Meet the Hostess
Kira Hug, Bridal Rebellion + Registry Rebellion Founder
Kira’s created an eclectic career, both as an entrepreneur + a busy worker-bee. She’s tweaked store designs for Estée Lauder cosmetics, planned gala banquets + fundraisers for a NYC non-profit, and pumped passion + chutzpah into a groovy tech start-up.
As the voice + creator of Registry Rebellion — and your personal registry magician — Kira is your rebellious curator, your storyteller, your design wizard, and your challenger. Kira created Bridal Rebellion to provide a face-to-face WEDucation + celebration for one-of-a-kind brides. Bridal Rebellion is sure to fill you with inspiration, wedding tips, and a heightened vision for your big day.
“I believe that planning your wedding can be incredibly empowering. It can also expose vulnerabilities you never knew existed. Regardless of your vision for the big day, I promise you – you will step up your game, learn new Superwoman skills, and possibly even change paths completely – both in your career and personal development.” -Kira
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And our fabulous Speakers…
Brittany Haas, Happily Ever Borrowed Founder
Upon graduating from Cornell University, Brittany Haas had been working as a financial retail planner at multiple high-end fashion houses including Hermes, Ralph Lauren and Saks Fifth Avenue. She is currently the CEO of Happily Ever Borrowed and brings her luxury experience to the bridal world.
@happilyeverborrowed * Facebook * Pinterest
“We can help the modern bride simply save money. We know that closet space is prime real-estate. Save it for the items you’ll wear over and over again.” -Brittany
Kellee Khalil, Lover.ly Founder
Los Angeles born and bred entrepreneur turned New Yorker. Kellee is the founder of Lover.ly, a media and technology company focused on all things weddings. Vegetarian, tech obsessed, and loves yoga.
@loverly * Facebook * Instagram: @ohloverly
“I want to help the modern bride find inspiration that will help her plan her dream wedding and make it a reality — on any budget!” -Kellee
Carrie Mantha, Indira Collection Co-Founder
Carrie is a former trauma surgeon, hedge fund manager, and Miss Florida USA whose own Manhattan wedding and love of fashion inspired her to create Indira: a fashion-tech company delivering custom, couture-quality bridesmaid dresses and wedding accessories via an innovative “online atelier” and high-tech, American manufacturing.
@indiranyc * Facebook * Pinterest * Instagram: @IndiraNYC
“Indira helps the modern bride bring her dream wedding to life in the most custom, coordinated, and couture way possible!” -Carrie
Keith Ryan Winsted, Winsted Weddings and Events Founder
The cornerstone to your special day is your ceremonial vows. The Winsted Weddings and Events team will put you and your partner at ease with genuine care and expertise to help you add the special touches to your special day.
“As Officiant, I will consult with you and your partner to understand the details and objectives for the occasion. I will then collaborate with you to compose vows that capture and convey the very essence of this unique occasion.” -Keith
Hayley Paige, Head Designer of the Blush and Hayley Paige Bridal Collections
Hayley Paige, head designer of the Blush and Hayley Paige bridal collections, made a jump start in fashion by interning for Nina Garcia at Elle magazine while attending Cornell University. She went on to work in ready-to-wear for Jill Stuart and bridal design for Priscilla of Boston under the Melissa Sweet and Marchesa labels.
@jlm_couture * Facebook * Pinterest * Instagram * Blog
“As a designer, I want my gowns to evangelize romance in a way that makes the modern woman feel both sophisticated and sassy.” -Hayley
Hana Abiza, Republic Inc. Founder and CEO
A rare blend of wedding chic, tech-lover and entrepreneurial hustle, Hana was shocked by the archaic nature of everything related to wedding planning. As founder and CEO of Republic Inc. – including Wedding Republic and Snapable – she dove into the industry, connecting couples with inspired tech solutions to plan the perfect wedding – and preserve their sanity while doing it!
@weddingrepublic * Facebook * Blog * YouTube * Pinterest
“Getting married is so much more than just a wedding. It’s a chance for you to design your future together – and your wedding registry is the perfect place to start. More than just a gift list, your registry should reflect your personalities, your dreams and most importantly provide the things you really need and want! Be honest, do you really want another toaster?” -Hana
Jackie Courtney, Nearly Newlywed Founder
Born + raised in Iowa, Jackie moved to New York where she received her degree from Parsons the New School for Design before embarking on a career in fashion with positions at Barneys NY, Conde Nast, Create the Group and Karla Otto NY. While working as a publicist and planning her own wedding, Jackie was surprised there weren’t more wedding dress shopping options for modern girls with high-fashion taste and set to creating Nearly Newlywed for girls like her.
@nearlynewlywed * Facebook * Pinterest * Instagram: @nearlynewlywed
“I believe a modern bride wants the perfect day with the perfect dress without spending a fortune, and we make that possible. We are a better way to shop bridal.” -Jackie
Celia + Danny, The Lovely Lens Co-Founders
Celia and Danny met in journalism school, where they both studied photography. Several newspaper jobs and global explorations later, they found themselves freelancing in The Big Apple. They’re the kind of people who make up nonsensical musicals for their own amusement, nourish a soft spot for sci-fi and fantasy, and do a darn good job at cookin’ up a hot mess in the kitchen.
@thelovelylens * Facebook * Tumblr
“You’re gettin’ hitched but you don’t exactly believe in storybook fairytale weddings? Fanastic! Neither do we. You believe in an individualized, imperfect, fun and real party full of people who love each other. And we’re on board.” -Celia and Danny
Kim Forrest, WeddingWire Editor
A self-described “wedding nerd,” Kim writes about all aspects of wedding planning and covers bridal markets in New York and Chicago. Kim has been writing about weddings for nearly a decade and has been quoted as a weddings expert in The New York Times and Washington Post. Before WeddingWire, she held editor positions at Brides.com, Brides Local Magazines, Washingtonian Bride & Groom, and Washingtonian.com.
@weddingwire * Facebook * Pinterest
“Inspiration! My goal is to inspire couples with an exciting and diverse array of real weddings, blog posts, and other unique content on WeddingWire.” -Kim
Kate Harrison, Green Bride Guide Founder
Kate Harrison holds a J.D. from Pace Law School and a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry. She wrote the best-selling green wedding book The Green Bride Guide (Sourcebooks, 2008), after planning her own green wedding in 2007. Green Bride Guide is the leading resource for eco-friendly planning.
@greenbrideguide * Facebook * Pinterest
“Green is not a style, it is an approach. You can green any wedding and save money doing it!”
Bea Arthur, Pretty Padded Room Founder
Since graduating from Columbia University in 2008, established psychotherapist and entrepreneur Bea Arthur has worked with a variety of populations including addicts in recovery, mothers in crisis, and most recently, survivors of domestic violence. With the goal of bringing peace and power to women everywhere, she founded PrettyPaddedRoom.com, a platform that is devoted to transforming traditional therapy into a more affordable and approachable experience.
@prettypaddedrm * Facebook * LinkedIn
“Even though your wedding is supposed to be the happiest time of your life, it can also be the most stressful. It can be tough to keep smiling when you feel like you’re dealing with bickering bridesmaids, impossible budgets, demanding mothers, and an oblivious fiancé. When you feel like you need to scream, I’ll let you. Plus I won’t judge and I’ll help you resolve those issues so you can go back to smiling for real.” -Bea
John Ballay, Knot Standard Co-Founder
John Ballay started his career in finance in New York City, before relocating to Dubai in 2008 to join a government investment fund. Overseas, the void in customized clothing in the USA became quickly apparent, and shortly thereafter he co-founded Knot Standard. John has a degree in Economics from University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Columbia Business School. John lives in NYC with his wife Lynze.
@knotstandard * Facebook * Instagram: @knotstandard
“Knot Standard helps wedding parties attain custom, bespoke suits at a reasonable price point, creating a stress-free process from start to finish.” -John
Dana Ostomel, Deposit a Gift Founder and Chief Gifting Officer
Dana Ostomel is the founder and Chief Gifting Officer of Deposit a Gift, a cash gifting platform. She launched the company in 2010 to simplify and modernize gift-giving, and the company has grown to be the preferred platform for everything from wedding and baby gifts, to fundraising for a cause and crowdfunding personal projects. People today need flexibility and cash gives them just that. There are no returns, no space constraints. People can spend the money where they want, when they want.
@depositagift * Facebook * Pinterest * Blog
“Deposit a Gift gives modern couples what they want most: Flexibility. Let friends and family contribute monetary gifts towards the dreams and experiences you actually want, not ‘stuff’ you don’t.” -Dana
Nicole Staple, Brideside Co-Founder
Nicole is a co-founder of Brideside, which is a one-stop shop for a bridal and her bridesmaids who live all over the country. After many treasure hunts as a bridesmaid to find the right dress in small boutiques, Nicole and her co-founder Sonali decided it was time to bring fun and convenience to the bridesmaids experience. Nicole has her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and invested in early-stage tech companies prior to launching Brideside.
@brideside * Facebook * Pinterest
“There are too many horror stories of shopping for bridesmaid dresses, with appointment-only boutiques and knock-off online distributors. With Brideside, we wanted to streamline the process and put the fun back into being a bridesmaid with technology that allows them to share ideas and styles that won’t make them cringe.” -Nicole
Tova Gold, Finding My Muchness Founder
Tova Gold is a multi-passionate entrepreneur who brings her personal truth to everything she does, including her career. Inspired by the loss of her stillborn twin daughters at 24 weeks gestation, Ms. Gold left her nearly 20 year career in the fashion, accessory and toy industries to run her “passion project, Finding My Muchness. The goal of FMM is to empower women to find their light, joy and identity despite grief, stress or sorrow.
“I will help the bride enter into the planning process from a Muchness mindset so her wedding is a joy to plan and ultimately reflects her + her partners unique love and personalities.” -Tova
Jessica Bishop, The Budget Savvy Bride Founder
Jessica Bishop is the founder of the award-winning wedding blog The Budget Savvy Bride. Since launching the site in May 2008, Jessica has been featured as a budget wedding expert by many media outlets & publications for sharing advice, savvy inspiration and money saving tips for brides.
@savvybride * Facebook * Pinterest
“I planned my 2009 wedding for 150 guests on a budget of $10,000. I offer creative ideas to help brides keep wedding spending in check.” -Jessica
Amy Noelle, Sugar Flower Cake Shop Founder
After careers as an actuary, then a math teacher, Amy’s life was quiet: she lived in the Hudson Valley, and raised fruit and vegetables—albeit in a dress and heels. Driving her tractor, she was struck by an idea. Why make overly sweet cakes from pre-made mix, when you can get explosive flavor from scratch? She opened Sugar Flower Cake Shop in NYC’s fashion district, which designs custom wedding cakes using local ingredients, tasty buttercream, and an impressive range of sugar sculpting talents. Now, Amy and her staff have baked hundreds of wedding cakes…and counting.
@sugarflowershop * Facebook * Pinterest * Instagram * Blog
“For her cake, the modern bride wants something that actually tastes as good as it looks! We eschew fondant, instead smoothing buttercream to a flawless finish.” -Amy
Tami Brooks, Tamaura Design Founder
Originally from Portland, Tami Brooks has been living in Brooklyn, NY since 1992. She began her love affair with jewelry making several years ago on a trip to London as she drooled over a chunky, wonderful ring that she personally felt “spiritually connected” to, of which her bank account wasn’t so connected too. Tami then decided to learn how to create her own jewelry.
“Brides have the power to brand their weddings with their own unique style and vision. Everything from the venue to the jewelry should exude your brand, the essence of who you both are as a couple.” -Tami
Fallon Carter, Fallon Carter Weddings Founder
Fallon Carter is a Wedding Planner and Designer in New York City and the owner of FallonCarter Weddings. While spending years in Corporate America, Fallon knew there had to be more. After traveling to Paris for a friend’s wedding, where she helped finalize planning details for a three day wedding extravaganza, there was no doubt that wedding planning was her calling. Fallon Carter Weddings has been featured on Huffington Post Weddings, Brides.com and Fox Business.
@fallonweddings * Facebook * Instagram: @falloncarterweddings
“I can help modern brides because not only do I assist with planning a wedding, but I also focus on planning a marriage.” -Fallon
Chelsea Bond, {Red-i} By Chelsea Founder
At the first site of Vogue, Chelsea fell in love with fashion and jewelry. At 5 years old on a trip to Portugal, she fell in love with travel. After studying abroad twice and planning a destination wedding, she became enamored with her own love story and started {Red-i} By Chelsea.
@redibychelsea * Facebook * Pinterest
“I’m striving to revolutionize the way wedding jewelry is selected. No bride is the same, therefore each piece should be as unique as they are.” -Chelsea
Andrea Lown, Smart Bride Boutique Founder
Andrea is a unique blend of tech geek and wedding chic. After struggling to find her own wedding gown, Andrea searched online for a dress but was unsatisfied with the “department store” atmosphere of other classified sites. A true internet afficiando, Andrea used her marketing, e-commerce and product development background to launch Smart Bride Boutique.
@smartbride * Facebook * Pinterest
“Never one to follow the rules, I believe every bride should have their cake and eat it too! I love teaching the save & splurge mentality of wedding planning. Have fun planning your wedding, just don’t let it become who you are.” -Andrea
Nick Ferrington, Beat Train Productions DJ
Nick Ferrington began his career in the wedding DJ industry in his homestate of Montana before making the leap to Brooklyn/Boston-based Beat Train Productions in 2011. With nearly 100 weddings on his resume, Nick has seen the ins and outs of all types of receptions, ceremonies, cocktail hours and beyond.
“I’ll not only provide tips on what a bride should do, but also the things they should NOT do to make their big day run perfectly.” -Nick
Lee Stein, The Wedding Mile Founder
Lee is an entrepreneur, author, and sales professional with over 15 years of sales and marketing experience, both online and offline. She has operated businesses in the retail space as well as web development and design, SEO and social media. Lee is also a certified non-denominational wedding officiant, marrying people of all races, religions, creeds, and lifestyles!
“It’s time for brides to reclaim their weddings…from the wedding planners, from their bridesmaids, and from their mothers in law! Let’s talk about ways to personalize and accent your wedding so that it truly reflects your own style and inspiration.” -Lee
Lauren Ricciardelli, Private Receptions, Inc. Owner and Creative Director
Lauren works with clients to create a unique planning experience tailored to each couple. Her calm demeanor and “can-do” attitude are a breath of fresh air during the process. At PR, we see each wedding as a reflection of the couple’s love story and personal style. Our goal with every client is to bring their dream wedding to life; worry- free.
@prettyplanner * Facebook * Pinterest * Instagram: @prettyplanner * Blog
“Brides are pulled in so many different directions that planning a wedding is often a huge stressor. We eliminate the burden; making planning enjoyable and the wedding spectacular.” -Lauren
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