About WeddingPioneer

Welcome to Wedding Pioneer, where your journey to the perfect wedding day begins. Our story dates back to the days when our founder, the esteemed wedding photographer Kyle Rowland, was capturing magical moments in St. Louis. Driven by a passion for authenticity and excellence, Kyle sought to create a platform that would do more than showcase his work — he wanted to share the spotlight with other exceptional photographers whose work he admired and trusted. 

Thus, Wedding Pioneer was born, initially as a close-knit referral network where only the best photographers were handpicked to ensure couples received the highest quality of service and artistry for their special day.

As time went by, Wedding Pioneer evolved, and while Kyle stepped away to explore new horizons, his ethos remained deeply rooted in our mission. Today, Wedding Pioneer is your comprehensive guide to crafting the wedding of your dreams. We’ve blossomed into a multi-faceted platform that takes pride in connecting couples with a curated selection of the best wedding vendors, venues, and planning advice.

Our team of seasoned wedding experts, each a pioneer in their respective field, brings a diverse set of insights to help you navigate the beautiful journey that wedding planning is. Looking for a storybook venue, the latest in wedding decor trends, or resources to plan the perfect honeymoon? Wedding Pioneer has you covered. We’re here to ensure that every element of your wedding resonates with the unique and pioneering spirit you bring as a couple.

So embark on this adventure with us — where love, creativity, and expertise meet to turn your wedding dreams into reality. With Wedding Pioneer, your happily ever after starts here.

Wedding Pioneer Today

Today, Wedding Pioneer is run by Jake and Sarah, a husband and wife team based in Ohio. Jake is a travel agent and Sarah just loves weddings! If you want to get in touch, send us an email at [email protected] and we’d be happy to help. 

See below for the rest of our amazing writers and contributors: 

Meet Our Team

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Stephanie Bontorin
Stephanie is a published fiction and technical writer and editor living in Vancouver BC. She is an enthusiast for wedding photography and takes joy in writing about wedding decorations, planning, food, and more. She successfully planned her own wedding in two months after the original plans were cancelled during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Sarah Taylor
Sarah was the typical little girl who dreamed about her wedding from the time she could walk. Every detail was planned except the final piece of the puzzle - a husband. Fortunately, she found him and got married in 2007 in the Pre-Pinterest era. She is still happily married and still enjoys scouring the internet for cute wedding ideas (that make her wish she could get married all over again).
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Melinda Connor
Wedding planner, event stylist and old school romantic, I love weddings so much I had two of my own. Before moving countries, I ran my own decor and event planning company for 8 years. Although I no longer do events as such, I live vicariously through brides-to-be by writing about current and future wedding trends
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Mandy Lee
Mandy is a recently married Minnesotan currently living in Singapore with her husband, and she's still adjusting to both of those big changes! She managed to successfully plan a big wedding from overseas during a pandemic, so if there's anything you've worried with regards to wedding planning, she's already done it four times over. When she's not busy writing, you can find her doing laps in the pool or exploring sunny Singapore with a kopi and snack in hand.
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Lauren Stone
Lauren is a British wedding celebrant, who writes and performs bespoke wedding ceremonies. She trained to become a celebrant in 2017 and has married around 25 couples, creating unique and meaningful ceremonies across the UK. She has been a bridesmaid EIGHT times, and is currently planning her own wedding. Lauren is now a freelance writer alongside looking after her 1 year old daughter.
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Kristen Douglas
Kristen is a freelance writer and photographer living in northeastern North Carolina with her husband and son. She got married in 2008, meaning she had to plan her wedding before Pinterest! She is a second shooter for several wedding photographers and her favorite part of any wedding is the cake!
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Kelley Spurlock
Kelley Spurlock is a freelance writer specializing in contradictory interests of outdoor activity and indoor creativity. She built her chops as an adventure elopement photographer and spent many happy years in the wedding industry. Once her kids were born, she traded fast-paced weekend shoots for crafting words behind a computer. She is very cozy.
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Grace Scanlon
Grace Scanlon is a DC-area native and alumna of the English program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She's a hopeless romantic who has loved weddings since she began planning her own with printouts and a binder in the fourth grade, and has worked both as a bridal stylist and as a building and marketing manager for a wedding venue in North Carolina. In her spare time, Grace loves to read, walk her dog, travel, and learn new things!
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Eva Johnstone
If you are looking for a true wedding venue or honeymoon destination expert, then Eva is your girl. From quirky, renovated firehouses to luxury resorts, Eva finds hidden gems around the globe. She has spent the last 9 years exploring the world with her husband, while writing about travel, fashion and love. When she’s not typing away, you can find Eva dancing bachata or getting out in nature.
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Briaughna Ashley
As a former educator, Briaughna loves writing informative articles that give readers the resources they need to reach their goals. From lesson plans, to DIY projects, to wedding planning guides, she’s covered a wide variety of lifestyle topics. When she’s not writing, you can find Briaughna thriving as an executive assistant in her husband’s wedding photo/video business. With over 5 years in the industry and countless weddings under her belt, Briaughna’s developed a strength for bringing each couple’s vision to life on their special day. After a long day of wedding work, there’s nothing that Briaughna loves more than settling into the couch for a movie night with her husband and Chihuahua.
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Andy Hammond
Hello, my name is Andy, from London, and I love to write about weddings. For the last 10+ years I have been working in the world of lace, vows, and gowns as a press officer, social media and writer. It's a subject that still endlessly fascinates me, with new trends emerging, and traditions developing all the time in mimicry of our ever-changing world.
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Andrea Papillon
When Andrea saw an online posting to be a freelance writer at Wedding Pioneer, she just had to say "I Do!" to a dream gig. Andrea has covered movie stars, musicians, and pop culture as a digital content creator. As a romance novelist, she's published several spicy romantic comedies. Finally, as a singer-songwriter (her passion project), Andrea has performed as a wedding singer and a semi-pro vocalist in original and cover bands. She also wrote a wedding song for a loved one, which she cherishes. Andrea loves event planning, and planning a wedding ceremony—and the party afterward—are the events of a lifetime. Big or small, intimate or grand, rebel or traditional, Andrea wants to help you create the wedding day of your dreams!
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Amanda Anthony
Amanda is a freelance writer and a die-hard fan of true love. When she’s not writing about the latest wedding tips and trends, you can find her pouring over travel guides and urban fantasy novels. Amanda lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with her husband, kiddos, and goofy golden doodle, Ripley.

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