Website Designer/Developer for Growing NYC Social & Events Group

I'm looking for a creative website designer/developer to build a polished, modern website for a growing NYC-based women's social group centered around monthly theater outings and other events. The group currently has 100+ members, with the potential to expand significantly across NYC. I already own a custom domain through Cloudflare. I'm looking for someone who can handle both the visual design and functional setup of the site. The finished website should feel like an established lifestyle/community brand rather than a generic meetup or events website. Most importantly, I need to be able to easily maintain the site myself after launch without relying on a developer for routine updates. Design Direction I like the overall design, personality, and organization of badbitchbookclub.com and will use it as a reference for the general creative direction. I do not want to copy the site, but I like its bold, editorial, personality-driven approach and how it organizes a larger group into different activities and sub-groups. The site should be: Modern, bold, fun, and polished Highly visual and personality-driven Easy to navigate Fully responsive/mobile-friendly Designed to support future growth Initial Website The first version will likely include: Homepage About / How It Works Upcoming Events Individual event pages Past Events Join / Email Signup FAQ Contact WhatsApp integration/linking Basic SEO and analytics Connection to my existing Cloudflare domain The primary monthly event should be prominently featured and very easy for members to find. Events & Future Expansion As membership grows, I would like the site to support additional recurring event categories/sub-groups. For example, an optional secondary theater group could have its own area where members can: View shows being considered Vote on which event they would like to attend Select/vote on possible dates Confirm interest or RSVP Request a ticket once an event is finalized Other optional event categories may be added in the future. I am not looking to build a social network, discussion forum, or Facebook-style community. The website should serve as the central location for event details and participation. Email and WhatsApp will primarily be used for announcements and to direct members back to the website. Membership & Future Payments I'm considering introducing a small annual membership fee in the future. I may also eventually allow members to pay for event tickets directly through the website. The initial site does not necessarily need all of this functionality at launch, but it should be built on a platform and structured in a way that can eventually accommodate: Member accounts/login Paid annual memberships Event registration/RSVPs Polls/voting Waitlists Online event/ticket payments Multiple event categories/sub-groups I'd like the designer/developer to help determine what makes sense to implement now versus later rather than unnecessarily overbuilding the first version. Platform I'm currently considering Wix/Wix Studio, but I'm open to Squarespace, WordPress, or another appropriate platform if you believe it would be a better fit. Please explain your platform recommendation based on the current requirements, future functionality, ongoing costs, and ease of maintenance. Whatever platform is selected, I need to be able to manage the website myself after handoff. I should be able to easily: Add a new monthly event Duplicate an existing event template Update dates, pricing, and event details Add/change photos Update site copy Add or remove events View RSVP/form responses Make normal website updates without developer assistance Timeline I'd ideally like the initial site live within 1–2 months. Please include examples of relevant websites you've personally designed. I'm particularly interested in work involving events, entertainment, membership organizations, social clubs, lifestyle brands, or other creative/personality-driven brands. Strong visual design skills are important for this project. I'm looking for someone who can create a distinctive brand experience—not simply install and populate a standard website template.