We only recruit the best of the best. Each Warrior is unique, adding their own strengths and insights to the team. You will be recommended the Warrior that best fits you, your wedding, and its location. Rest assured, all of our Warriors are highly skilled and extremely experienced, able to take on any challenge with a smile.
Maggie Heely
Maggie started Weekend Wedding Warrior® in 2010 in Louisville, Kentucky after moving there with her husband who was stationed at Ft. Knox. She was raised in Western New York State and has lived in London, Chicago, Louisiana, and now Kentucky! Maggie has a unique background. She earned a Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Northwestern University’s prestigious Family Institute in Evanston, IL in 2006 and is technically a Marriage and Family Therapist (MSMFT). No, she won’t give you therapy at your event, but she does bring a unique crisis-management perspective and calming energy.
Maggie is a Louisville Business First 2016 40 Under 40 and was named Woman Business Owner of the Year in the Small Business category by NAWBO Louisville 2014.
She was married in 2008 to her husband who is a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves. They have a daughter, Rori, and son, Knox. In her time off, Maggie loves trying new restaurants and taking long walks in Cherokee Park.
Stop what you’re doing, pick up the phone, call Weekend Wedding Warrior, & cross your fingers that they are available on your wedding date. These ladies are hands down, the BEST in the business and we are so lucky to have them in Louisville. – Lindsey
Alicia Sarantis
Alicia is an experienced event planner and coordinator who has worked for many years in both corporate and personal events. She has planned and completed over 500 successful events in her career with attendance ranging from 10 to 10,000. Her passion for event coordination stems from a desire to make every event, whether it is a wedding or corporate event, as perfect as it can be for each and every guest. She was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky and attended the University of Kentucky for her Bachelor’s degree. She married her husband Nick in 2008 and they currently live in Oldham County with sons, Alex & Jack, daughter Lila Kate, and dogs, Lilly & Daisy.
Of all the money my husband, parents and I spent on this wedding, Weekend Wedding Warrior was by far the best “purchase”. Alicia was my “warrior” and that she was! She is amazing! – Alyssa
Emily Nixon
A Louisville native, Emily has been an active member of the event community for six years. She takes pride in her coordination of weddings, corporate/non-profit events, and festivals. Shortly after graduating Indiana University, Emily dove head first into the event industry by becoming the Logistics Manager of The Louisville Palace and Mercury Ballroom; meshing her love of music with her passion for events.
Her aim is to always make the planning and execution process seamless, enjoyable, and fun for her Clients while keeping an impeccable attention to detail. Emily brings a fresh, fierce, and open-minded perspective to all aspects of event coordination and is a true WARRIOR in every sense of the word!
Day of the wedding, I felt like she could read my mind as she would answers questions before I even asked them. She was SO easy to be around and she made the day not only less stressful for both Sam and I, but enjoyable 🙂 I can’t imagine how I would have gotten through the day without her, and can’t give her enough praise!! – 2022 Bride, Lauren
Debbie Saag
A native Kentuckian, Debbie attended the University of Louisville where her involvement on campus sparked her love of logistics and planning. Immediately after graduating, she became involved in the event industry. She worked for a boutique event planning and design company and a prestigious Hotel before joining the Weekend Wedding Warrior team.
Debbie’s primary goal is to enable her clients to relax and enjoy their special event. Using her knowledge and previous industry experience, Debbie ensures all aspects of the wedding are executed with graceful timing and flawless detail.
Debbie is an active member of the Junior League of Louisville and the Chapter Advisor for the Delta Zeta sorority at UofL. Debbie and her husband Rob live in Worthington with their son, Oliver, and daughter, Ellie.
Debbie is the reason why we were able to let go of all of the worries that come with planning a wedding remotely, and we were able to fully experience the best day of our lives. We owe our day to Debbie and can’t recommend WWW enough. – Mother of the Bride, Joy
Jessica Tate
Jessica started with Weekend Wedding Warrior in 2015 as a wedding day assistant and quickly became the person that all the Warriors wanted with them on the wedding day. She is detail-oriented, quick with decisions, and the ultimate problem solver! In 2020 it became clear that Jessica had outgrown her assistant role and was beyond ready to be a Lead Coordinator. Her bright smile, high standards, and unshakeable calm demeanor makes her the perfect fit for Weekend Wedding Warrior.
Jessica and her husband, Cameron, live in Oldham County with their two children Brayden and Penelope. They are always doing something fun…ask her about her new pool!
Jessica made all of my plans a reality and allowed me to enjoy my wedding day worry & stress free. They went above and beyond to make sure the day was perfect. They handled every issue and if there were any problems that day I’m unaware of them! – Kate
Sara Ortego
Sara has a passion for weddings, events, and organization. Working in the event industry in her hometown of Louisville for the past ten years has been a perfect complement to those passions. Sara prides herself on ensuring that her client’s expectations and needs are taken care of so they can truly enjoy their experience.
Sara studied at the University of Kentucky earning a degree in fine arts. After being a busy stay at home mom for all of her children’s early years she went back to work designing corporate events. She then started and ran a successful wedding planning business called Simply Sara O before joining the Weekend Wedding Warrior team.
Sara loves living in St. Matthews with her wife Megan, their 3 children Dean, Vivian, and Vance and a sweet puppy named Pearl.
I wanted to thank you for all of your hard work designing and coordinating our wedding. It was a beautiful and perfect day! Everything just felt like us! I’ve had multiple friends who have just gotten engaged ask us who designed everything for our wedding because they were so impressed!
Bride, Casey, June 2022
Images by Kriech-Higdon Photography