Athens’ bricked sidewalks and tree-lined downtown serve as beautiful backdrops for wedding weekends. With its nationally acclaimed restaurants and boutiques and its noteworthy nightlife, Athens’ charm and hospitality make it dial for visitors. Perhaps its biggest point of pride is its bustling music scene, boasting R.E.M., Widespread Panic, and the B-52’s as hometown start-ups. Never acts are finding national acclaim in the form of The Whigs, Drive by Truckers, and Of Montreal. Add to that: America’s first state college, beautiful historic neighborhoods, and one-of-a-kind offerings like “The Tree That Owns Itself” and the world’s only double-barreled cannon, and couples can please their families, friends and distant cousins with a myriad of things to do. There’s never a dull moment for brides- and grooms-to-be, and Athens Wedding Professionals can help even the most novice planner make their wedding uniquely Athens. 

“The proximity of everything is so close in Athens- churches and ceremony sites are walking distance to hotels and reception sites. Literally everything is within a five-mile radius, which makes it easier and safer,” says Lee Epting, AWP member and owner of Lee Epting Catering. “Our downtown scene offers so much for the party after the party. Our town is very much alive when so many downtowns are dead.”

For the couple returning to their alma mater or the Atlantan looking to escape the cookie-cutter weddings of suburbia, AWP can help plan a wedding in Athens, a town that boasts lush settings, unique venues, and world-class vendors. Now all you need are your colors.

Athens Wedding Professionals was established in 2000 to promote Athens as a wedding destination and serve as a resource for couples looking for reliable businesses in the wedding industry. With over 50 members representing almost every aspect of weddings- from the candle-lit ceremony to the Caribbean honeymoon- AWP can save couples time and money, and they will have the satisfaction of supporting local vendors.

AWP President-Emeritus Michele Turner of Consultants Unlimited says, “AWP’s membership is comprised of the top wedding professionals in the Athens area. We are responsible for implementing thousands of unique, exquisite weddings each year. Because we are so intimately acquainted and work with one another so often, we really make the entire planning experience seamless for the bride and groom. AWP members are intimately aware of the details that make a wedding uniquely Athens and can assist the bride and groom with those details that will have their guests talking about the wedding long after the honeymoon is over.”

Brides and grooms aren’t the only ones who benefit from AWP. Members of the organization quote the attractive marketing collaboration and networking opportunities as the biggest benefits of membership. “Having a collaborative marketing group working with you gives a small voice more power and gets small business owners more ‘bang for their buck’ with advertising. My business would not be what it is today without our continuous networking and the help of Athens Wedding Professionals,” says Natalie Keene Bradley, President-Emeritus of Athens Wedding Professionals and president and senior event planner of Natalie Bradley Events. 

Marisu Wehrenberg of Zoomworks further explains the benefits of AWP membership: “Interacting with a group of professionals in the same field is always enlightening. Together you can help redirect business, share new trends in marketing and advertising, as well as develop deeper relationships with vendors who you work with on a regular basis.”
 
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER OF Athens Wedding Professionals??
We'd love to hear from you! Send us an email for information on joining the organization
info@athensweddingprofessionals.com