About Us

Established in 2004 by Kylie Carlson

Born out of a desire to provide the industry with a formal education program that would give students the chance to develop their skills via experiential learning, Founder Kylie Carlson launched what was then known as the Australian Academy of Wedding & Event Planning (AAWEP) in 2004 in Melbourne , Australia. 

Now known as The Wedding Academy, we are a global online school with over 7,000 Students from all over the world.

Prior to launching AAWEP, Kylie contributed to the Wedding Planning & Event Planning curriculum at TAFE, which is a nationally recognised continued education body in Australia.

Planning or designing a wedding is very different from launching and running a business and takes two different sets of skills, both equally as important as the other.

For many people the planning and designing comes quite naturally and it is the business side of things that leaves them a little hazy. 

This is where The Wedding Academy excels. All course materials combine the knowledge and real-to-life training required to be a successful planner or designer with the fundamentals and basics of running a successful business.

The Course Curriculum has been developed over several years with the help of many industry experts. Each year the courses are upgraded to reflect new trends and ideas, as well as to update content that might be out of date. This is so important in an industry which is forever changing and bringing in new concepts.

The Wedding Academy was purchased by new owner Jac Bowie in late 2022 and she now runs the business from her home in Sunshine Coast, Australia.

The Wedding Academy now attracts students from all over the world – with our biggest markets being Europe, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, India,  United Arab Emirates and Asia.

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Jac Bowie
Director

Jac Bowie is a serial entrepreneur, media personality, and digital marketing expert, known for her talents in event production, instruction, and radio announcing. 

Currently spearheading The Wedding Academy, Jac seamlessly integrates her extensive business acumen, event management expertise, and digital marketing savvy into a myriad of projects including founding international women’s network Business in Heels and Australian wedding planning business, Darling Don’t Panic.

With over 15 years of experience orchestrating a diverse array of events, Jac has curated over 500 memorable experiences, ranging from book tours to elaborate burlesque shows. Her meticulous attention to detail, creative problem-solving skills, and penchant for crafting once-in-a-lifetime moments have earned her recognition as one of the top 15 wedding and event stylists in Australia and New Zealand by Truly Madly Deeply. 

Additionally, she has been hailed as one of the top 20 wedding planners to follow on Instagram by Hello May, with her events featured in prestigious publications such as Wedded Wonderland and WedShed.

In addition to her prowess in event production, Jac boasts a formidable digital marketing acumen. Leveraging her deep understanding of online platforms and audience engagement strategies, she spearheads compelling social media campaigns, implements cutting-edge digital advertising tactics, and optimizes websites for enhanced visibility and engagement.

As an educator, Jac shares her wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience with aspiring professionals through specialized courses and workshops. Whether imparting invaluable insights into event planning, wedding coordination, or digital marketing, she equips her students with the tools they need to thrive in their respective fields.

Our Team

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Greg Becker
Director
Kiri Walker
Kiri Walker
Community Mgr
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Jonnabel Valimento
Personal Assistant
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Elizabeth Ossai
Student Success
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Reem Zarifa
Head of Wedding Planning & Styling
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Rosie Obeney
Head of Floral Design
Roslina Juri
Roslina Juri
Head of Destination Weddings

The Advisory Board

We’ve collaborated with the top industry thought leaders from around the world for the Wedding Academy Advisory Board. Members provide guidance for our students, contribute to the course material and are instrumental in giving our students a practical look at the industry by providing a variety of work experience opportunities. They also give input into our International Wedding Trend Report and take part in our virtual summits.

David Tutera

Chanda Daniels

Emily Sullivan

Beth Bernstein

Gretchen Culver 

Michelle Loretta

Jon’ll Boyd

Terrica Skaggs

Ceci Johnson

Bruce Russell

Michelle Kelly

Kathy Apostolidis

Zainab Alsalih

Jane Riddell

Cathrin D’Entremont

Harmony Walton

Chloe Atlan

Suzannah Dale

Holly Poulter

Christina Farrow

Jessie Westwood

Michelle Anderson

Kate Cullen

Aleisha Macormack

Brittny Drye

Louise Beukes

Marley Majcher

Sarah Al-Mughamis

Nikki Rutherford

Certificate Courses
  • Wedding Planning
  • Wedding Styling
  • Floral Design
  • Destination Weddings
  • Business & Marketing
  • Bundles

Short Courses
  • Business
  • Marketing
Templates
  • Wedding Planning
  • Wedding Styling
  • Floral Design

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

Meet Chanda Daniels LGBTQ Expert in wedding planning who will help you navigate the challenges of a same sex wedding in 2021.

Recognized as one of the nation’s leading LGBTQ+ Wedding Experts, Chanda Daniels is the Owner & Creative Director of Chanda Daniels Planning + Design and founder of A Monique Affair, 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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

 

<a href=”https://www.weddingacademyglobal.com/advisory_board/kathy-apostolidis/”>Kathy</a> 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

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 &amp; 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

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 &amp; event planners in the UK.

Cathrin D’Entremont

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

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

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 &amp; 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 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 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 is also a Wedding Academy Alumni.

Christina Farrow

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

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 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 &amp; Bloom ‑ a community for creatives which supports and encourages the cultivating of artistic processes in the industry alongside a monthly book club.

Aleisha Macormack

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

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

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

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

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

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.