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This Week In Weddings

This Week In Weddings

A podcast for wedding industry entrepreneurs and wedding professionals

Communicating Realistic Budgets with Clients: This Week In Weddings – Episode 140

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 events in the country and around the world, she is one of the most respected and sought-after wedding planners. Mary and the Diamond Affairs team have the ability to go well beyond the traditional roll of a wedding planner, they offer an extensive knowledge in design, access to world-class locations, venues and vendor relationships.  

Mary is known for her heightened attention to detail to texture and interiors. By layering the details, she creates a one-of-a kind experience for her brides and their guests. With her leadership even the most complex wedding is able to unfold with style and perfection. Her wonderful relationships with the best creative partners in the country allow clients to put together the perfect team of professionals to create the event of their dreams and exceed all expectations.

A devoted wife and mother of three boys, Mary loves style, inspiring food and wine, traveling and especially great interior design. She continues to invest in her ability to innovate and enjoys coming up with new trendsetting ideas with her current and future weddings & events.  

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

  • Mary’s twenty years of wedding industry experience
  • Pre-qualifying clients prior to meetings so that no one’s time is wasted
  • Tips for clearly communicating prices and how vendors can better explain their pricing and policies to clients
  • A wedding planner’s perspective when it comes to getting proposals from vendors that are above a client’s budget

Want to connect with Mary?

This episode of This Week In Weddings is sponsored by Honeybook.

Strategic Strategies to Up Your Sales Game: This Week In Weddings – Episode 132

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 Tinsel, Erica worked in account management and business development on a number of advertising agency teams across consumer, technology, and media verticals. With this professional experience, Erica’s expertise lies in her ability to manage in-house and vendor teams throughout the lifecycle of any project. Her experience has also given her a deep understanding of how to leverage authentic relationships to reach target audiences. She brings an intimate knowledge of the creative process, a practiced degree of diplomacy, grace under fire, and an instinct for mutually beneficial business partnerships to Tinsel.

Beyond Tinsel, Erica is the Northeast Regional Coordinator for The Jackie Robinson Foundation, a national non-profit organization founded to perpetuate the icon’s legacy through scholarship, leadership, and service. She was honored as one of JRF’s “42 Under 40” distinguished alumni. Erica is committed to sharing her business journey with other aspiring entrepreneurs. She is also extremely passionate about attending Broadway shows, enjoying naptime with her french bulldog (Mayhem, May for short), writing to Congress daily, travel to soak in blue waters, blue skies, red meat, and red wine.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

  • Erica’s background in the event industry
  • Ways to expand your network using some of your favorite past clients
  • Finding the connectors in your network for expanding your circle
  • Asking for introductions to key people
  • How LinkedIn can be an under utilized resource for networking
  • Personalized gifting for wooing potential clients

Want to connect with Erica?

This Week’s Episode of This Week In Weddings is sponsored by the OFD Collective.

Work Hard and Be Nice to People: This Week In Weddings – Episode 125

It sounds so simple and obvious – Work hard and be nice to people. But it’s not always as easy as it sounds. If you don’t know your “why” or simply not finding your own joy, working hard and being nice to people can be a challenge to do on a daily business. In this week’s episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we’re chatting with wedding photographer Charla Storey, who has some tips on incorporating this mantra into your daily life.

And for full disclosure… there are some slight audio issues in this week’s episode. Stick with it, as there are definitely some nuggets of wisdom that make it worth it!

About our guest:

Charla Storey has been a photographer for more than a decade. Traveling the world and experiencing everything it has to give made one thing very clear in her mind, and that is that people are valuable and the moments they live are worth being remembered. She has a profound love for helping people see their value, allowing them to feel beautiful and capable. Both in educating fellow photographers and in photographing her clients, this gift has transformed her as an artist.

Charla believes she has a huge responsibility to do her job excellently because the moments she is entrusted with are legacies that live long past the minutes she is with her clients. This reason is also why she is an educator, because teaching others means empowering them to make a living that not only enriches their life, but leaves lasting legacies for those they have the honor of photographing.

 In this episode, listeners will hear about:

  • Charla’s background as a portrait photographer and how she made the break into weddings
  • How the philosophy of “Work Hard and Be Nice to People” became a mantra for Charla
  • Knowing your why and why it’s important
  • The importance of realizing some people just aren’t for you
  • Social media, jealously and comparison

Want to connect with Charla?

Dealing with Hysterical Clients: This Week In Weddings – Episode 116

It would be awesome to never have a crazy client, but if you’ve been in the wedding industry for any period of time, you’re likely not that lucky. In this week’s episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we’re chatting about dealing with challenging clients, and even more importantly, how to see the crazy coming!

About our guest:

Jamie Quickert hails from Detroit Michigan and has become a nationally known leader in the hospitality industry.  For the past several years Jamie has been a featured speaker at NACE Experience, Catersource, Wedding MBA, and ILEA. She has also been a featured speaker for several industry webinars and written articles for large publications. Jamie has proudly lead her sales and events team in several high profile events and galas around the country and has won several local and national awards for catering.

Jamie is warm and personable on stage and often uses humor (and sing-a-longs) to engage the audience. While she enjoys teaching sales techniques and how to handle difficult clients and Networking and Social Media she is most passionate about is mentoring and encouraging others in the hospitality industry. If you ask her why she would say “It is one thing to speak to a group of professionals as an expert and teach them sales techniques or how to problem solve or deal with difficult clients. It is another to stand before a group of people and be vulnerable and honest and try to encourage them and inspire them to work harder and dream bigger and use their voice.”

While she specializes in working on event budgets, contract negotiation, and profitability – she knows that to be truly effective at this job you need to believe in beauty and love and a little bit of magic.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

  • Jamie’s background in the event and hospitality industry
  • The types of difficult clients
  • Qualifying your clients 
  • Tips for communicating with challenging clients
  • Knowing when to draw the line with a difficult client

Want to connect with Jamie?

The Key to Achieving Longevity in the Events Industry: This Week In Weddings – Episode 112

Most small businesses fizzle before hitting their five year anniversary, and the wedding industry is no different. With vendors coming and going, how do you become one of the more tenured folks that sticks around and continues to thrive? In this week’s episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we’re chatting with Katie Easley of Kate Ryan Design, who is sharing her tips for having a career in the wedding industry that lasts. From networking to furthering your education, Katie tells it like it is and shares her best advice for making it for the long haul.

About our guest:

Leading floral stylist and event designer Katie Easley of award-winning Kate Ryan Design set out with one goal: to create joy for her clients. And she did just that, establishing Scottsdale-based Kate Ryan Design, combining her interior design background with her love of florals.

Thanks in part to her roots in corporate interior design, Katie quickly grew her small business to sales of over a quarter of a million dollars a year, catching attention of the Society of American Florists, who honored her as ‘Marketer of the Year’ in 2012.

This accolade launched her consultancy and since then, Katie has worked with small businesses throughout North America on their sales prospecting, growth strategy and client experience.  Ultimately, her goal is to help others grow by defining the value they bring to the marketplace, so that they can close more sales with their ideal clients.

Katie is a regular fixture on television, and her worked can be seen in the pages of Grace Ormonde, Modern Luxury Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times, among others. She is the immediate past president for WIPA Phoenix, and an acclaimed industry speaker.In this episode, listeners will hear about:

  • Katie’s background in interior design and wedding planning, and how that led to her current passion of floral and event design
  • Why networking never gets old and continues to be important throughout your career
  • Katie’s tips for being well connected in the industry, and not just through social media
  • Katie’s easy tips for connecting with other vendors in your market prior to an event
  • The importance of communicating to vendors who used to refer you, but are not doing so any longer

Want to connect with Katie?

Relocating Your Wedding Business: This Week In Weddings – Episode 111

When you’re a wedding entrepreneur with a strong local target market, the idea of relocating to another city can be overwhelming. From starting from scratch in a city that doesn’t know you to hustling like you’re a newbie, moving a wedding business is no joke. In this week’s episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we’re chatting with a wedding planner who successfully moved her business from Dallas to Atlanta and lived to tell about it! Listen in for her tips for moving (or “expanding”) to a new city as a wedding industry entrepreneur.

About our guest:

With a passion for celebrating love and life’s unique moments and milestones, Ebony’s talents have evolved into a successful career as a wedding and event planner.  With a degree from Michigan State University in elementary education, her engaging personality and organizational skills have allowed her to effortlessly crossover from education to event planning!  

Ebony is the owner and principal planner of Ebony Peoples Events & Design, an award-winning event planning and design boutique where traditional elegance meets modern glam!  A native of Flint, Michigan, Ebony officially launched her company in Dallas, Texas in January of 2011.  Her planning expertise and eye for design, color, and texture enabled her to open a new office in Atlanta, Georgia in 2017!  

From Michigan to Dallas to Atlanta, Ebony has become a highly sought after planner.  She has been recognized by mainstream media such as Ebony (magazine), Munaluchi Bride, and Modern Luxury.  She was recently named one of The Atlantan’s 2018 Women of Power & Influence!  With this, and truly being a people-person at heart, Ebony has created an exclusive brand that is known for exceeding client expectations while producing high-end weddings, social celebrations, corporate events, and galas.  Ebony takes pride in being detail-oriented, catering to each client’s personal style, and learning about the latest trends and influences in the wedding and event industry!In this episode, listeners will hear about:

  • Ebony’s background and how she went from elementary school teacher to wedding planner
  • Why Ebony and her husband decided to relocate to a new city
  • How Ebony communicated her move to clients and vendors
  • How Ebony got connected to her new city and wedding vendors prior to officially making the move
  • The struggles with being a newbie in the market when you have years of experience under your belt

Want to connect with Ebony?

Networking for Introverts: This Week In Weddings – Episode 95

The saying goes that it’s all about who you know, and being well connected in the wedding industry can certainly be helpful for building and growing your business. But when you’re shy or an introvert, networking can be terrifying. In this week’s episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we’re chatting with a successful wedding planner who has learned how to turn her introvert tendencies into strengths when networking and operating her business.

About our guest: 

With over thirteen years of experience, award winning wedding planner Alicia Keats has earned her place among the most sought after wedding planners in Canada. Alicia is known to be a passionate, devoted wedding planner who is always graceful under pressure. Her desire to create, not only an individualized planning experience but also to create an extraordinary, personalized wedding celebration for her couples, has earned her the reputation of being one of the best.

In addition to being named one of the best wedding planners in the world by Vogue Magazine two years in a row, her work has been featured in numerous publications and top wedding blogs including Wedluxe, Real Weddings Magazine, WeddingBells, Style Me Pretty, Junebug Weddings and 100 Layer Cake. In 2012, she was awarded the Industry Achievement award by her peers at the BC Wedding Awards as well as many WeddingWire Couple Choice awards over the years.

When Alicia is not planning weddings, she can be found cuddling her sweet baby boy, cooking with her husband or searching for the next tasty culinary experience.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

  • Alicia’s background and how she went from pursuing an acting career to becoming a wedding planner
  • How Alicia’s shyness has served her well with building genuine relationships
  • Alicia’s strategies for psyching herself up before attending networking events
  • Strategies for networking when you’re a natural introvert, including Alicia’s go-to strategy for breaking the ice
  • How being shy and introverted has successfully served her clients

Want to connect with Alicia?

Doing Conferences the Right Way: This Week In Weddings – Episode 83

There are tons of wedding and event industry conferences. From WeddingMBA and The Special Event to the Be Sage Conference and Engage! Luxury Wedding Business Summit, there’s something for everyone. If you have plans to add some education and networking to your agenda with an upcoming event conference, this week’s episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast is for you. We’re chatting with wedding planner Kelly McWilliams, who shares some of her top tips for getting the most out of your conference experience. Whether you’re a conference junkie or just starting to think about attending your first, this episode is full of valuable advice from a wedding industry veteran.

About our guest: 

A Florida native, Kelly McWilliams, a destination wedding planner-designer has been producing weddings, social events and celebrations since 2002. In 2018, her business expanded beyond Florida to formally include Nevis & St. Kitts to her roster of islands and Waterfront cities which already included Sanibel, Captiva, Marco, Boca Grande, Naples & the Florida Keys. Her company, Kelly McWilliams Celebrations, Weddings & Parties, has been a leader in the destination wedding industry in SW Florida by keeping the local industry community based and fostering over 40 college student internships. She helped to put the not so metropolitan area on the map for destination weddings. through media press & publish and by bringing what was “big and happening” in the major metropolitan areas back to this small region on the Florida Gulf Coast. In 2016 Kelly also began consulting with venues to help them “up their game” and obtain appeal for more luxury wedding clientele.

When it comes to creating weddings, Kelly’s most known for her designs which are subtle with statements. Her goal is that the events are as equal in beauty as they are an outstanding experience no guest will ever forget; and that they are as personalized as they are traditionally elegant. Her weddings have graced the pages of The knot, Inside Weddings, Brides, Destination I Do, Modern Luxury, Destination Weddings, Style Me Pretty, Celebration Society, Bridal Guide and countless others. She has been quoted on CNN, NBC, Fox and spoken at countless industry conferences around the globe.

Kelly has been married to her husband also named Kelly for over 20 years and is a mom to daughters Madeline & Emily and her dog Monreau Gray. In the upcoming year Kelly will be expanding her commitment to sharing her expertise with her IGTV channel for engaged couples and small group 1 day intensives for wedding professionals.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

  • Kelly’s background and how she went from actress to accountant to wedding planner
  • What you should do to connect with other attendees and conference organizers before you attend
  • Why Kelly suggests having a conference roommate
  • The benefits of adding on a day before or after the conference
  • Kelly’s thoughts on international conferences
  • Post-event follow up
Want to connect with Kelly?