications the world over, positioning her as a forward thinking, leading authority in the wedding industry.

Building on this reputation as an industry expert, Louise became a founding blogger of the innovative Aisle Society in 2015. Connecting 40 of the world’s top bridal bloggers, it’s the online hub for no less than the very best wedding inspiration on the planet.

Bringing extensive wedding industry and design experience together, she is Head Cheerleader, Advisor, Mentor, and Kick‑ass Boss Lady at the B.LOVED Hive.

Marley Majcher

- The Party Goddess

Marley Majcher, CEO of The Party Goddess!, has planned events for A-list celebs such as Pierce Brosnan and Sofia Vergara, and now, with her book, But Are You Making Any Money? She has become a sought-after expert on pricing strategy, issues and trends facing entrepreneurs and small business owners. Her business savvy has been cited in The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur magazine and more.

Sarah Al-Mughamis

- Q8 Planner

Sarah Al‑Mughamis, a sought‑after wedding and event planner, understands the art of coordinating spectacular aӽairs. Sarah has a passion for event planning services, which she realized it after her wedding in 2004. Shortly thereafter, family and friends asked for her help in the planning of their special events. To her surprise, coordinating events and gatherings came quite natural and with her warm, enthusiastic nature and keen eyes for everything chic and glam; it was obvious that event planning was indeed her destined career path. So after years of working in Ӿnancial services, Sarah decided to pursue her aspirations and founded Q8 Planner, an event planning company that produces high‑quality products and services.
Since opening in 2012, Q8 Planner has aԀrmed an artistic lead and is well‑known for their ӿawless precision and attention to detail. Now, Q8 Planner is a full‑service event planning like social occasions, graduations, and expos with a focus on weddings and destination weddings.

Nikki Rutherford

- Weddingsonline.aee

I moved to Dubai in 2016 to persue my love of marketing and event planning, creating full 360 solutions for clients across the UAE, integrating online services with on ground events.
As the world became more digital, so did I, with my focus shifting towards digital marketing. I joined weddingsonline.ae in 2015, and now oversee the day‑to‑day running of the business from both supplier and couple facing perspectives. I understand the importance of integrating many suppliers to achieve the shared vision of the bride, and the joy for me is in seeing this transpire.

Meryl Snow

- Snowstorm Solutions

Meryl wakes up each morning with a big smile on her face because she knows that her clients are crushing it! They’re using what she teaches to reach their goals and increase sales within a matter of weeks (often even days) with laser‑ focused training techniques.
Meryl has spent 28 years in the special event & catering industry as co‑founder of Feastivities Events, along with its subsidiaries OﬀShoots Decor and Philadelphia’s Picnic Company. She also is the author of Booked It! , Cha Ching and three how‑to Style & Design videos.
She’s ambitious, focused and conﬁdent.
This is more than a job; she’s on a mission to help businesses get on their own path to success. Meryl’s a passionate believer in entrepreneurship and uses her gifts to support businesses build a stronger economy. Her philosophies have proved successful for not only her own business, but also many other companies, trade organizations, and universities have beneﬁted from her training and advice.
Also a Senior Consultant for Certiﬁed Catering Consultants, Meryl has worked throughout the US. Her particular areas of focus are sales and marketing, as well as design and branding. She provides consulting, coaching, and training services for a wide range of clients. Her innovative leadership has earned prestigious accolades for her companies locally, nationally and internationally. She has undoubtedly helped many other companies through her keen insight and an eﬀervescent approach to teaching methods of success.

The right training can change everything.

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Meet the Wedding Academy Team

Jac Bowie

- Darling Don't Panic

Kristin Sullivan

Zoe McKeown

- Cherish Wedding Planning

Martha Tobyn

Meet the Wedding Academy Team

Jac Bowie Owner & CEO

Mentor

Mentor

Mentor

Mentor

Apprentice Wedding Planner

ZoeMckeown

Mentor

KristinSullivan

Mentor

LisaMacale

Mentor

MarianaGonzalez

Academy Admin

The Advisory Board

David Tutera

- David Tutera

Chanda Daniels

- A Monique Affair

Emily Sullivan

- Emily Sullivan Events

Tara Fay

- Tara Fay

Beth Bernstein

- SQN Events and Essential I Dos

Gretchen Culver

- Rocket Science Weddings & Events

Michelle Loretta

- Sage Wedding Pros

Jon’ll Boyd

- Completely Yours Events

Terrica Skaggs

- Cocktails and Details

Ceci Johnson

- Ceci New York

Bruce Russell

- By Bruce Russell

Michelle Kelly

- Pocketful Of Dreams

Kathy Apostolidis

- Events by Nightingales

Zainab Alsalih

- Carousel Events FZ LLC

Jane Riddell

- Planned for Perfection

Cathrin D’Entremont

- Cathrin D’Entremont Weddings

Harmony Walton

- The Bridal Bar

Chloe Atlan

- Aava Weddings

Suzannah Dale

- Revelry Events

Holly Poulter

- Revelry Events

Christina Farrow

- Aisle Planner

Jessie Westwood

- Studio Sorores

Michelle Anderson

Kate Cullen

- Kate Cullen

Aleisha McCormack

- Bridechilla

Brittny Drye

- Love Inc

Louise Beukes

Jac Bowie
Owner & CEO

Zoe
Mckeown

Kristin
Sullivan

Lisa
Macale

Mariana
Gonzalez