Upcoming Course Deadline: Meet the Instructors

MEET THE INSTRUCTOR:

Karen S. Casey, ACPWC certified wedding consultant, has been providing service to brides since 1987.  She has designed and taught seminars on “How to Plan Your Own Wedding”, “Weddings – Southern Style” and “Advancing Your Wedding Consulting Career.”  She is an instructor for the national training course sponsored by the Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants (ACPWC) on “How to Start and Develop a Wedding Consulting Business.”

Karen is a member of the ACPWC and the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) and has been a speaker and industry panelist for local, national and international organizations.  She enjoys sharing with and learning from people who are looking to take their consulting careers to the next level.

Mrs. Casey has been honored with numerous awards, including:

• 2010 ALLIE Award – Best Social Event $10K – $25K
• 2009, 2006, 2005, 2002 Allie Awards – Best Social Event
• 2006, 2005 Allie Awards – Most Creative Venue
• 2005 ISES International Esprit Award – Best Social Event Planning: Budget over $100,001

She has been nominated for Gala Awards – Best Wedding:  $500 and above Per Guest.

www.KarenCaseyEvents.com

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MEET THE INSTRUCTOR:

In 1971, after many years of event planning in Boston (including coordinating teenage pageants, fundraisers for non-profits, and social events for corporate America), raising two children and 6 years working at a large Boston Law Firm as a Para Legal, Marcia Coleman-Joyner, her husband and two kids moved to San Jose, California.

Within 2 months, she was hired by a Sole Practitioner as a Family Law Paralegal, a position she loved for 9 years.  Then one morning, on her way to work, she realized that she wanted something more.

Marcia and her sister and best friend, Gretchen, had always dreamed of starting their own business, but didn’t know what that business would be until Gretchen turned on the Phil Donohue Show one day while Phil was interviewing Wedding Consultants from New York.  She called Marcia and convinced her to give the idea some thought.

In January of 1989, following 6 months of intensive research, Marcia and Gretchen hung their shingle and became Wedding Consultants, naming their business “The Wedding Connection by GreMar”, later changed to “A Joyous Occasion”.  Two months later, they exhibited at a Bridal Show and booked 8 weddings….and the rest is history.

In January of 1990, Marcia and Gretchen had the pleasure of meeting our beloved Founder, Ann Nola, who was then the Producer of The Bridal Extravaganza.  Ann invited Marcia to call her following the Bridal Fair.  Not only did she call her, she began working for her on a part-time basis, learning all she could about the industry.  Ann became her Mentor, and later her dear friend.

In 1991, Marcia took the ACPWC Course over a weekend, one-on-one, with Ann Nola and became the first Wedding Consultant to be certified by ACPWC. As a Charter Member, she served as Chairperson and Parliamentarian for 8 terms.

In 1995, Ann Nola appointed Marcia as ACPWC’s first Instructor.  She quickly became very comfortable in the classroom and loves sharing her experiences with the students.  Marcia has taught classes in Northern and Southern California, Georgia and Arizona.

She has had the pleasure of coordinating weddings for such celebrities as Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo!; Louis Bellson, widower of Jazz Singer, Pearl Bailey; the son of actor/singer Kris Kristofferson; and Patrick Marleau, Captain of the San Jose Sharks Team.

Marcia has been quoted in numerous magazines, newspapers, and periodicals and has been interviewed on local TV shows throughout her career.  She has also received awards from Who’s Who In Executives And Professionals, The Knot and Best of San Jose, but her most precious awards are those she received from ACPWC over the years.

After 23 years in the business, Marcia is well known and respected in Northern California. She has begun to “downsize”, now coordinating a maximum of 15 weddings per year, vs. 35, representing three private estates and continuing to teach ACPWC’s Wedding Consulting Course at every opportunity.  Her goal is to retire into teaching in a few years.

Marcia attributes her success to the organizational skills she mastered as a Para Legal, a solid family background, her determination, drive and a profound love for the wedding industry.

www.aJoyousOccasion.net