A Bahamian destination wedding planner has been appointed as industry advancement director of the Certified Wedding Planners (CWP) Society.

The move comes after Cindy Coakley-Knowles spent more than 32 years in the hospitality industry, working in managerial positions at several resorts in Nassau and gaining recognition as a certified hospitality educator and a Cacique Tourism Award Management finalist. She has also worked as a labour activist, career counsellor, lecturer and children's rights activist.

A recent three-term president of the Bahamas Bridal Association, Mrs Coakley-Knowles is internationally certified and is the lead planner and co-founder - with her husband - of Destination Angels International, a wedding and events planning company that has been operating for 15 years. She is married to Thomas O’Brian Knowles Jnr and they have two boys, Thomas III and Thaddeus.

Trusted by more than 8,000 members, the CWP Society, based in Georgia in the US, is the world’s largest membership of wedding planners and a leading wedding certification programne. As one of the organisation’s industry advancement directors, Mrs Coakley-Knowles has direct responsibility for The Bahamas and Florida (Northwest).