Wedding planning entrepreneurs want you to say "I do" to Grand Rapids

When asked what the inspiration was for the Bride School Workshop, Jamie Kirby puts it pretty succinctly: "Brides are hungry for information and want an awesome wedding."

Kirby and Kaci Muller are the entrepreneurs and founders of the The Bride School Workshop, a one-day class designed to not only help brides plan an amazing wedding and maximize their budget but also to move West Michigan "from an oasis of status-quo weddings to a destination of exceptional weddings," Kirby says.

Their workshop brings together a wide variety of vendors and provides information on different approaches and processes plus tips on how to maximize budget and create a totally "amazing wedding" without hiring a wedding planner.  

Kirby says their first workshop, which is scheduled for Saturday, November 8, features a lineup of local suppliers such as The Cakabakery, who will be teaching a segment on wedding cakes and displays. Other parts of the program will include a wedding dress designer who will help brides know how to pick a dress for their body types, a photographer, DJ, caterer, florists and calligraphers.

Kirby estimates that a wedding budget in Grand Rapids is typically around $15,000 and says that with some "DIY" effort and connections to vendors a bride can stretch her budget and not have to spend extra on a wedding planner.

The Bride School Workshop team, both of whom have professional experience in project management, interior design, event planning and branding, says they have a goal of having two or three local workshops per year, and once they have the business model established, want to take the concept to other cities in need of a little creativity and originality in the wedding planning process.

To learn more about the Bride School Workshop you can visit their site here.

Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor
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