About the Certified Wedding Planner Society (CWP Society)

ABOUT THE CWP SOCIETY TEAM

The CWP Society is the world's premier wedding industry membership and certifications. They have been training, mentoring, and coaching wedding planners and professionals since 2007. The mission is to foster collaboration and community amongst ALL categories in the wedding industry.

Joining the CWP Society is more than joining an organization, or becoming certified - it's embracing a community dedicated to advancing the wedding profession and raising the standards across the globe.

Explore Membership & Certification Options

Our Society Executives/Instructors

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

LAURIE HARTWELL is a transformational wedding industry educator and inspirational speaker who has dedicated her career to empowering wedding professionals around the globe through CWP Society—the world's leading wedding planner certification program and largest membership of wedding professionals. As a sought-after presenter at premier industry events, she shares her expertise with organizations like The Knot Worldwide, Aisle Academy, Wedding MBA, Book More Weddings Summit, and Timeline Genius, inspiring countless professionals to elevate their craft and grow their businesses.

Drawing from over three decades of hands-on experience since 1993, Laurie has orchestrated weddings and special events for celebrities and thousands of couples across every style and budget imaginable. This extensive real-world experience became the foundation for creating a thriving global community where wedding professionals lift each other up and grow together.

Laurie's dedication to the wedding industry has earned her numerous accolades, including multiple wedding planner awards and The Knot Worldwide's prestigious "Most Helpful Mentor" award—a testament to her unwavering commitment to supporting fellow professionals.

KRISY THOMAS is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the CWP Society, and owner of Southern Sparkle Wedding & Event Planning. She is also a Master Certified Wedding Planner through the Certified Wedding Planner Society. Southern Sparkle Wedding & Event Planning 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 more! Southern Sparkle was also named one of The Nashville Scene’s Best of Nashville Wedding/Event Planners.

Certified Society Educators

Melanie is the Owner of Melanie Paige Events + Design, an Award Winning Wedding Planning Firm, as well as a Master Certified Wedding Planner through The Certified Wedding Planner Society. She is also the Northeast Florida Society Social Coordinator, 2021 Wedding Planner of the Year, and a Certified Educator all through and for The Certified Wedding Planner Society. With over 10 years of experience, she has done weddings all over the country and brings both love and passion when serving her couples.

Melanie Snyder Melanie Paige Events + Design
CWPS Content Advisor

Since 2017, Matt has served a diverse clientele within the wedding industry by providing high-end personalized weddings, one where you create your own traditions and make it a reflection of your love story. As a member of the LGTBQ+ community, he knows what it feels like to be discriminated against, and his goal is to make sure that every couple he works with (traditional or non-traditional) feels heard, seen, and included. His clients come from many different orientations, religions, gender identities, abilities, and traditions. He has served LGBTQ+, later-in-life, Jewish, Hindu, and multicultural weddings, among others.

Matt Mitchell Mitchell Event Planning
Wedding Pro Financial Expert

Aisha is the owner and principal planner and designer of Sheree Amour Weddings & Event Planning. After discovering a hidden talent for planning and creating unforgettable events, she decided to gain more knowledge and pursue a career in the wedding industry. 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. This led to her ambitions of leading her own team in doing what she felt most passionate about...which led to the launch of Sheree Amour Weddings & Event Planning. She received her Master of Business Administration Degree in Hospitality Management and followed her dreams for creating unforgettable celebrations.

Aisha Garnett Sheree Amour Weddings & Events
CWP Society Member Relations Educator

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.

Amanda Borrero For The Love of Events
Wedding Pro Relations Educator

Riley is a Certified Wedding Planner, Certified Wedding Design Consultant, Certified Styled Shoot Coordinator, and Certified Educator through the Certified Wedding Planner Society. She has been in the wedding planning industry for 6+ years, and launched Elegant Affairs by Design in 2018. Riley was also named Wedding Planner On The Rise in 2022. She inspires to cultivate strong relationships with her couples, vendors, and CWP family. As an 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.

Riley Snider Elegant Affairs By Design
Client Relations Educator

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.

Emma Cockerham Infinity Events
Church Wedding Educator

Hailey is the Owner of Hailey Beard Events based in Lakeland Florida and serving couples all over the Sunshine state.
She is a Certified Wedding Planner, IAD Director , and Certified Educator through Certified Wedding Planner Society. She has a 10 year background in the Hospitality Industry, Catering, Floral Design, and Venue Management. She is also owner of the newest Vineyard and Wedding Venue in Stanardsville, Virginia. Hailey's passion in life has always been to serve others, so naturally she has had her hands in helping other CWPS members as well as wedding professionals all over the US. Hailey’s mission, as a Certified Wedding Planner Society Educator, is to empower certified wedding planners to support their fellow colleagues and wedding professionals in their local communities. She strives to inspire them to be exceptional assistants, infusing their work with kindness, passion, and the utmost standards of excellence within the wedding industry." When Hailey is not working you can normally find her cuddling with her dachshund puppy Lilou, traveling somewhere with her soon to be Husband, stuffing her face with tacos and of course always making memories with friends and family.

Hailey Beard Hailey Beard Events
Freelancer Educator

Rima Shah is the Owner of Big Guava Events, a Certified Wedding Planner and Certified Educator through and for The Certified Wedding Planner Society. Her team of professionals assist couples in planning every aspect of their wedding journey, from engagements and rehearsals, to the last dance. They strive to reduce the pressure facing to-be-weds by overseeing every design and coordination detail.

Rima Shah Big Guava Events
South Asian Wedding Educator

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.

Brianne Ackerland Stress-Free Weddings, Inc.
Planner Emergency Educator

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 Atanta, Georgia area.

Crystal Dailey A Crystal Event
Planner Career Journey Educator

Nikki is the owner, lead planner, and designer at The Serendipity Collective. Together, she and her team work with their client’s to connect and understand their vision, and bring it to life. She began her planning journey in 2003 in South Florida before moving back to her hometown in Illinois. Spending nearly 12 years as a venue coordinator, she now has the experience to assist her clients in wedding planning decisions, as well as assist venue coordinators, but does so in a unique way. Nikki has continued her education through the CWP Society through to become a Master Certified Wedding Planner, Certified Wedding Design Consultant, Certified Styled Shoot Coordinator, as well as coveting a position as one of their Certified Educators. Nikki believes everyone deserves a day as unique and special as their love story.

NIKKI M. ROGERS
The Serendipity Collective, LLC
Wedding Venue Educator

LEAD INDUSTRY ADVANCEMENT DIRECTOR

Denitra Barnes

As the creative mind behind Tailored for You, Denitra Barnes believes every love story and life event deserves a one-of-a-kind celebration. Her passion for bringing people together began in childhood and has been the foundation of her work ever since. Denitra specializes in curating unforgettable events by blending creative vision with seamless logistics. Denitra combines her certification as a Certified Wedding Planner with a refined background in Human Resources and Project Management. For Denitra, planning is a continuous journey of learning and teaching. She is committed to staying at the forefront of the industry by attending workshops and adding additional CWP certifications. She understands that staying current is a "secret weapon" for success, ensuring she always provides fresh, valuable, and innovative planning insights.