New Prague’s Amber Klaseus, who owns and operates CHARISMA Wedding + Events, recently won the Mountain Mover Award from Twin Cities Wedding & Event Professionals (TCWEP). The award was presented on Wednesday, July 29, during a live streaming of the Weddings & Events Diamond Award Show. The Mountain Mover Award is presented to “One who consistently impacts the successful outcome of events. A pivotal team member who goes above-and-beyond, making it all happen.”

I love being in the TCWEP networking group, it has helped me propel my business and I’ve made some good ‘Friendors’ (Vendor Friends)

The Twin Cities Wedding & Event Professionals was created by small business owners Michelle Tverberg of Delight Photography and Matthew Sherry, CEO of Complete Wedding & Events. They created it during the 2008-2009 recession when they decided to start networking together as a way to share business between their customers.

“It’s such an honor to win this award because I was nominated by my peers and voted in by past clients and friends.” said Klaseus. “I love being in the TCWEP networking group, it has helped me propel my business and I’ve made some good ‘Friendors’ (Vendor Friends) It means so much to me because this is something I have been passionate about for a very long time and to be recognized for it just validates all the hard work I have put in over the years to get where I am today!”

Klaseus explained she has a Business Degree and decided she like the wedding and event business and has been working in the industry for almost 13 years now. “I knew I wanted to steer my career in this direction ever since planning my own wedding jut over 26 years ago. I have been doing weddings and parties for my family and feinds since the,” she said. In February 2018 she started her own business, CHARISMA Weddings + Events, which includes planning, coordinating and rental decor. “That first year I only had eight weddings, in 2019 I had 33 weddings, plus 13 events, but has only been able to do three of them so far due to the corona-virus.

The July 29 celebration included a small delegation of event-industry professionals from around the Twin Cities at Hidden Greens Golf Course in Hastings. Usually people from the industry nominate their peers in February, vote in March and the awards show is held in April, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was postponed.