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By Rebecca Barnes, Publisher, Brides & Weddings
There will be plenty of cake, a room full of wedding professionals, and some tough decisions to make when Brides & Weddings’ annual Cake-Off returns to Sweeney Barn on Sept. 9.
Joining this year’s celebrity judging panel is Stephanie Robert, the new owner of The Wedding Experience, and she is coming to Cake-Off ready to do more than taste some of the region’s best wedding cakes.
Robert is beginning a new chapter for the longtime wedding show company, and Cake-Off gives members of the local wedding community an opportunity to meet her, talk shop, and get an early look at where she plans to take The Wedding Experience.
A New Owner for The Wedding Experience
Robert brings a background in marketing, events, membership, and creating experiences that bring people together. “I’ve spent much of my career thinking about event audiences,” she said. “I think about what gets people excited about events, what makes them participate and, most importantly, what makes an experience valuable enough that they want to come back.”
Her experience in the wedding industry has allowed her to work with venues and wedding professionals and follow the trends influencing how couples plan their weddings. More recently, she got to see the planning process from another angle while her own daughter planned a wedding.
That experience reinforced just how much the way couples shop has changed. Couples may find inspiration on Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest, research wedding businesses online, and read reviews before deciding who they actually want to meet.
When Robert had the opportunity to take over The Wedding Experience, those pieces came together. “I saw an established brand with a strong history, but I also saw an incredible opportunity to reimagine what a wedding show can be for today’s couples,” she said.
Keeping What Works While Building Something New
Robert isn’t planning to throw away the history that came with The Wedding Experience.
“For many years, it has connected couples with wedding professionals throughout this region, and I have tremendous respect for what was built before me,” she said. Instead, she wants to build on the value of bringing couples and wedding professionals together face-to-face while updating the experience to reflect how people plan weddings today.
That includes more opportunities for discovery, digital interaction, education, and exposure to current wedding trends. “You should walk into The Wedding Experience and immediately feel like you’re somewhere that’s celebrating weddings, not simply walking into a room filled with booths,” Robert said.
She’s keeping some of the details under wraps for now, but her goal is clear: create an experience that helps couples move from collecting ideas to making real wedding decisions.
A Different Kind of Wedding Show
Robert also wants exhibitors to feel a stronger connection to the shows.
“For our exhibitors, I want the show to be about more than occupying a booth for a few hours,” she said. “I want them to have meaningful conversations with couples who are actively planning weddings and looking for the right partners.”
She sees independent ownership as an advantage, particularly in markets that have their own personalities. “I want to know our exhibitors. I want to understand their businesses. I want to know what couples in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Baltimore are looking for because those markets aren’t necessarily identical,” Robert said.
That local connection matters because, as Robert points out, couples ultimately choose people. “They’re trusting someone to photograph their family, create their flowers, make their cake, plan their reception or help them find the perfect venue,” she said. “That relationship matters.”
First Assignment: Eat Cake
Before all those new Wedding Experience plans are revealed, Robert has another important responsibility.
Cake.
She’ll join the celebrity judging panel at the Brides & Weddings Cake-Off on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Sweeney Barn in Manassas. “First of all, who wouldn’t want the assignment of judging wedding cakes?” Robert said.
She’ll be looking at presentation, creativity, and craftsmanship, but competitors shouldn’t forget what is underneath all that beautiful icing. “Taste matters too!” she said. “A wedding cake can be absolutely gorgeous, but that moment when the couple feeds each other the cake is part of the wedding experience. It should taste every bit as wonderful as it looks.”
Roberts is also looking forward to meeting the people behind the cakes. “Bakers are artists,” she said. “I love seeing how someone can take a couple’s personality, wedding style, or story and translate it into something that’s both beautiful and delicious.”
Come Meet Stephanie at Cake-Off
Cake-Off is also about bringing the wedding community together. “The wedding industry is built on relationships and referrals, and I think sometimes we underestimate how valuable it is simply to get out from behind our computers and spend time together,” Robert said.
For wedding professionals who haven’t attended before, she has a simple invitation: come introduce yourself. “One of my goals as the new owner of The Wedding Experience is to really get to know the wedding professionals throughout our region,” she said. “I want to hear about your business, what’s changing, what couples are asking for, and what you think the wedding industry needs next.”
And, she added, there’s another obvious reason to attend. “Plus, there will be cake. I feel like that’s a pretty compelling reason all by itself.”
Join Us at Cake-Off
Brides & Weddings Cake-Off
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Sweeney Barn, Manassas, Virginia
Come meet Stephanie Robert, connect with wedding professionals from around the region and see which bakers take home this year’s Cake-Off honors.
Wedding Bakers: There’s Still Time to Compete
Think your cake belongs in front of our judges?
We’re still accepting last-minute Cake-Off competitors. Bring your creativity, your best flavors, and your best wedding-worthy design for the chance to show the wedding community what you can do.
Cake-Off information and baker registration are available on the Brides & Weddings Cake-Off page.
