Meet Allie. Owner & Lead Wedding Planner
As your Wedding Planner, my goal is not only for you to have the Wedding of your dreams, but also for you to gain a friend in the process. An engagement is an exciting time, but can be stressful without the right team. After getting to know me, I know you will trust that I have your back through the process.
I met my husband, Jonathan, “on the river”. We both rowed at Washington State University and fell in love between pursuing our degrees and competing as a Division I student-athlete. I put in a victory lap year and ended up graduating with two degrees, Human Development and Psychology. We were engaged after my (first) Senior year and I spent my “Super” Senior year planning my wedding. Little did I know at the time, this would introduce me to the creative & detailed world of the Wedding Industry and would set the foundation for my own business later.
Jonathan and I lived in San Diego for a few years, and then Seattle for another couple. I continued my work in the Wedding Industry, but also expanded to planning Baby Showers, Birthday Parties, and Corporate Events.
In 2017 we welcomed our daughter. As often happens, having a child shifted our priorities. We moved to Virginia in late 2018 to be close to family and pursue our career dreams. I launched Grey Cardinal Events in 2019 and have been so honored to see it take off and be so supported by the community. Southwest Virginia is a great place to raise a family, and our son joined the team in 2020.
Meet Jill. Lead Wedding Planner
Jill has been in the Wedding and celebration industry since 2010 and joins Grey Cardinal as a Wedding Planner as well as our “Go-To Cake Lady!” She is a Southern Virginia native and Virginia Tech graduate, but entered the Wedding scene in the San Diego, CA market by opening up a Wedding and celebration cake Bakery & Cafe. Jill grew her staff from just herself to nearly 50 dedicated team members and went from celebrating with 2-5 couples per week to approximately 30 weddings each weekend. In 2022, Jill relocated back to Roanoke to be near family again and is excited to be working with Grey Cardinal couples, helping them achieve their unique wedding day vision!
You may also know Jill as a fabulous local Wedding Cake and Dessert baker! Her company, Jill’s Cake Studio, is a dedicated, family-owned and operated bakery in Roanoke. We are so grateful that Jill brought her expert cake-makery to us all the way from the west coast!
Meet Brittany, Wedding Coordinator
