meet the planners

Our entire team wants our clients to feel like a guest at their own event! We truly love what we do and are grateful to be a part of each and every couples special day!

OWNER/SENIOR CERTIFIED WEDDING PLANNER

Nicole Conder

BIO

Nicole is a Senior Certified Wedding Planner with 10+ years of experience designing, planning, creating, and implementing unique and personal events for brides and other clients throughout the US. Her dedication and zeal for serving all brides and clients alike permeates the entire Premier Party Planners team. Nicole was born and raised in the hospitality industry, which has enabled her to bring a lifetime of expertise to wedding and event planning. After graduating from UNC Wilmington with degrees in Communication Studies and French, she started her career as an intern with another Raleigh-based wedding planning firm. Premier Party Planners was born in 2010, shortly after her internship ended, as she began planning weddings for her own clients. Since starting Premier Party Planners, Nicole and her team have delivered first class weddings and events for clients throughout North Carolina and abroad, including a number of destination weddings. Our philosophy is that every client should feel like a guest at their own event, and she and her team are dedicated to providing total customization, complete commitment, an affordable price, and unparalleled peace of mind to each client they serve.

’’My passion is for wedding planning, and I did not get into the business after ‘falling in love with planning my own wedding.’ Instead, I put in a lot of time and effort learning about the industry before opening Premier. My heart is for serving my brides, grooms, and their families, and I understand how important the wedding day is for them. Each wedding is unique and special, and as the planner, I have been entrusted with a big responsibility. I take that responsibility very seriously.”

CERTIFIED WEDDING PLANNER & DESIGN SPECIALIST

Tara Ruffier

BIO

Tara developed her love for planning at an early age, and through her studies at Kent State University’s Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising, her passion for the industry only grew. After her internship in New York City where she worked with several companies planning and coordinating runway shows, she quickly realized something was missing from her career. It wasn’t until moving to North Carolina and meeting Nicole, did she find her true calling. After working as an assistant coordinator and learning various “tricks of the trade,” Tara became a Certified Wedding Planner and began taking on her own clients in 2015.

’’I am absolutely in LOVE with weddings, from the dress and ceremony, to the flowers and reception. To look at a couple and see them enjoying themselves on their special day is just the best, and to know I had a hand in the process is the most gratifying thing in the world.”

Certified Wedding Planner and Corporate Events Specialist

Elizabeth

BIO

Elizabeth has been working in the events industry for 6+ years. She graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Management and International Business. She then began her career working for a local Raleigh Tech company on the marketing events team. It was there that she was able to gain remarkable mentorship for creating, planning, and executing world class events around the US and abroad. Her love for planning events grew from there. She began working in the wedding industry in 2017 to expand her events knowledge. Elizabeth brings an organized, detailed, and styled eye to all events that she plans. Her favorite part of planning weddings is to understand the Bride’s vision and be able to bring it to life for her wedding day.

“Partnering with my clients to build events that increase brand awareness, accelerate deals, celebrate teams internally, and grow lead generation are the projects that fuel my passion for events. They each are complex in their own way but are vital to an organization.”

Certified Wedding Planner

Summer Gilliam

BIO

Summer possesses over nine years of experience in the wedding and events industry. Her love of weddings began after planning her own in 2015. She gained experience by working with local wedding planners and coordinated memorable events for her own clients. Summer served as Venue Coordinator and in-house planner at a prominent local wedding venue for three years. Summer’s keen attention to detail guarantees that every element of her clients’ weddings is thoughtfully planned and executed flawlessly. Summer finds particular fulfillment building meaningful connections with her clients which allows her to transform their wedding aspirations into reality.

“I love getting to know each couple and helping bring their vision to life in a way that feels authentic to them. With years of experience and a genuine commitment to honoring each couple’s wishes, I focus on making the planning process smooth, enjoyable, and stress-free. Inspired by a genuine passion for serving others, I give my best to every couple, and this work never feels like just a job—it’s something I truly love doing. Whether it’s a grand celebration or an intimate gathering, my passion is making sure the day reflects your story and leaves you with memories to cherish.”