Wedding Professionals
A team as committed as your relationship.
The Cavalier Resort team is dedicated to hosting the wedding of your dreams. In step with your hired wedding planner, our team will provide all of the resources needed for a perfectly planned wedding at one of our resort hotel wedding venues.
Joslyn Phelps
Director of Weddings
Joslyn Phelps is an experienced planner and has been in the hospitality and events industry since 2010 and joined the Cavalier team in 2019. Born and raised in Massachusetts, she loves to travel coast to coast and is happy to now reside in Virginia, as she always says…she doesn’t miss the snow! She kicked-off her career as an intern at the Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston, MA where she was first assigned to help plan a large bridal expo – and the rest was history! She knew immediately that the events industry was her calling.
From a destination wedding venue in “The Berkshires,” Cranwell Resort (The Mansion at Wyndhurst Manor), to the boutique Huntley Santa Monica Beach Hotel in California, luxury and high-class service are engrained in Joslyn’s everyday motive. High standards, attention to detail, and an eye for excellence are characteristics that allow her to craft unforgettable occasions for our clients. Joslyn brings a calm presence without losing a sense of urgency to ensure a successful wedding. Every wedding is a new celebration to her! Bringing a unique vision to life for our couples is what Joslyn loves to do each and every day.
Joslyn is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and has experience in planning all types of occasions. At the Cavalier Hotel she has been an integral part in planning our social gathering and signature events over the years. Joslyn’s weddings are always a success, and our clients are continually sending positive feedback noting her genuine hospitality, complete organization, and that welcoming feeling she radiates. Joslyn is a key part of our Cavalier Resort Wedding Team and we are extremely lucky to have her!
Favorite Wedding Moment: bringing the couple in to see the event space for the first time after all the planning!
Favorite Part of Wedding Planning: I love what I do because every wedding is a celebration. We get to create JOY for our clients! Each couple has a unique vision and our team gets to learn what is most important to them and help bring that vision to life!
Lori Lewis
Event Planning Manager
Lori Lewis stumbled across her passion for orchestrating events in 2008 while earning her BFA in dance performance at The Boston Conservatory. While in school, she spent 4 years assisting with the preparation and execution of numerous donor events and annual galas. Coming from a background in the performing arts, Lori likes to think of an event as a Broadway show. It’s a production, full of moving parts, important team members, excitement and anticipation!
While performing professionally in Boston and New York City, she also worked in management for the luxury health club, Equinox. The company’s focus on exceptional personalized service, attention to detail, and going beyond expectations has informed Lori’s approach to make her events so seamless for clients.
Lori is happy to now call Virginia Beach home. Prior to joining the Cavalier team, she was a lead event coordinator with The Happy Hour Hostess, where she fell in love with the wedding industry and has never looked back. Lori is a lover of logistics, special touches and wow factor. Lori looks forward to using her unique background to help clients create unforgettable events and celebrate life’s special moments at The Cavalier Resort!
Favorite Wedding Moment: The wedding recessional- it’s the last moments of your ceremony, and the first moments you’re officially married. Nothing beats that just married glow!
Favorite Part of Wedding Planning: Sourcing details and décor – I love a good challenge to find the perfect elements to bring an inspiration picture to life.
Gina Marinelli
Event Planning Manager
Gina Marinelli, originally from Pennsylvania, moved to Virginia Beach in 2018 and joined our Cavalier Resort Wedding Team in July 2021. A graduate of James Madison University, she began her career in staffing & sales, but always had a big dream of working in event planning, specifically with weddings. To get her foot in the door, Gina assisted with her company’s conference planning and previously worked part time at another local wedding venue. She began with the Cavalier Resort Wedding Team as a Sales & Catering Coordinator, where she was promoted to Event Planning Manager within a year on the Team. To her, we are planning the “best day” in people’s lives and it couldn’t get much better than that. We’re so lucky to have her!
Favorite Wedding Moment: The First Look – when a couple sees each other for the first time, whether before the ceremony or walking down the aisle.
Favorite Part of Wedding Planning: Being creative and helping to bring the client’s various ideas to life.
Amelie Antonio
Sales & Catering Coordinator
Amelie Antonio began her career in the U.S. Navy as a Culinary Specialist for 8 years. While in active duty, she was often hand-picked to manage numerous military occasions such as retirement ceremonies, change of commands, and monthly special events. These experiences opened the door to start pursuing her dream of being a professional in the events industry. To make the first step toward her goal, she worked part time at a local catering business for weddings and the Navy’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) program assisting with the organization and execution of community events. After graduating from Old Dominion University with a degree in Tourism Management, she did her internship at Virginia Arts Festival as the Operations Assistant for the Tattoo Festival.
Her great interest for weddings started when she planned her own micro-wedding during the pandemic. This is when she fell in love with being able to explore creative vision and see an idea turned into reality.
What excites her to be part of the fast-moving world of events is knowing the fact that no two events are exactly the same and everyday will be an opportunity to gain new experiences, meet new people, as well as develop new skills!
Favorite Wedding Moment: The first dance where the couple take the spotlight and are introduced as the new Mr. and Mrs. while everyone is cheering, and all eyes are on them!
Favorite Part of Wedding Planning: As a coordinator, being able to determine and provide the best option for the client’s dream wedding. Finding the perfect match for the couple!