A Bridal Show Alternative in the Form of a Big Fake Wedding

About

The Event

Complete with dinner and drinks, an emotional vow-renewal ceremony and a dance-party reception, The Big Fake Wedding (formerly known as The NotWedding) has become a killer alternative to a bridal show.

The Big Fake Wedding was the first event of its kind when it was founded in 2008, creating an experiential opportunity for wedding vendors to showcase their products and services to shopping brides and grooms just as they would at a real wedding. Ten years later in 2018, The Big Fake Wedding is still the most uniquely curated and most far-reaching bridal show alternative in the nation, attracting over 6,000 attendees and 1,000 vendors annually across 30+ events in 25 cities. The hand-selected vendors perform their services as they would at a real wedding, and the “wedding guests” get to hear the music, taste the cakes, and smell the flowers… while enjoying a night of great food, dancing and surprises, leaving brides-and-grooms-to-be saying “I want my wedding to be just like that!” For brides and grooms, the event serves as a source of inspiration, a resource in finding trusted wedding vendors and an emotional reminder to plan for what comes after the wedding: a marriage! For participating wedding vendors, the event exposes their business to new referral sources, while also exposing each vendor to a wealth of inspiration, resources and confidence to take their business to the next level.

The History

In 2008, aspiring wedding photographer Callie Murray was looking for a way to effectively build her new business. With the goals of promoting small businesses, inspiring brides and grooms, and encouraging solid marriages, she rallied her wedding industry friends together to create the ultimate wedding experience: a perfectly planned “wedding” where brides- and grooms-to-be could actually see vendors in action. The inaugural event was a hit, and it became an annual event in Atlanta. Callie has since been joined by an amazing team of people who have helped bring The Big Fake Wedding to cities across the country.

The Team

Interested in joining our gang? Click here to see a list of our current job openings.

Before Jennifer was our CEO, she was our first ever surprise real wedding! Since then, she and her husband have become the owners and stewards of The Big Fake Wedding. With their experience in growing and expanding business internationally, they make the perfect team to carry out our vision and mission.

Jennifer Ammons

CEO

Austin is in charge of bringing on stellar vendors in a number of our cities, as well as managing our incredible sales team. She is also overseeing our first ever baby show, Swaddle + Swoon. Austin and her husband live in Columbia, SC with their four little ones!

Austin Hubbard

Vice President of Sales

The Big Fake Wedding Team Photos-The Big Fake Wedding Team Retreat-0066

Say hello to Ashleymae – you can take the girl out of California but you can’t take the California out of the girl. If her love for escape rooms gives you any indication, she’s always up for an adventure. One of Ashley’s main strengths is woo (winning others over), so she makes the perfect director of production.

Ashleymae Elmore

Director of Production

Jessica is our Minneapolis-based production manager! Her biggest strength is optimism and flexibility is practically her middle name. If she isn’t curled up with a good book (suspense is her current genre of choice), she is out on the town exploring the newest and prettiest place to get her prosecco fix.

Jessica Pickering

Production Manager

Everyone meet our dancing queen, Sarah! She is our newest production manager with a passion for hosting themed parties. She firmly believes that you are never fully dressed without a smile and glitter, which is why she has her very own costume closet! When she isn’t dreaming up her next event, you can catch her playing soccer, sand volleyball or playing with her two fur babies, Abbey and Indy.

Sarah Purcell

Production Manager

Abigail is a born and bred Georgia Peach and Berry College Grad! In her spare time you can find her sipping on wine with her family, listening to murder-mystery podcasts and hosting themed dinner parties for her closest peers. One day she hopes to have a bed & breakfast in Franklin, Tennessee!

Abigail Collins

Director of Marketing

Melanie O’Neill

Director of Operations + Marketing Assistant

Born and raised in Florida, Hannah is UCF Rosen School of Hospitality Grad with experience in large scale corporate events and owning her own wedding planning business: Something Blue Orlando. Passionate about true-crime documentaries, country music and dancing like no one is watching, you can catch Hannah tearing up the dance floor at any event!

Hannah Santo

Account Executive

Meet Jessica! When she isn’t busy crafting or watching Downton Abbey, she loves to travel with her husband and two-year-old daughter. Jessica has 17 years of hospitality experience – ten of those years being in hotel sales for Marriott!

Jessica Zucknick

Account Executive

Meet Paige, a mom of three from Boston with a love for helping people look and feel great! Paige has been a vendor for several of our events, dressing grooms from coast to coast. Outside of work, Paige is obsessed with pilates. On the weekends, you can find her not only taking classes but teaching them as well. Fun Fact: In her past life, Paige was a reporter for red carpets in Los Angeles and worked for a member of a well-known boy band!

Paige Connell

Account Executive

Tori jumped on board with The Big Fake Wedding after three years in software sales! She is an ENFP through and through, and you can find her on the move at all times. She can be found hanging with friends, playing weekly trivia with her family and planning (aka daydreaming) her next project for her new home!

Tori Reiman

Account Executive

Paige Hicks

Spring 2021 Sales Intern

38624494_10108956125539470_2363670143944359936_o 2

Callie started The Big Fake Wedding (then called The NotWedding) in 2008. After eight years of growing both the business and her family (they’ve welcomed three little girls in that time!), she has moved from her title as Owner to Founder. Callie is now the Director of Growth for Lasting: an app that makes marriage counseling accessible to all!

Callie Murray

Founder