EXPERT SPEAKERS & STORE PANEL FOR THE WHITE DRESS SOCIETY RETREAT: TAMPA
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Mary MarantzJustin & Mary Photography |
Myrna DaramyMyrna & Co. |
Kristi Drago PriceEditor's Edge |
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Lindsay ForkLa Jeune Mariee + Luxe Redux Bridal |
Tom EspositoBridal Live |
Bernadette BaillieThe Knot |
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Kelsey MalicoteThe Malicotes |
Mark ChapmanEverett Andrew Marketing |
Ingrid HeilkeButterfly Revolution |
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Heather VickeryVickery & Co |
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Beth ChapmanBeth Chapman Styling + Consulting |
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Mary MarantzEducator and Photographer | Justin & Mary PhotographyMary Marantz is an internationally renowned photographer, author, educator & speaker who travels the world teaching, & inspiring other creative business owners. She has been named a “Legend of Light” by Profoto as well as one of the Top 100 photographers by SLR Lounge & Brandsmash. She has been featured in many high end publications, including Martha Stewart, Well Wed & Inside Weddings. She is also the founder & Editor in Chief of twin wedding blogs The Black Tie Bride & The Well Groomed Groom. In addition to photographing weddings, Mary has also taught workshops worldwide including London, Germany & Australia, and taught thousands of photographers online in her courses including The J&M Lighting Course, The Art of Authentic Posing, and the brand new J&M Business Course. Last year, Mary signed on as an author with the prestigious DCJA agency and is in the process of writing her first book. But on her best days, you can find her at home by the water with her husband Justin and their very fluffy golden retriever, Atticus... and drinking way more coffee than any normal person should! |
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Mryna DaramyDigital Media Strategist | Myrna & Co.Myrna Plaisir Daramy is a tech-savvy digital media strategist, often times referred to as the “Tech Whisperer” by her clients. Over the last 14 years, she’s transformed countless lifestyle and high-end bridal brands by combining her expertise in digital analytics, technology management, and SEO with a deep understanding of all things creative. Myrna's superpower is that she can easily to translate “tech talk” into concepts that make sense to even the most non-technical of business owners. She takes pride in helping her clients peel back the layers of their brand, utilize the latest and greatest technology tools, and return to them an optimized site and digital strategy that convert better than ever before. |
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Kristi Drago PriceBrand Development | Editor's EdgeKristi Drago-Price is the Founder and Creative Director behind Editor’s Edge, a boutique creative agency specializing in elevated brand development for established businesses. With her Fine Arts education from the Fashion Institute of Technology and School of Visual Arts with years of professionally photographing weddings and over a decade of consumer experience as the photo director of Condé Nast BRIDES magazine, Kristi has acquired a unique range of knowledge. She can bring a project from concept to production, while art directing the creative, managing a team, balancing budgets and sticking to deadlines. Her experience working at top media companies, from Condé Nast to XO Group and HEARST, is evidence of how seamlessly she collaborates with commercial, editorial and emerging brands. Kristi’s photo art direction work spans genres across fashion, beauty, menswear, food & beverage, lifestyle, interiors, and travel content for use in web, print, e-commerce, and social media formats. With her 360° understanding of the marketplace, Kristi founded Editor’s Edge to empower entrepreneurs in elevating their business to a cohesive brand through digital content. Providing no-nonsense consulting, creative direction and hands-on content creation Editor’s Edge discovers, targets and translates the “special sauce” of each client to develop a brand strategy as authentic as they are. |
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Lindsay ForkBridal Store Owner | La Jeune Mariee + Luxe Redux BridalLindsay Fork is the owner of La Jeune Mariee Bridal Collection + Luxe Redux Bridal Boutique in Columbus, Ohio. Ms. Fork purchased La Jeune Mariee from the previous owners in 2008 and quickly grew the small boutique into a $1M + small business. In 2011, Lindsay opened her first Luxe Redux, a designer sample sale store as an outlet for her own inventory. She immediately began partnering with other designer special order boutiques and designers around the country to consign excess inventory and now operates additional stores in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. The company plans to begin the Franchising process of the Luxe Redux Brand in 2019. With nearly 20 employees, Luxe Bridal, LLC operates on EOS, an entrepreneurial management system designed for small businesses that allows the owners, typically Visionaries, to focus on the growth of the company, not working day to day IN the business. Lindsay consults with new bridal boutique owners and other small business creative’s to achieve success early on with proper process models. She has experience in buying and selling bridal boutiques + real estate leasing + acquisition. Lindsay has her BSBA in Entrepreneurship from Xavier University. She is married to her husband, Kurt, a military and commercial Pilot and has 3 children, Ava, 10, Anderson, 4 and Barrett, 19 months. |
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Heather VickerySuccess Coach | Vickery & Co.Heather Vickery is an award-winning business owner and coach with over 20 years as an entrepreneur. She leverages her entrepreneurial skills and expertise to coach individuals towards greater personal and professional fulfillment. A celebrated public speaker, Heather inspires audiences and empowers attendees with the tools they need to live bold and successful lives through creating balance, time management, as well as countless systems, strategies, and boundaries. Heather also hosts The Brave Files Podcast. |
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Tom EspositoFounder | BridalLiveTom created BridalLive to help solve the problems he was facing in his own bridal boutique. Today, BridalLive is the bridal industry's leading retail management solution. |
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Bernadette BaillieEducator | The KnotBernadette M. Baillie has more than 20 years experience executing consumer and trade marketing for some of the world's top brands including MTV, Nickelodeon and Sony Music Entertainment. Bernadette has been a |
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Kelsey MalicoteGrowth Strategist + Photographer | The MalicotesKelsey is a quick-witted social media and business educator, with a background in photography. She is married to her better-looking business partner Matt, they live in Kentucky with their 4-year-old, curly-headed daughter Myla. She and Matt have been wedding and lifestyle photographers for a decade and have grown a brand that has helped set the industry standard. In addition to photography, she specializes in organic, small business growth and connection. Her goal is to teach female entrepreneurs how to grow and convert sales on social media, through courses and retreats. Outside of business endeavors she serves on several charity boards and is always on the lookout for a new cause to support.
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Mark ChapmanMarketing Expert | Everett Andrew MarketingMark is the President of Everett Andrew Marketing - an agency with a narrow focus on paid marketing channels (i.e. Google Ads and Facebook Ads) for businesses in the wedding industry. He is passionate about managing ad campaigns that deliver low cost leads and sales (of course!), but also about helping people to better understand these powerful advertising platforms. He loves tackling the complex and difficult issues with advertising and turning them into simple language that busy business owners can easily understand and take action on. Any question is fair game with Mark. |
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Ingrid HeilkeFinancial Guide | Butterfly RevolutionIngrid Heike is the Founder of Butterfly Revolution, where she serves as a Chief Financial Guide, Bridal Business Strategist, and Profit First Professional. She blends her superpowers in finance, decision science, and organizational change to help entrepreneurs find clarity in numbers and chart a path towards a thriving, impactful business. Ingrid develops and leads Financial Mastery Programs because she believes that every small business owner should be able to achieve true financial literacy and gain the power to make decisions with confidence. She starts with building a solid financial foundation and builds decision power and business design power for true business transformation. |
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Beth ChapmanFounder |The White Dress SocietyBeth Lindsay Chapman is a veteran of the fashion industry and known for her work as a bridal boutique owner, stylist mentor, author, and wedding fashion consultant. Her love of bridal fashion, and sincere desire to create a memorable shopping experience for brides, compelled her to launch The White Dress by the shore, a luxury bridal boutique, in 2004. Beth is also the founder of Beth Chapman Styling + Consulting, where she assists brides in selecting fashion for their wedding that reflects their personal style and provides day of wedding dressing services. Her passion for teaching and education and her desire to empower independent bridal retailers, has led her to mentor other bridal store owners on elevating their brand and increasing their sales and business profitability. Through the consulting arm of her business, Beth launched a series of training videos for bridal store owners and their staff, called The Series 2.0. These videos are intended to guide bridal store owners to run profitable businesses and to create a memorable shopping experience for their brides, and to train their sales associates on product knowledge and effective selling techniques. Beth is the founder of The White Dress Society, a group of independent bridal store owners, whose mission is to ask, speak and share. Beth’s fashion artistry has allowed her to style editorial shoots throughout the world. Her work and voice can be seen in: The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings, Inside Weddings, BRIDES, Destination I Do, Cayman Vows, Well Wed Magazine, Bliss Celebrations Magazine, Vows Magazine, style me pretty and 100 Layer Cake. She is the co-author of two books, The White Dress in Color, and The White Dress Destinations and has also contributed to Wedding Bible by Sarah Haywood, and Simple Stunning Bride by Karen Bussen. |
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Rachel AppleThe Bride Room |
Liz CoxMeant to Be Boutique |
Lindsay ForkLa Jeune Mariee + Luxe Redux |
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Ashley KraussA Little Something White |
Ty McBrayerTwirl Lexington |
Kristin BarstowVocelles Bridal |
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Rachel AppleOwner | The Bride RoomRachel Apple has been in the bridal and fashion industry for 9 years. From her start at Klienfields, to boutique manager, to successful children’s clothing brand developer, and now bridal store owner, she brings unique perspective as most of her brides aren’t far from her age. Rachel loves to think about the future of bridal and is hoping to be a disruptor in the industry. |
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Liz CoxCo-Owner | Meant To Be BoutiqueLiz is the co-owner of Meant To Be Boutique alongside Ty McBrayer, the owner of Twirl Boutique. Meant To Be Boutique is an off-the-rack bridal boutique that specializes in one-on-one customer service & quality, discounted sample gowns for the chic bride on a budget. Liz & Ty started Meant To Be in December 2015 and have loved the opportunity its given them to serve a whole new clientele of brides in their area. Liz joined the Twirl team in August 2014 right after graduating from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Family Sciences and a few years of running her own wedding photography/videography business under her belt. Liz's creative eye & love for people have blended together perfectly in her role at Twirl as the manager & media director. Liz views her role as a unique opportunity to cheer women on as they discover their true beauty as a woman & a bride by creating content that engages, educates, and encourages them as they work through cultivating meaningful marriages. As of November 2018, Liz is the host of Twirl's own podcast - Twirl Talk Podcast. Twirl Talk Podcast is a podcast full of wholehearted advice & encouragement for not only your wedding day but every season of your life! Website | @meanttobeboutique | @twirltalkpodcast
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Lindsay ForkOwner | La Jeune Mariee + Luxe ReduxLindsay Fork is the owner of La Jeune Mariee Bridal Collection + Luxe Redux Bridal Boutique in Columbus, Ohio. Ms. Fork purchased La Jeune Mariee from the previous owners in 2008 and quickly grew the small boutique into a $1M + small business. In 2011, Lindsay opened her first Luxe Redux, a designer sample sale store as an outlet for her own inventory. She immediately began partnering with other designer special order boutiques and designers around the country to consign excess inventory and now operates additional stores in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. The company plans to begin the Franchising process of the Luxe Redux Brand in 2019. With nearly 20 employees, Luxe Bridal, LLC operates on EOS, an entrepreneurial management system designed for small businesses that allows the owners, typically Visionaries, to focus on the growth of the company, not working day to day IN the business. Lindsay consults with new bridal boutique owners and other small business creative’s to achieve success early on with proper process models. She has experience in buying and selling bridal boutiques + real estate leasing + acquisition. Lindsay has her BSBA in Entrepreneurship from Xavier University. She is married to her husband, Kurt, a military and commercial Pilot and has 3 children, Ava, 10, Anderson, 4 and Barrett, 19 months. |
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Ashley KraussOwner | A Little Something WhiteWith a passion for bridal fashion, a business background, and an entrepreneurial spirit, Ashley Krauss launched A Little Something White Bridal Couture with the goal of bringing something fresh, energizing, and unique to Fairfield County in the world of bridal. Ashley has had a love of all things bridal for as long as she can remember, but suspects it dates back to the time when she and her sister would dress up in their mother’s gowns, heels, and costume jewelry and parade around the house for hours on end. After spending eight years working for a top tier investment bank, where Ashley became well-known and respected for her client relationship expertise, Ashley decided to turn her bridal dreams into reality with the formation of A Little Something White Bridal Couture. Throughout her life, Ashley has always been known for her positive energy, strong work ethic, creative spirit and dedication to the people in her life. Ashley created A Little Something White with these qualities in mind, aspiring to create a boutique that was stylish while also being welcoming, an experience attuned to the desires of the bride, and a gown shopping memory for her brides that is happy and unforgettable. Launching and running her business has been a truly fulfilling life experience. However, her passion is her brides and the business is simply her way of reaching them. In 2014, Ashley was named one of Fairfield County’s top 40 businesspeople under the age of 40. In her free time, you will find Ashley spinning on her Peloton bike, running outdoors, reading a business book, having dinner with friends, or her favorite….spending time with her husband and two young boys. In turning her dream into a reality, Ashley credits the support of her loving husband and adorable sons who, in addition to her business, are the greatest sources of joy in her life.
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Ty McBrayerOwner | Twirl LexingtonA lover of all things navy, Southern, and cozy - you can find Ty relaxing at home with her little family most of the time. Home is truly her happy place. She loves a good glass of wine on the back porch and traveling just enough to make her appreciate home a little more each time. She's an introvert by nature, but loves getting to know people and cherish friends like they are family. She has a desire to make people feel loved, welcomed, and celebrated well. All of this laid the foundation for her starting Twirl Bridal Boutique back in November 2009. Ty was 29 years old and had spent three years of her life working in government followed by a year and a half in corporate marketing. She'd been in a lot of weddings at this point, but not yet married herself. Ty kept thinking how she would love to have a small boutique for brides in Lexington, Kentucky. She wanted a place that felt like home where brides could come to find the most special and beautiful dress they will ever wear. When Ty gets something in her head that she wants to make happen it takes hold of her. This idea took hold and became her passion project. She opened the doors to Twirl in November 2009 with the help and support of her fiancé (now hubby), family, friends, and advisors that she couldn’t have done without. She truly thinks of Twirl as her first baby. It is a family business and she's thankful for each day and each customer that allows me to do what she loves. Twirl is going on its 10th year of business and has been recognized as one of the top bridal boutiques in the nation for its superior customer service and gorgeous collection of gowns. |
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Kristin BarstowOwner | Vocelles BridalKristen Vocelle Barstow is the founder and owner of Vocelles | The Bridal Shoppe in |
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Lori Weil-WeismanInes di Santo |
Sara GabrielSara Gabriel Bridal |
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Kelly FaetininiKelly Faetinini Bridal |
Shawne Jacobs
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Lori Weil-WeismanExecutive Vice President, Bridal | Ines di SantoLori Weil has been in the bridal retail and manufacturing industry since 1985. She began as the Sales Director for Christian Dior and Givenchy bridal licenses before joining Monique Lhuillier in 2001 where she spent 14 years, first as Sales Director, then as VP of Bridal Sales. Today, Lori serves as the Executive Vice President of Bridal for Ines Di Santo where she is responsible for expanding, training and managing the Ines Di Santo customer service and bridal sales teams. |
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Sara GabrielDesigner | Sara GabrielSara began her company on the floor of her tiny Denver apartment in July of 2000. A lifelong obsession with Swarovski crystals, soft tulles, and intricate French laces quickly became the foundation for something bigger: one satisfied bride turned into 200 retail accounts with raving reviews. Sara is a top industry designer because of her blend of classic and spirited designs. But, moreover, she is known for her dedication to growth through authenticity, problem-solving, and partnerships with small businesses. The Sara Gabriel collection is thoughtfully designed to help women see themselves as brides, and to aid stylists in bringing unique bridal visions to life. Sara’s focus on preserving the bespoke process means every handmade piece enables stylists to say “yes” to their bride so she can say “YES” to her dress. |
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Kelly FaetaniniDesigner | Kelly FaetaniniKelly Faetanini launched her bridal fashion career at the young age of 19 when she sold her first wedding dress to a bride in Chicago. First gaining experience with the renowned Pricilla of Boston, Kelly eventually stepped out on her own starting her own line in 2012 becoming the youngest designer on the runways of New York Bridal Fashion Week. The Kelly Faetanini brand has become synonymous with femininity, romance and the essence of a classic soul with a modern twist. Keeping her customers in mind, many of her gowns feature customizable beading, detachable necklines, and special corsetry technology for the perfect fit. The collection retails between $2,300-$5,000. At Kelly Faetanini, everything we do in our business is focused on creating a better experience for our bride. To ensure that not only does she feel complete satisfaction with her dress but that she feels we are there for her every step of the way. We want our bride to know that she isn’t just a “sale” but that she has become a part of the Kelly Faetanini family. |
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Shawne JacobsPresident | Anne BargeShawne Jacobs serves as Creative Director of Anne Barge and President of its parent company, S. Jacobs, Inc. Her duties include leading the design, marketing, and business development of the bridal lines Anne Barge, Blue Willow Bride by Anne Barge, and Curve Couture as well as its evening wear line, Anne Barge Black Label. Shawne began her career at Anne Barge in 2002, learning every aspect of the bridal business and honing her design skills under the tutelage of the company’s namesake, Anne Barge. Since assuming her role as Creative Director in 2014, Shawne continues to evolve the Anne Barge aesthetic of “modern classical” with new fabrics, details, and silhouettes. “Anne Barge designs are timeless and memorable,” noted Shawne. “Each gown is created to make a woman feel confident and beautiful.” Originally from Kentucky, Shawne currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Steven Jacobs, and their three sons. In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality time outdoors with her family, exploring Atlanta’s vibrant restaurant and art scenes, and going to yoga. Shawne also supports charities dedicated to improving the environment, fighting hunger, empowering women, and helping children. Two organizations particularly close to her heart are CARE and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). |
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