Contributors

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Host

Laurie Hartwell

Laurie Hartwell has over 3 decades of experience in the wedding industry. She is now the founder and CEO of the CWP Society, the world's leading wedding planner certification program and the largest membership of certified wedding professionals. She has earned many awards over the years, has planned weddings for celebrities and other elite clientele, and recently won "Most Helpful Mentor" at the National WEDDI AWARDS for all the help she gives to wedding planners all around the world. Laurie has been a speaker for several national industry companies including:

  • WeddingWire
  • The Knot
  • Aisle Planner
  • Timeline Genius
  • Wedding MBA
  • and more!
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Co-host

Krisy Thomas

Krisy Parker Thomas, owner of Southern Sparkle Wedding & Event Planning, is a Master Certified Wedding Planner through the Certified Wedding Planner Society (previously known as The Bridal Society.) Southern Sparkle is an award-winning wedding planning team with locations in Nashville, Jackson, and Memphis, Tennessee. Southern Sparkle’s work has been featured in wedding publications and blogs such as Better Homes & Gardens, MidSouth Bride, MOD Weddings, Classic Bride, Ruffled Blog, The Wedding Playbook, Southern Bride Blog, and the list goes on. Southern Sparkle was also named one of The Nashville Scene’s Best of Nashville Wedding/Event Planners.

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Co-host

Philip Hartwell

Philip Hartwell began his career in the hospitality industry in 1984 with the Walt Disney company. He went on to work with the Hilton Hotel corporation, and he served as the Vice President of a national medical supply company before joining the Certified Wedding Planner Society in 2009.  He  oversees all aspects of community outreach and works with universities across the country to bring the Certified Wedding Planner Society's programs to their students. As the husband of our founder and CEO, Laurie Hartwell, Philip shares her passion for bringing a higher level of professionalism and cooperation in the wedding industry.

Guests

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Guest

Aisha Garnett

Aisha is the owner and principal planner and designer of Sheree Amour Weddings & Event Planning. She received her certification through the world's leading certification program – The Certified Wedding Planner Society. Prior to receiving her certification, she spent a number of years putting her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications to use by dedicating her services to the public/media relations industry at CBS/CW 50 Detroit television station. After her tenure with CBS/CW 50, she began working for one of the nation’s largest federal agencies in Washington, DC — the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, by leading the agencies public affairs team. She then received her Master of Business Administration Degree in Hospitality Management!

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Guest

Amanda Borrero

Amanda, owner of For The Love Events, is a Certified Wedding Planner and Certified Educator through the Certified Wedding Planner Society. After transitioning from planning corporate events into weddings, she is loving every second of helping couples create a day they will never forget. Her passion for building authentic relationships is unmatched.

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Brianne Ackerland

Brianne is a Master Certified Wedding Planner through the Certified Wedding Planner Society and the owner of Stress-free Weddings, Inc. She loves all things wedding-related. One of the key areas that she felt was important in starting her own wedding planning business was making sure that she had a strong education foundation to ensure she provided the very best service for her clients and their friends/family.

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Crystal Dailey

Crystal holds 5 certifications through the Certified Wedding Planner Society, they include: Certified Wedding Planner, Master Certified Wedding Planner, Certified Wedding Design Consultant, Certified Styled Shoot Coordinator, and Certified Educator. She is also the owner of A Crystal Event, curating well-crafted events for beautiful couples in the Atlanta, Georgia area.

https://www.acrystalevent.com/

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Emma Cockerham

Emma is a Master Certified Wedding Planner and Owner of Infinity Events. After beginning her events career in the hospitality industry, she found that her heart lay with weddings and started Infinity Events and her mission is to identify what about each client makes them unique, and create beautiful details for their wedding that makes them stand out from the rest.

https://www.infinityeventsmemphis.com/
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Lady Whistlewed

It is with great pleasure and no small measure of excitement that I, Lady Whistlewed, your most devoted chronicler of society's nuptial affairs, make a most momentous announcement. From this day forth, my quill shall be dedicated exclusively to the esteemed CWP Society, that bastion of excellence in the realm of wedding planning. As many of you well know, I have long been an admirer of the CWP Society's unwavering commitment to elevating the art and profession of wedding planning. Their dedication to education, ethical standards, and the pursuit of excellence has not gone unnoticed by this keen observer of matrimonial matters. This new alliance, dear reader, promises to be as harmonious as a perfectly matched couple. 

https://www.cwpsociety.com/
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Matt Mitchell

Matt Mitchell is a wedding industry speaker, entrepreneur, and financial expert dedicated to helping event creatives build profitable, sustainable businesses. As a Certified Educator with the CWP Society, he shares his expertise through webinars, podcasts, and industry education.


With 12+ years in finance, Matt has worked with Ultra High Net Worth families on wealth and estate planning, giving him a deep understanding of business sustainability. He was also the Founder & Creative Director of Mitchell Event Planning, known for its meticulous approach and exceptional client experiences.


Now, as the founder of The Event Ledger, he provides bookkeeping and CFO advisory services to wedding pros, helping them gain financial clarity and build long-term success.

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Riley Snider

Riley is a Master Certified Wedding Planner, Certified Wedding Design Consultant, Certified Styled Shoot Coordinator, and Certified Educator through the CWP Society (Certified Wedding Planner Society). She has been in the wedding planning industry for over 7 years. Riley was also named Wedding Planner On The Rise in 2022. She inspires to cultivate strong relationships with her couples, vendors, and CWP Society family. As a certified educator, Riley is passionate about continuing education to provide fresh and valuable planning insight. She vows to always look for ways to continue her education to provide a different perspective that is informative, innovative, and thought provoking. Riley is dedicated to walking with you as your confidant, and to assisting you in reaching the highest morals and standards.

https://www.elegantaffairsbydesign.com/

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