About
Our goal is to understand our couples from their roots all the way to their stems. Every detail of your big day should be strongly rooted in your love story, and thoughtfully telling that story in event form is what we do. Our couples come in all different forms, and we love them all. From the highly detailed, meticulous dreamers to our all-trusting, unquestioning believers. Our certified wedding planners are dedicated to meeting our clients right where they are.
From your first bridal consultation to the very last email we send, we take a genuine and authentic interest in diving deeper than just surface level in order to understand you down to your very roots. We believe our family-like atmosphere and deep care we take in our clients creates a sense of community, excitement and openness as we plan the biggest day of your life together!
Roots To Stems
We Are
Alayna Mines is Roots to Stems owner, founder, trendsetter, and event design extraordinaire! Alayna is a Certified Wedding Planner by The Bridal Society, and her wedding designs have been featured in many popular publications such as Wedding Chicks, Brides, E! News, Good Morning America, and more.
Alayna's deep love for event planning and design was inspired at a young age by watching her parents run one of the largest event expos in the world. As early as Alayna can remember, she thrived in this fast paced environment and grew up learning what it takes to run highly detailed and meticulous events. Although she was only just a kid, she jumped in as a volunteer alongside other event specialists and excelled early on. Fast forward to her early adult days, Alayna became the Event Director of Stetson University's event planning team, and later began traveling around the United States working as an Event Specialist for a high-end experiential marketing event firm. Alayna has had the privilege of working with some of the world's largest brands like Ford Motor Company, Facebook, Corona, Disney, Universal, MTV, and countless others but her absolute favorite clients are her Roots To Stems couples looking to tell their love story in event form!
With decades of event experience, her hard work and passion powered the birth of her business, Roots to Stems, where she continues to live out her mission of passing on a legacy of kindness & hospitality to all she works with. Alayna now focuses solely on Full Service Design packages, where her love for large-scale events and wedding design can fully shine.
Alayna Mines is Roots to Stems owner, founder, trendsetter, and event designer extraordinaire! Alayna's deep love for event planning and design was inspired by watching her parents as a child run one of the largest event expos in the world. As early as Alayna can remember, she thrived in this fast paced environment and grew up learning what it takes to run highly detailed and meticulous events. Although she was only just a kid, she jumped in as a volunteer alongside other event specialists and excelled early on.
Fast forward to her early adult days, Alayna became the Event Director of Stetson University's event planning team at the age of 20, and later began traveling around the United States working as an Event Specialist for a high-end experiential marketing event firm. Alayna has had the privilege of working with some of the world's largest brands like Ford Motor Company, Facebook, Corona, Disney, Universal, MTV, and countless others. Her leadership experience in running highly detailed projects and fast paced events, created a passion for planning - which inspired her to focus her skillset on the creative and ever-changing bridal industry.
Alayna enthusiastically jumped headfirst into taking on internships and wedding specific roles before starting her own company, Roots to Stems. Her hard work and passion powered her business growth and Roots to Stems grew exponentially. She now focuses solely on Full Service packages where her love for large-scale events and design can fully shine.
Alayna is a Certified Wedding Planner by The Bridal Society, and has been featured in many popular publications such as Wedding Chicks, Brides, E! News, Good Morning America, and more. Alayna understands the importance of community and teamwork and has developed countless business relationships and friendships with incredible wedding professionals around the US such as florists, photographers, videographers, wedding venues, bridal and tuxedo shops and more. Alayna's mission is to stay humble, and pass on a legacy of kindness and hospitality to all she works with.
Lead Wedding Planner & Event Designer | Owner & Chief of Events
Alayna Mines
Nora is one of our veteran Lead Planners on the Roots to Stems team focusing on Month of / Day of Coordination and Partial Planning services. Nora’s overwhelming passion for event and wedding planning began in high school where she volunteered as an event coordinator. From that point forward, she knew she wanted to continue on the adventure of working in the event industry!
Nora graduated from UCF Rosen College of Hospitality and has devoted over 10 years of hard work and passion to the event and hospitality industry. Nora has had the opportunity to work in Massachusetts as a wedding coordinator at the historical landmarks like Martha’s Vineyard, and has had her hand in the planning process at various hotels and convention centers including some of Florida’s most popular venues.
Before joining the team at Roots To Stems, Nora worked in corporate events for a Destination Management Company servicing high-end clients from all over the US. Nora’s attention to details, incredible memory (seriously, she doesn’t forget anything!) and dedication to her clients has helped her build an extremely positive reputation amongst venues, clients, catering companies, florists and all she works with here in the Orlando area.
Lead Wedding Planner & Event Designer
Nora Surrena
Ivy is one of the fabulous Lead Planners for Roots to Stems, as well as the team's Operations Manager! Chances are, Ivy has been your first point of contact on the RTS team, learning and getting to know every single one of our couples! Her ability to strategically create your custom wedding planning package and understand your unique wedding planning needs makes her the MVP of the RTS Operations team!
Ivy is a natural leader who is always looking for ways to charge forward to make things spectacular, whether that’s for the business, for her couples, or for her team. She has a “team first” mentality and also provides planner training sessions for our community as well as jumps into interviewing new team members. She is excellent at multitasking and loves to see a detailed plan come together seamlessly.
Ivy has been in hospitality for over 10 years! She loves to learn new skills and has a "do whatever it takes" attitude. Her favorite part about weddings is seeing the couple's vision come to life and her main focus is ensuring that they have the absolute best day! Ivy focuses on Full Service Design packages as well as Partial Planning packages where her expertise can shine.
LEAD WEDDING PLANNER & Event Designer | Director of Culture & Operations
Ivy Myers
Haleigh is one of our incredible Lead Wedding Planners helping execute dream weddings for our clients! Haleigh's specializes in both our Partial Package and Full Service package where she loves to spend more quality rime with her clients and design bespoke, timeless events.
Haleigh’s love for weddings stemmed from hosting and participating in family get togethers but claims that her true “fire” for events comes from participating in a unique Disney Event’s college program during her time at Valencia College. Haleigh loved participating in highly detailed, fast paced events and the rewarding feeling of watching every detail come together. Haleigh started working towards furthering her event career by taking advantage of the opportunity to work events in the downtown Orlando area as well as the Orange County Convention Center during her time in college. Haleigh also has years of experience working exclusively at one of the top venues in Winter Park executing styled shoots, business dinners and of course, weddings!
Haleigh also manages the operations of our sister company and wedding venue, The Palm Mansion.
LEAD WEDDING PLANNER & Event Designer | Venue Manager at The Palm Mansion
Haleigh Garza
Kait is one of our amazing Assistant Wedding Coordinators at Roots To Stems, focusing on helping our Lead Planners execute incredible weddings for our clients.
Kait became passionate about creating opportunities to gather family and friends together in her early adult years. She believes and understands that as the world continues to spin, life can sometimes whisk you away and with that, we can lose touch from each other. Kait believes that weddings and events are places where family and loved ones can regain connectivity. This thought of deeply connecting with loved ones through events ignited Kait’s desire to assist in coordinating weddings - to be a part of bringing loved ones and families together to connect.
Kait’s desire to deliver this opportunity to her clients is what takes Kait’s empathy and coordinating skills to the next level.
ASSISTANT WEDDING PLANNER
Kait Valade
Alexa is another RTS Assistant Wedding Coordinator, leading our scoreboard in the amount of events assisted this year! This girl tops the charts assisting over 40% of our RTS couples weddings this past year, focusing on making the magical day run smoothly and efficiently! Can you say qualified? With her amount of event hours, hands-on working experience on the event floor? We think YES!
Alexa’s love for event planning came at a very young age of taking on the task of coordinating events and get-togethers for her friends and family! Her creative eye comes into play when she is on site capturing behind the scene footage, putting the finishing touches on event tables, and being a FORCE alongside our Lead Planners.
Alexa loves how weddings create a sacred atmosphere for community and connection and are such a connective space for everyone to come together and be one, where everyone can come together to be one united family. Alexa’s go getter and hardworking attitude is what takes her coordinating skills to the next level!
ASSISTANT Wedding Planner
Alexa Andrioff
Ebonie is one of Roots to Stems’ Assistant Wedding Coordinators! She has always loved participating in highly complex events from a young age and enjoys seeing an empty room come together with all the many detailed components.
Ebonie began her career in special events by working as an Event Coordinator for a company in the metro-Atlanta area while she was in college. From there, she has continued her path in the industry and has fully ignited her passion for all things “wedding” gaining most of her experience onsite at Disney at Disney Fairytale Weddings.
Ebonie is passionate about celebrating love through events, whether it be an engagement, an anniversary party, or a wedding. She is marveled by the idea that there are millions of people in the world but two were able to find their soulmate and fall in love! Ebonie believes that weddings are one of the most beautiful ways that couples can tell their love story to their closest family and friends. This is why she loves coordinating weddings - to help her couples tell their love story to the world!
Assistant Wedding Planner
Ebonie Farmer
Melissa is one of the most experienced Lead Planners on the Roots to Stems team! Melissa has experienced over 200 weddings and is still just as in love with wedding planning today as she was when she first began her journey in the industry. To her, wedding planning is an opportunity to make people feel valued and special on one of the most meaningful days of their life! She holds the meaning of love & family close to her heart which directly translates into her work.
Melissa specializes in our Day-Of Planning Package and her strengths allow her to excel at organizing details, communicating with clients and partners, and finding creative solutions to bring your dream to life. Something we love most about her is that she radiates joy and is a child at heart!
It is important to Melissa that you feel comfortable throughout the wedding planning process! By the time your wedding day rolls around, she wants you to know without a doubt that you’re in good hands. You can count on Melissa to be there for you so you can relax and enjoy your special day!
Lead Wedding Planner
Melissa Carpenter
Brittani is as organized and type A as they come! A Lead Planner on the Roots to Stems team, Brittani fell in love with the wedding planning process as she saw her own wedding come to fruition! After her wedding, she assisted in day of coordination for weddings in the Central Florida area, then during the pandemic, she furthered her education and earned an MBA from Saint Leo University. She is passionate about details, design, and creating a seamless experience for the bride, groom, and guests!
Her background in planning events for a large healthcare organization amidst ever-changing guidelines gives Brittani vast experience in adaptability! With an MBA, Brittani understands the business aspect of planning, working with vendors, and the importance of staying true to your budget. She prides herself on her ability to build trusting relationships with her couples to ensure they feel confident leading up to their wedding day!
Brittani specializes in our Day-Of/Month-Of Planning Package and her favorite moment on wedding day is when the couple gets to see each other for the first time, either during a First Look or walking down the aisle! She understands that being present for that moment and experiencing the love our couples have for one another is a true privilege!
Lead Wedding Planner
Brittani Hupert
Madison is an Assistant Wedding Coordinator on the Roots To Stems team! Madison found her passion for hospitality at a young age and has experience in a myriad of events, but it was the magic of weddings that truly captured her heart. Weddings spoke so deeply to Madison because of her love for all things family—she sees weddings as a beautiful opportunity to bring families together to celebrate love!
Using her natural leadership qualities, creative problem-solving skills, and a keen eye for detail, she will never settle for less than perfect for her couples!
Madison firmly believes that weddings are not just events; they reflect her couple’s unique love story. You can trust that she’s got your back as our team transforms your vision into a stunning reality!
