

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathy Nugent.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My name is Cathy, and I’m a certified wedding planner and southern belle blogger based out of a small(ish) town outside of Atlanta, Georgia. I am a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Marketing, a certification in Advertising, and a certification in wedding planning from The Bridal Society. On top of running my own business, I also serve as the Blog Manager and Alumni Retreat Planning Manager for The Bridal Society.
However, most people know me as the Monica Geller of my friend group – a coffee connoisseur and dog mom with a huge heart for hosting and an eye for design. I’m a sucker for pretty place settings, southern charm, and the little details that speak from the heart and make all the difference. My heart for hosting has been beating since I was a little girl. If you asked my family, they’d probably say that my journey all started back when I would wear a play apron and walk around family gatherings taking everyone’s drink order and making sure everyone was taken care of.
While they’re not technically wrong, I think this journey of mine really began while I was in college attending Texas A&M University. During my last couple years, I had a sass-infused wedding blog in my downtime a teaching assistant for an upper-level advertising course. As myself and friends were starting to get engaged, I was tired of people seeing planning their wedding as a prescription for stress. I knew I wanted to help, and with that, I started having a dream of helping brides plan their special day with intention.
Soon enough, my blog took off. Somehow, even my students had found it! As time went on it grew into spending my office hours, in between grading and other work, helping friends plan their weddings for fun while I planned my own. It wasn’t until the professor I worked under told me that I needed to pursue this dream of mine that I realized that I could leave advertising and make my side hustle a career. Cathy Nugent Weddings was born, and with every day that passed, my passion swiftly grew into helping couples design and create a space for them to gather with their friends and family to celebrate one of life’s most precious days.
However, with my love for hosting, design and styling spaces, I think my heart always knew that it didn’t want to be limited to only weddings. So after years of planning beautiful weddings under Cathy Nugent Weddings, being featured in numerous online and print publications, and being awarded Wedding Planner of the Year for 2017 by The Bridal Society, I knew God was tugging at my heart to make this heart for hosting into something more. This winter, I launched my new company, A Hosting Home Collective, with my husband to help others design their spaces with intention – whether it be their wedding day, parties, or their homes.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think with any business, there are always ups and downs that come with it. I don’t think it’s possible to build a business without struggles. If it were, I think more people would be chasing their dreams.
When my husband and I relocated to Atlanta a little over 2 years ago from Texas, we had no connections here. It was definitely hard. We took a chance by moving across the country away from our families, and it was definitely a leap of faith. However, we have continually found that with each leap of faith we’ve taken, God has been there to catch us.
We constantly seek him through prayer to guide us with every step we take in life and our business, and we’ve honestly been blessed more than we could have ever imagined. I have met so many amazing people these past two years, and we’re so thankful for such a great community of creative entrepreneurs that we’ve gotten plugged into here in Atlanta. Whatever God has planned, we can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next!
A Hosting Home – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
With this new venture of ours, I wanted to combine my love for styling spaces and hosting with heart with my husband’s passion for creating and woodworking to help others design their own space with intention – whether that be your dream wedding day, a party, or even something as simple as hosting loved ones and friends in your home. We strive every day to make A Hosting Home the ultimate source for styling and inspiration with our specialization in designing and styling spaces, handcrafted furniture and decor, and wedding ceremony and event backdrops.
The heart behind what I do with A Hosting Home is simple. My passion is essential to help others be intentional about creating a space to gather and celebrate all of life’s most precious moments. Whether that be a couple’s wedding day, a party, or even something as simple as hosting friends and loved ones in the home, it’s my job to think of the little details so they don’t have to. It’s about helping people making those memories that last a lifetime by helping them sit back, enjoy the season of life that they’re in, and celebrate the little moments along the way.
“Each of you should use whatever gifts you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” – 1 Peter 4:10
I think what I’m known for and what makes me stand out is the level of detail and personalized service that I give my clients. I want each and every person that sits in front of me to feel like they are my favorite client in the world and that they’re my top priority at all times. I also want them to feel as if I understand and am excited about their vision.
From the moment I meet with them till our time together is finished, they know that I am devoted to walking alongside them every step of the way to bring their dream to life with a design and plan that is as unique as they are.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
With so much to be thankful for and the amazing moments that God has blessed me with, that is a tough one! We have grown so much more than I could have ever imagined within these past two years since our move to Atlanta.
However, I would have to say that one of the proudest moments of my career so far would be being named Wedding Planner of the Year for 2017 by The Bridal Society. With over 3,000 amazing certified wedding planners worldwide, I still am in shock to have been honored by such an esteemed and fantastic organization.
Contact Info:
- Website: ahostinghome.com
- Email: hello@ahostinghome.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thecathynugent & www.instagram.com/ahostinghome
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/cathynugentweddings & www.facebook.com/ahostinghome
Image Credit:
Linda Threadgill Photography, Shannon Ford Photography, Kesia Marie Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.