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The Wedding Planning Institute

Instructor Spotlight: Heather Porcella at University of Akron

Heather Porcella considers it an honor to create a spectacular wedding that brings her client’s vision to life. As the owner of Truly Your Events (www.TrulyYourEvents.com), Heather was voted the “Best Wedding Planner for 2008” in the Akron/Canton Ohio area by the MyFoxCleveland.com Hot List. Her company has coordinated numerous events of various sizes, budgets, and styles.

After graduating from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and a minor in Business Administration, Heather worked in Residential and Commercial Interior Design, as an art teacher, and as a floral designer. Her experience planning showers and weddings for friends combined with her education led her to create her own event planning business in 2003. Truly Your Events offers the latest in wedding planning trends including eco-friendly designs, full event coordination, and free initial consultation to provide clients complete planning services to help them save time, money, and alleviate stress.

After becoming a WPI Certified Wedding Planner in the spring of 2008, Heather agreed to share her knowledge and expertise with The Wedding Planning Institute’s (www.WeddingPlanningInstitute.com) certification course students at the University of Akron. Heather will be teaching aspiring students how to become successful wedding planners by bringing personalized attention and creativity to every client’s occasion.

“In today’s busy world, trying to plan a special event can be very stressful and time consuming. By providing solutions to the demanding needs of event design and coordination, you can allow the client to enjoy a stress free celebration,” Heather writes.

Candidates for the wedding planning certification course at the University of Akron can register by calling Cheryl Beckwith at 330-972-6460, Jennifer Redford at 330-972-7837 or by visiting their website at http://www.uakron.edu/ce/schedules/WeddingPlanCert.php. The Spring 2009 session is scheduled to start on February 11, 2009 and will meet Wednesdays from 6:00pm to 10:00pm for ten weeks. Tuition is $795 and includes classroom instruction, textbook, six months online curriculum and support access, and post-graduate job placement assistance.

Instructor Spotlight: Nancy Hoffmann-Allison at Austin Community College

Nancy Hoffmann-Allison has turned a lifelong love of art and cooking into a successful business that began as Hoffman & Company Catering and then evolved into Allison’s Events, a full service wedding and event consulting and design company that has won awards from The Knot Magazine, Austin Wedding Day Magazine, and the International Special Events Society of Austin, Texas. After studying Art and Art History at the University of Arkansas, Nancy began her career by learning banquet and club management while working for Hilton Hotels.

Turning that experience and her mother and grandmother’s cooking lessons into Hoffmann & Company Catering in 1989, Nancy spent most of the next two decades planning, designing, cooking, and presenting her catering menus at thousands of events. Along the way, she mentored students from local high schools and culinary arts schools. Many of her employees started their careers as her apprentices.

Currently enjoying her first term as an instructor for The Wedding Planning Institute’s How to Become a Wedding Planner Certification course at Austin Community College, Nancy has an impressive resume of experience and expertise in the special events industry. After joining ISES Austin in 2002, she served on the Board of Directors as the VP of Allied Partnerships, the VP of Education and Programs, and was recently elected President of the Austin chapter of ISES through 2010. Nancy is also a lifetime member of Leading Caterers of America, a Certified Professional Wedding Planner, and has continuously contributed to the community by donating her business’ services to several local charitable organizations.

Nancy continues her taste for giving back through her work with WPI classroom students as well as her articles and weblog in which she shares her knowledge as a caterer and event planner. She believes weddings are “an affirmation of love, caring, family, friends, and hope for the future. They are the perfect opportunity to show a couple’s love, affection, and gratitude by giving their friends and family a day they will never forget. It is a compliment to everyone who attends your wedding and reception to plan out a beautiful, fun, and interesting event.”

To brides and grooms considering whether to hire a Certified Wedding Planner, Nancy writes, “You will be faced with decisions you probably haven’t even thought of or anticipated yet. Many of these decisions may even come as a surprise to you. Today’s most sought after wedding planners know where to find answers, know where to find inspirations, and know who the vendors are that you need to turn to create your dream event. Most importantly, they know how to make the right decisions and that will make your wedding day a dream come true.”

The fall session at Austin Community College began on September 15, 2008 and meets each Monday and Wednesday from 7:00pm to 9:00pm over ten weeks. Tuition is $795 and includes classroom instruction, textbook, six months online curriculum and support access, and post-graduate job placement assistance. Candidates for the upcoming Spring 2009 classroom session can learn more by calling 512-223-7813 or visiting the Austin Community College website at:

http://www.austincc.edu/ce/cp/wedding/

Instructor Spotlight: Stephanie Kass at Foothill-De Anza Community College

In an ever changing and fast-paced world, Stephanie Kass is proof that good choices and thorough planning equal success. After a few years planning events for the United States Navy, America Online, and Hewlett-Packard, Stephanie created Aphrodite’s Event & Meeting Planning (www.AphroditesEventPlanning.com) in the San Jose, California area. As the owner of an independent event planning business, Stephanie has successfully coordinated corporate and private events ranging from intimate weddings, her specialty, to large speaker platforms for over 10,000 attendees.

Stephanie draws from the age-old tradition of exceeding expectations without exception while utilizing up-to-date procedures and strategies, cutting-edge technology, and current styles and trends for event planning that ensure maximum efficiency while minimizing the possibility of errors. Through consistent professionalism, Stephanie teaches her staff and her students to provide worry and hassle-free events at reasonable prices while giving clients the individual attention they deserve.

One piece of advice Stephanie would like to give her Wedding Planning Institute (www.WeddingPlanningInstitute.com) certification students is; “It is better to have time than need time. Time management is fundamental in this business. A certification course is an excellent avenue to take in order to learn this and many other helpful techniques.” Stephanie enjoys passing on the tools for managing amazing events to her students.

As a community business member and a certification instructor, Stephanie believes in a quality and service-oriented approach to her work with clients and students alike. She carries her business’ reputation for meeting deadlines and delivering creative, efficient event planning solutions into the Foothill-De Anza classroom to teach students how to become successful certified wedding planners.

Candidates for the wedding planning certification course at Foothill-De Anza Community College can register by calling 408-864-8817 or learn more by visiting the college website at:

http://www.shortcourses.fhda.edu/catalog/business/business.html#065

The fall session began on October 06, 2008 and will meet each Monday and Wednesday from 6:30pm to 9:00pm for ten weeks. Tuition is $795 and includes classroom instruction, textbook, six months online curriculum and support access, and post-graduate job placement assistance. Registration is available through the third week of October.

Instructor Spotlight: Marissa Mortimer at Wagner College

Marissa Mortimer, creator of Lavish Occasions (www.LavishOccasions.com), is one of the most sought after event planners in the New York Metropolitan Area. Marissa realized her calling to plan outrageous and extraordinary events back in the early 90’s when she sang for wedding ceremonies. At the young age of 30, she is known for her commitment to surpass her clients' expectations and for creating intimate weddings and extravagant upscale affairs for a long list of clients, including many of Staten Island's elite.

Marissa’s experience as a wedding singer was what first exposed her to this industry and the love affair has continued ever since. She was named one of the ‘Top Ten Entrepreneurs under 35’ in Staten Island-Central New Jersey area by Industry magazine in 2005. A recent achievement was being selected to teach the Wedding Planning Institute’s How to Become a Wedding Planner course (www.WeddingPlanningInstitute.com) at the prestigious Wagner College to help current and aspiring wedding planners to gain industry certification.

“When I was young, my grandfather told me that no matter what I decided to do in life, to always aim high and I would be successful no matter what. I asked how I would know that it was really the best choice. He told me to ask myself two questions and I would know that I made the right decision. Ask yourself what you truly love to do and what would you do for free. If you have a matched answer, you know that you have made the right choice. That was the best advice I ever received,” Marissa states.

Always having a knack for detail and a flair for drama, Marissa began her journey by working with florists, photographers, and banquet facilities. Through college she planned pro-bono events and was involved with several charities.

Marissa founded and operates Lavish Occasions with the goal to work with each client to create a perfectly planned event for guests to continue talking about for months after the “Day Of”. She teaches her employees and WPI certification students to guide clients, making the process pain free, fun, and relaxing while giving innovative ideas that will amaze guests as well as save clients money.

Candidates for the wedding planning certification course at Wagner College can register by calling Sharon Guinta at 718-390-3221 or by visiting the Wagner College website at http://www.wagner.edu/external/weddingplanning. The fall session begins on October 15, 2008 and will meet each Monday and Wednesday from 7:30pm to 10:00pm for ten weeks. Tuition is $895 and includes classroom instruction, textbook, six months online curriculum and support access, and post-graduate job placement assistance.

Instructor Spotlight: Robert Meli at Saint Petersburg College

Robert Meli began his journey in the hospitality industry, and started doing event design simply by helping close friends and family plan the occasional dinner party and offering advice on home décor. From this came referrals and advice quickly became consulting. After years in the business, Rob still experiences great pleasure in transforming his client's dreams into reality. His originality along with his innate eye for color and design set the stage for what was destined to become his company Bella Rose (www.bellaroseevents.com), which is quickly becoming a recognized leader in the field of lifestyle design. Robert is acknowledged as an artistic visionary whose expertise, exceptional creative talents, and impeccable reputation have made him an extreme success throughout Florida.

Robert is sought after for his over the top original receptions and ceremonies which stray far from the average cookie cutter wedding. Robert has designed and produced weddings for clients who expect nothing less than perfection, including celebrities and high profile professional athletes. Bella Rose creates unforgettable weddings that allow couples to become honorary guests at their own wedding and creates a lifetime of blissful memories and cherished moments for them and their entire family. Regardless of whether a client wishes to create a black tie dinner at an exquisite hotel, steal away to an exotic destination for a wedding weekend, or gather friends and loved ones under a beautifully decorated canvas in a private backyard, Robert ensures that wedding dreams becomes reality.

“We work closely with our couples so they may enjoy the entire process of planning the wedding as well as the special day itself. Our clients receive the wedding that best reflects their true personality and style. From the wine to the music to the very last dance, every detail will be fine tuned to perfection,” says Robert.

Robert attended the University of Central Florida where he majored in Organizational Communications and Minored in Journalism/ Advertising. He believes in staying active in the wedding and event industry as well as giving back to the community.

Robert is the President of Wedding & Event Professionals of Tampa Bay, a Certified Consultant with the Association of Bridal Consultants, Active Dynamic Dad & PTA Board Member at Mc Mullen Booth Elementary School, an active Member of the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce, and holds a seat on the City of Safety Harbor Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Robert is also a certified instructor for The Wedding Planning Institute, a division of Lovegevity, which is taught at St. Petersburg College in Clearwater (www.WeddingPlanningInstitute.com). Robert lives in the Tampa Bay area with his wife and 2 beautiful children.

Candidates for the wedding planning certification course at Saint Petersburg College Center for Continuing Education can register by calling Jackie Addis at 727-341-3184 or by visiting their website at http://www.spcollege.edu/AC/lifelong/wedding.htm. The fall session begins on September 27, 2008 and will meet each Saturday from 9:00am to 2:00pm for eight weeks. Tuition is $795 and includes classroom instruction, textbook, six months online curriculum and support access, and post-graduate job placement assistance.

Instructor Spotlight: Elaine Deluca at Bronx Community College

Elaine Deluca thrives on making people happy. After several years of planning social events, she established her company, Exquisite Events (www.ExquisiteEventsNewYork.com), in 2002 to provide a personal approach to wedding and social event planning. Located in the historic village of Roslyn, NY, Elaine and her staff provide consultation and planning services throughout the New York tri-state area, with a specialty in planning tented weddings at area vineyards and estates. Exquisite Events was awarded the title of "Best of Event Planners" in 2007 by TheKnot.com, a premier wedding website.

In recognition of her wedding planning proficiency, Elaine's advice and expertise has been sought out by publications including Manhattan Bride, Long Island Weddings of Distinction and Newsday and the company's events have been featured in New York Magazine and Wedding Bells Magazine. Exquisite Events recently expanded its services to offer a collection of fine stationery and favors to complement weddings and wedding-related events of all styles.

"There is no greater feeling than making someone else happy. I consider it a privilege that couples allow me to become a part of one of the most special moments in their lives, and I always treat it as such, ensuring that every last detail is as perfect as it can be," Elaine says.

This will be Elaine's third semester as a Wedding Planning Institute instructor (www.WeddingPlanningInstitute.com), and she very much looks forward to educating and developing a new group of stellar wedding planners. Having planned over 200 weddings and social events with her team, Elaine will provide students with real life, practical advice and knowledge that would otherwise take years to acquire.

“With all the detail that goes into planning a wedding, it is very easy to become confused and overwhelmed, causing unnecessary stress and anxiety, leaving the couple unable to enjoy what should be one of the happiest days of their lives,” Elaine explains. “It doesn't have to be that way. Planning a wedding should be as fun and exciting on the first day as it is on the big day.” Her goal is to help students develop the skills and tools necessary to ensure that when a client looks back on the memories of their wedding, they’re all great ones.

Candidates for the wedding planning certification course at Bronx Community College Continuing and Professional Studies can register by calling Wendell Joyner at 718-289-5174 or by visiting their website at http://www.bcc.cuny.edu/cps/index_registrationbanner.html and entering course number ACE 6019. The fall session begins on September 30, 2008 and will meet each Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30pm to 9:00pm for eight weeks. Tuition is $799 and includes classroom instruction, textbook, six months online curriculum and support access, and post-graduate job placement assistance.