Mission Statement: Hunt Country Celebrations (HCC) is an association of wedding and special event professionals doing business in the heart of Northern Virginia’s Hunt Country. Our purpose is to maintain and enhance the quality of services offered to the special event industry. We are an active association working with the community for the benefit of our members and the public. We encourage greater responsibility and integrity among our members. It is our goal to connect, develop resources, and gain inspiration in an environment of mutual support and camaraderie.
MEET OUR BOARD MEMBERS
Tina Behnke
President
CEO – Client Experience Officer, AirPac Portable Air Conditioners & Heaters
Tina never imagined providing climate control rental services for special events until her engineer husband, Marlin, created a system tent rental companies were asking for. Tina is thrilled to learn from and work with the talented Hunt Country Celebrations (HCC) industry pros. She works with the creative leadership team to develop and deliver resources that will benefit each member, foster networking within the HCC community, and elevate the event industry.
LAURA MACARIO
Vice President
Artistic Concepts Group, Inc.
I have been handling the wedding shows as chairperson of the committee for the past few years. But with the changes in how the couples research and hire wedding professionals, as well as the pandemic big changes have been made in that area and we are leaning towards a showcase of our membership at various member venues. I am involved simply for the creation of partnerships with other wedding professionals.
WANDA J. LORD
Treasurer
Owner of Wanda’s Cake Decorating, est. 1976
As a member of Hunt Country Celebrations since its inception, Wanda has gained an invaluable understanding of the wedding industry. Her responsibilities as treasurer include annual invoicing of dues to current members as well as those that are voted in the membership during the year, maintaining the books and paying bills as approved by the board, providing monthly financial statements, and filing taxes for the organization.
DEBBIE ZURSCHMEIDE-SCHOEB
Bluemont Vineyard
Recruit and retain professional members involved in the wedding/tourism/hospitality industry. New Member Welcome Ambassador. Assist new members in becoming acclimated in everything Hunt Country Celebrations. I enjoy connecting people to help them have additional tools to grow their business.
KEVIN OLIVERA
Rosanna Funiciello Smith
Stephanie Dasch
Diamond Events
Founder and owner of Diamond Events, Stephanie Dasch brings her diverse background in event planning and engineering to Hunt Country Celebration to lead the Social Media and Marketing committee. We are constantly looking for ways to showcase our talented members and the fabulous events that they produce together. Hunt Country Celebrations has been essential in growing our business and staying connected with our fellow vendors.
Glory Barbaris
Founder & Creative Director, Always Creating Studio Weddings & Events
With more than 18 years in Information Technology (IT), marketing, branding and social media, Ms. Barbaris oversees website content and development, provide administrative support to Hunt Country membership. Works with leadership and Social Media Committee Chair to develop website and social media strategies . The goal of the Website Committee is to maintain an evolving, user-friendly website that promotes Hunt Country Celebrations.
Michael Stump
President/Owner- Tip Top Photo Booths/Tip Top Tap Truck
With over 10+ years being part of the wedding and event space, Michael is in charge of providing clear communication among all members of the group. Creating events, managing all emails and taking notes at each of the member meetings are all part of the duties of the secretary. Clear communication is a must and this falls in the hands of the HCC Secretary.
JOIN HUNT COUNTRY CELEBRATIONS
Local wedding professionals located in Northern Virginia and the DC area may apply to be part Hunt Country Celebrations. We uphold the highest standards in the wedding industry, therefore all of our members are highly vetted.
To join, new members must be in business for a minimum of three years, or two years with at least five years of experience. Additional requirements include obtaining three current HCC members as sponsors; attend two HCC meetings (one is required but no more than two as a non-member); committee service is required, and all members should volunteer at one wedding show per year. Our membership is also limited to eight members in all categories. Members may be included in secondary categories if they meet the membership criteria. However, if your business is a reception or event site, your primary listing must be under this category, which is limited to 15. All local vendors interested in applying are subject to a non-refundable application fee.
WHY BECOME A MEMBER?
Interested in joining Hunt Country's most exclusive group of wedding vendors? Here are some of the perks.
Inquire to Join
If you would like more information about becoming a Hunt Country Celebrations member, please fill out the following form.