This Week In Weddings

If you've ever considered going into business with a friend, this week's episode is a must listen! From the importance of doing things the legal way to figuring out how to cope with different work styles, there's a lot to consider. And how do you work through conflict in business without it affecting your friendship? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with two wedding photographers who have mastered the titles of best friends and business partners and are sharing the secrets of their success. About our guests: Anée Atelier is a New York City photography boutique, led by best friend duo, Gina Esposito and Sheena Meekins. Gina is an award-winning photographer with 17 years experience and more than 1,000 weddings and events captured across the U.S., Caribbean, Middle East, Europe and Southeast Asia. Likewise, Sheena is a seasoned creative who co-founded Anée Atelier following an esteemed eight-year career in publishing, with magazines including Teen Vogue, People, People

This week's podcast episode is a special treat as it's the first LIVE recording of the This Week In Weddings podcast! Take a glimpse into the Meeting of the Minds Breakfast from the BeSage Conference 2020 in Austin, Texas. Conference attendees submitted questions in advance and during the breakfast we workshop them with the group. It's amazing what you can learn when 70 wedding professionals are sharing their opinions and experiences! In this episode, listeners will hear about: Tips for finding and training people in your organization The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace Some favorite apps and systems for communicating with clients and internally Loom for communicating with clients and employees through video Email management apps including Boomerang, MailButler, Front, SaneBox, and Spark Proposal and contract management with Dubsado and 17 Hats Project management tools such as Basecamp, Trello, Monday The Remarkable Slack Text Expander Ways to elevate your brand Want to learn more about the

If you live in a large market, there likely is an event industry or wedding industry networking group that you can be a part of, from NACE and ILEA to WIPA and ABC. But for those in a smaller market or for professionals that looking to network with a subset of your colleagues, there might not be a group that's perfect for you. Maybe you should be the one to start it! In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting about wedding planner Michelle Garibay who started a networking group in her local market. She's sharing some tips on how she did it, why she did it, and some tips for someone who may want to start a networking group of their own. About our guest: Michelle Garibay Events launched in 2006 on the island of Oahu after her husband was temporarily transferred there.  With political and corporate event experience under her belt in San Diego and then the move to Hawaii, Michelle made the transition to weddings and quickly realized that was where she was supposed to be. After ret

For business owners, being busy is often an understatement. With client work and just running the day-to-day operations, there often aren't enough hours in the day. But in today's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting about shifting your mindset (and boundaries) so that you're not just busy... but are better! We're chatting with wedding planner Jennifer Thye about the "busy" epidemic and ways to combat it. About our guest: As founder and principal designer of Imoni Events, Jennifer is known for planning intimate affairs for destination clientele with classic taste and charm. With an eye for sophisticated design and an inherent love for organizing logistics, Jennifer has been honored with awards from many print and online publications during her career, but her favorite accolade is getting that grateful hug from her couples at the end of their event. Clients have always been the motivation for Imoni Events’ existence, and by 2005 the company had made its mark on the wedding industry in A

For many entrepreneurs, business ideas come faster than you can actually be executed. And if serial entrepreneur sounds like something you would use to describe yourself, you've come to the right place. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with wedding planner Annie Lee, who has created a successful planning business, while working additional side hustles that fuel her passion for entrepreneurship. About our guest: The daughter of an interior designer, Annie Lee is the principal planner of Daughter of Design, author of Learn to Speak Wedding: Flashcards for Beginners and founder of the virtual planner startup Plannie.com. Annie is recognized as “The Wedding Doctor” by Refinery29, “the wedding doyene” and expert by Brides Magazine, and “celebrity entertaining expert” by People Magazine. She has been a speaker at Engage! Summit, The Knot Workshop, and The Bridal Masterclass. Daughter of Design is listed in Harper Bazaar’s Top Planners of the World, as well as “The Knot Wed

We've said it a million times, but without a sale, you don't have a business. And the number of clients you are meeting with doesn't matter nearly as much as the number of pieces of business that is actually closed. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with wedding planner Tracie Domino about techniques to increase the close rates. About our guest: Tracie Domino is Founder + Creative Director of Tracie Domino Events, a boutique wedding planning company based in Tampa, Florida and Deer Valley, Utah.   Her stylish expertise and relatable sophistication has made her a trusted consultant to business leaders, professional athletes and high society since 2002.  Tracie designs and produces fun, memorable events for her clients in destinations across the US and in the Caribbean. Tracie is a Certified Special Events Professional and has received industry accolades, including being a three-time featured speaker at the Engage Luxury Wedding Business Summits on the topics of sales,

It's a new year, and that means a fresh start, new goals, and an opportunity to make headway with better habits. While setting goals seems basic, there are some proven strategies that give you a greater chance for success. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with wedding photographer and educator Lin Pernille who has a passion for annual goal setting. Not only will you hear the interesting story of how Lin's enthusiasm for goals began, but you'll also learn some of her best practices for creating goals that you'll want to stick with. About our guest: Lin Pernille is a wedding photographer, videographer, and educator based in Hudson Valley, NY, just north of New York City. She specializes in vibrant, natural, and cheerful weddings, proposals, and events. Lin is known for her upbeat, high-energy personality, meticulous attention to detail, and her ability to capture the mood of every event. Her work has been featured on HuffPost Weddings, Westchester Wedding Planner, Zo

In this casual episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, Kimberly, Annie and Lance kick off the new year by reflecting on their favorite episodes of 2019 and also chat about their 2020 goals.

As a business grows, there often comes the need to grow your team and bring on employees. But how do you make sure that the staff you bring on aren't just punching the time clock but are true representations of your company and brand? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with wedding planner turned business consultant Jen Taylor about some tips for creating brand ambassadors within your business. About our guest: Jennifer Taylor is the owner and founder of Taylor’d Event Group, a leading event planning company that serves local and destination clients in Washington State and Maui, HI. She is also the principal of Jen Taylor Consulting, a consulting firm that works with creative businesses of all sizes to implement streamlined workflows and organized systems to find more time and space for business growth and personal development. In this episode, listeners will hear about: How Jen got started in the wedding industry after helping friends with their weddings  The growth

Being a serial entrepreneur is not a foreign concept to many of us. Often times, when you've built a successful business, the idea of creating another one is exciting. But, if you have grand plans for another business or even a spin-off of your current offerings, how do you make time for the new adventure. In this week's episode of This Week In Weddings, we're chatting with a wedding industry entrepreneur who successfully created a secondary brand when she saw a need in the market. Listen in to hear the circumstances that led her to come up with her second business idea, the research that she did before launching, and how she is able to manage two separate, yet connected, businesses. About our guest: Kirsten Palladino is the editorial director and cofounder of Equally Wed, the world's leading LGBTQ+ wedding website. She is the author of Equally Wed: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your LGBTQ+ Wedding (Seal Press), and the creator and lead educator of Equally Wed Pro, the LGBTQ+ inclusive certification course.

Wedding planners are a great source of wedding referrals and can be a perfect conduit to repeat business. But how do you get on a wedding planner's preferred list? And even more importantly, how do you stay on that list? In this week's episode of This Week In Weddings, we're chatting with a seasoned wedding planner about that things to do to make yourself stand out in a planner's eyes. And, of course, Kimberly can't help but add her own two cents about the topic as well! About our guest: Saundra is the owner of planning forever events, an event planning business based in Evansville, Indiana. For the last 16 years, she is known to create weddings and celebrations that become treasured memories forever, usually, with large liquor and bar tabs. She entered the event planning world with many years of business experience under her cap; such as, corporate event planning for doctors and selling advertising/media campaigns to all ranges of businesses. Real-world business experience, managing expectations, budgeting,

Weddings are expensive, and most couples go into the planning process with absolutely no idea how much what they want actually costs in the real world. As wedding vendors, how can we communicate clearly with couples about wedding costs and why we charge what we do? In this week's episode of This Week In Weddings, we're chatting with wedding planner Mary Wright Shah about some best practices for clearly communicating costs and budgets throughout the planning process. Whether you're a wedding planner or represent another vendor category, this week's episode will give you some real takeaways for talking about numbers with couples. About our guest: Considered one of the top wedding planners in the country and founder of Diamond Affairs Weddings & Special Events, Mary Wright Shah is dedicated to providing the highest level of service, detailed perfection and flawless execution of her events.  With over 20 year’s experience in hospitality, consulting, planning, designing and producing luxury weddings and social

We communicate every single hour of every single day, but have you ever given thought to how the words that we use shape people's perception of you? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with wedding planner Renée Dalo about language and how the choice of words can either empower or diminish each of us as entrepreneurs. About our guest: Wedding planning wasn’t always in the cards for Renée Dalo. Instead, what started out as a seemingly one-time favor for a friend evolved into a thriving side-hustle to her acting career. When it was her turn to walk down the aisle, she flipped the script and discovered that the wedding industry was truly where she belonged. Shortly after her “I do’s,” she started Moxie Bright Events, a boutique wedding planning company, and never looked back.  It wasn’t long before fellow industry pros were looking to her for advice. With over 12 years of experience under her belt, Renée turned her knowledge towards the advancement of the industry as a wh

Breaking into speaking as an industry expert is no easy feat, but making it to the main stage of a national conference is an achievement of a select few. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with public relations expert Meghan Ely about getting into the national conference speaking circuit. From why to do it to how much it pays, we're digging in deep to making it on the main stage. About our guest: OFD Consulting owner, Meghan Ely, combines in-the-trenches event experience with a love of wedding PR to empower her clients to take their businesses to new heights. A long-time industry speaker and writer, she is a WeddingPro educator with The Knot and WeddingWire, as well as a regular contributor to Wedding Planner Magazine, Wedding Business Magazine, Catersource and SpecialEvents.com. Meghan represents clients globally and has earned them coverage with the New York Times, Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot, Refinery 29, Forbes and Real Simple, among other outlets. Her team’s

In this casual episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, Kimberly and Annie chat about being a guest on a podcast. From the "why" you'd want to be on a podcast to the "how" to pitch to a podcast, they're sharing their best advice for those who might want to break into this media, including a few tips for being a great guest once you are selected for a podcast.

If you have a thriving business, you certainly have to juggle multiple clients at one time. But, how can you make each client feel like they're the only one? Or... better yet, do you even WANT them to feel like they're the only one? In this week's episode, we're chatting with wedding planner Alisha Chadee about creating a cozy (and crazy) courtship with your clients throughout the time you're working with them. About our guest: Alisha has a project management background in learning and development, plus 5+ years of experience coordinating corporate events and the director of education for WIPA Toronto. She’s developed a proven planning process for couples who want to know how to create magic on their wedding day. (But not throw money off yachts like they’re in a rap music video.) She thinks in floor plans, endorses moving if you find a spider in your house, and has an oyster obsession. In this episode, listeners will hear about: How Alisha and her business partner got into the wedding industry How Alisha pre

Burnout in the wedding industry is real! And if you've been in business for any period of time, you've likely had periods of feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or just beat down. But what do you do when you have a period of hating your business? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with wedding photographer Erin Youngren about her own experience and how she made shifts to get back to a business she loves. About our guest: Jeff and Erin Youngren are the husband and wife wedding photography team known as The Youngrens. For over a decade now, their deeply emotional style has led them across the U.S. and around the world to photograph wonderful couples they love. Along with The Youngrens, Jeff and Erin also own and manage two other photography brands that photograph weddings and commercial work, plus they coach photographers and run their podcast Creative Rising, a show about what it’s really like to run a photography business. Even as the owners of three brands with a regular

If you grow your business larger than a company of one, you may find yourself in a situation where you've hired an employee that might not be a good fit. The theory goes that you should hire slowly and fire quickly, but if you need to let someone go, do you know how to do it most effectively? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with two wedding industry veterans who reflect on their experience firing an employee and how they did it completely wrong. About our guest: Courtney and Dana are a sister duo based in the Raleigh NC area. They have been in the event industry for almost 13 years and run C and D Events, The Bradford, and Bushel and Peck Florals. Because they are not busy enough - they have recently launched Hustle and Gather - their inspirational/business coaching division designed to inspire and normalize the crazy that comes with entrepreneurship. They laugh and bicker in equal measures and still choose to vacation together! Their dream sister trip is to drink t

Understanding millennials has been a challenging endeavor for anyone in older generations. And just as we think we understand them, another generation is in the mix! Known as GenZ, this group was born between 1995 and 2015, and the oldest of this group will be the next round of wedding clients. Do you know what makes this group tick, how to communicate with them, and what their hot buttons are? In this week's episode of This Week In Weddings, we're chatting all about Generation Z and what we need to know. About our guest: Brittny Drye is the founder and editor-in-chief of Love Inc., the leading equality-minded wedding blog and print publication. Her inclusive efforts have been celebrated by the New York Times, Forbes, The Advocate, OUT Magazine, Refinery29, NY Daily News, Cosmopolitan, and more. She is a founding member of the Aisle Society, a member of the 2018-19 North American Advisory Board for the International Academy of Wedding & Events and a 2019 Knot Pro Educator.  In this episode, listeners will

Without sales, you don't have a business, but what are some new, creative strategies for building your business and getting more sales? In this week's episode of This Week In Weddings, we're chatting about  ways to think outside the box when it comes to sales and expanding your network that are often overlooked. About our guest: Erica Taylor Haskins is a Founding Partner of New York City-based event production company Tinsel Experiential Design, formerly known as Tinsel & Twine.  Tinsel is committed to redefining luxury events through the execution of imaginative, immersive experiences for private clients and for brands like Mercedes-Benz, Spotify, L'Oreal, and Condé Nast. Tinsel has proudly produced events at iconic institutions like The New York Public Library, The Guggenheim Museum, The Rainbow Room, and One World Observatory. The team’s work has been featured in Vogue, WWD, Forbes, and Town & Country, with the company named recently as one of the Top 50 Event Designers in North America. Before Ti