Design Your Business | Empowering Creative Women Business Owners

Are you trying to do your own market research in the wedding industry?

We all know that we need to be doing our research and looking at data, but it’s hard to know where to start or what to look for. In this episode on the Design Your Wedding Business podcast, Shane McMurray is sharing everything you need to start researching your market and what’s going on within it. This episode will teach you where to find the data you need, how to understand it, and how to use it in your business. 

Shane McMurray’s goal is to help you generate more profit, build a better marketing message, make superior pricing decisions, close more sales, generate more qualified leads, identify your core customer, get funding, and find the best opportunities by providing a realistic, unbiased understanding of the wedding market through independent research.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• Market data you need to know 
• An easy way to find the data you need 
• Avoiding overwhelm when you’re looking at data 

Tune in to start using more data in your wedding business.

I would love to connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesignYourWeddingBusiness & Instagram: www.instagram.com/design_your_wedding_business!

Resources Mentioned:
Visit the Wedding Report Website: https://wedding.report/
Connect with Shane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanemcmurray/
Subscribe to the Wedding Report YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWeddingReport
Access the Free Wedding Market Report: https://wedding.report/index.cfm/action/wedding_statistics/view/search_market/

Show notes available at: designyourweddingbusiness.com/design-your-wedding-business-podcast/

Have you been thinking about sprucing up your website? 

It’s not uncommon to find that updating your website gets bumped down your list of priorities and before you know it it’s been five or more years since you last gave it a refresh. Maybe that’s you, or maybe you’re setting up your website for the first time, either way, I want to make sure your website is working for you in the best possible way! 

In this episode of Design Your Wedding Business, website designer Emily Foster and I are talking all about how to create effective websites that drive success for your wedding business. We’re covering everything from branding and visuals to strategy and goals (plus so much more). 

Emily Foster is the owner of Emily Foster Creative, a brand and website design studio based in Portland, Oregon, that works with wedding professionals around the world.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• How to know if your website is working for you 
• Common mistakes wedding professionals make on their websites
• Tips for improving your website experience

When social media platforms go down, your website is not going anywhere, so why not make it work for you?

I would love to connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesignYourWeddingBusiness & Instagram: www.instagram.com/design_your_wedding_business!

Resources Mentioned:
Get Emily’s Free Elevated Website Checklist: https://emilyfostercreative.com/design-your-wedding-business-elevated-website-checklist
Visit Emily’s Website: www.emilyfostercreative.com
Follow @emilyfostercreative on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyfostercreative
Follow Emily on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilyfostercreative
Follow Emily on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/emilyfostercreative/

Show notes available at: designyourweddingbusiness.com/design-your-wedding-business-podcast/

What questions do you have about working with rental companies as a wedding planner?

With a bit of luck, by the end of this episode, we’ll have those questions answered. 

When I had a team, I would ask top wedding professionals to come and talk to us about their corner of the industry so that we could better serve our clients and build stronger relationships with other wedding professionals. Now, we’re doing the same thing right here on the Design Your Wedding Business podcast. 

Each week I connect with one wedding professional to talk about how we as wedding planners can better educate ourselves and our clients. In this episode, we’re talking all about rentals. 

Robin Denny, Director of Sales for BBJ LaTavola, specializes in working with individuals and organizations in the rental industry to enhance their leadership abilities, cultivate meaningful connections, and drive business strategies for maximum impact. 

Topics covered in this episode include:

• How rentals make the wedding industry more sustainable
• The impact of the Pantone color of the year (and other trends)
• Important conversations to have with your rental company 

If you’ve ever wondered how rentals work, how to reach out to a company, or how rentals affect the big day, you’re in the right place.

I would love to connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesignYourWeddingBusiness & Instagram: www.instagram.com/design_your_wedding_business!

Show notes available at: designyourweddingbusiness.com/design-your-wedding-business-podcast/

If you have questions about working with a hair and makeup artist but are unsure who to ask, you’re in luck! 

In this episode on the Design Your Wedding Business podcast, we’re talking to makeup artist Anne Timss about what it’s like for a wedding planner and makeup artist to work together and what that process looks like. Anne is covering wedding makeup trends, planning hair and makeup into the wedding day timeline, how to learn your client’s makeup preferences and more! 

Anne has been a working makeup artist for over 20 years and she absolutely loves it. She worked with Lancôme, MAC, and NARS before she eventually decided to build her own bridal styling company and she hasn't looked back! She specializes in weddings, adventure elopements, and lifestyle commercial work, but she is happy to style you for a fun event or party as well. 

Topics covered in this episode include:

• Changes in the wedding industry from a makeup artist’s perspective
• A day in the life of a makeup artist 
• How to build relationships with the wedding professionals you’re working with

Whether you’ve worked directly with a makeup artist before or not, you’ll love this chat with Anne!

I would love to connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesignYourWeddingBusiness & Instagram: www.instagram.com/design_your_wedding_business!

Resources Mentioned:
Visit Anne’s Website: https://www.annetimss.com/
Follow @mstimssmakeupartist on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mstimssmakeupartist/

Show notes available at: designyourweddingbusiness.com/design-your-wedding-business-podcast/

If you’ve never worked directly with a florist before, you might be wondering what that process looks like. 

Wonder no more because Judi Tschudia is here on Design Your Wedding Business to walk you through the entire process of floral design for weddings from start to finish. 

Judi is getting into the nitty gritty of everything that goes into wedding floristry and what you and your clients need to know about budget, timing, setup, and more. She’s sharing her tips to make everyone’s lives easier: yours, the florist’s, and your client’s. 

Judi has loved flowers since she was 10 years old and has learned every day since then about style, production, product availability, and chasing flowers around the world for her business, Fena Flowers. 

Topics covered in this episode include:

• A typical day in the shop for a wedding florist 
• The timeframe for wedding floristry 
• How to work with a florist as a wedding planner 

If you’re interested in working more closely with a florist, this episode has all the details for you.

I would love to connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesignYourWeddingBusiness & Instagram: www.instagram.com/design_your_wedding_business!

Resources Mentioned:
Visit Judi’s Website: www.fenaflowers.com
Follow @fena_flowers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fena_flowers/
Follow @FenaFlowers on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FenaFlowers

Show notes available at: designyourweddingbusiness.com/design-your-wedding-business-podcast/

How do you get into planning destination weddings?

Maybe you got into the wedding industry with a dream of doing destination weddings or maybe you’re looking to try something new. Whatever has led you here, we’ve got answers for you in this episode of Design Your Wedding Business. 

Natalie John is here to talk all things destination weddings. She’s teaching you how to get into them, what mistakes to avoid, where you can do them, and what you have to look forward to. 

Natalie John is the CEO of Dreamy Weddings. The savvy and trend-forward entrepreneur oversees a portfolio of growing businesses that started with Dreamy Weddings, operating in two destinations in 1999, and has grown to operate in 13 Caribbean destinations. 

Topics covered in this episode include:

• How to break into the destination wedding market 
• Common challenges that destination wedding planners face 
• Knowing the marriage laws in your destination 

If you’re trying to break into the destination wedding market, this episode is for you.

I would love to connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesignYourWeddingBusiness & Instagram: www.instagram.com/design_your_wedding_business!

Resources Mentioned:
Visit the Dreamy Weddings Website: www.dreamyweddings.com
Learn More About CWEP: www.caribbeanwep.com
Follow @dreamyweddings_ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamyweddings_/
Follow @caribbeanweddingexpert on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caribbeanweddingexpert/
Follow @cwep2020 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cwep2020/

Show notes available at: designyourweddingbusiness.com/design-your-wedding-business-podcast/

Have you ever done a styled shoot for your wedding business?

If you have, you’ll know that they make great marketing material, but they take a lot of work to create, coordinate, and execute from start to finish. So, are styled shoots worth the effort? I thought we should ask a professional. 

Margaux Fraise is here on Design Your Wedding Business to teach us all about the pros and cons of styled shoots and how to plan one if you decide it’s the right move for your business. Margaux is taking us through her streamlined styled shoot process with an emphasis on post-shoot submission strategies to extend the shelf-life and ROI of your project.

Margaux Fraise is the owner and creative director of Harmony Creative Studio, an award-winning boutique wedding firm in Los Angeles, CA. 

Topics covered in this episode include:

• The benefits of styled shoots 
• How to use styled shoots to reach your business goals 
• Mistakes to avoid when you’re planning a styled shoot 

Margaux has so much to share with us, so let’s dive in!

I would love to connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesignYourWeddingBusiness & Instagram: www.instagram.com/design_your_wedding_business!

Resources Mentioned:
Visit Margaux’s Website: www.margauxfraise.com
Free Templates and Resources for Planning Styled Shoots: bit.ly/styledshootresources
Follow @harmonycreative on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harmonycreative/
Follow @weddingsummitseries on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddingsummitseries/
Join the Wedding Summit Series Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/weddingsummitseries

Show notes available at: designyourweddingbusiness.com/design-your-wedding-business-podcast/

What do you do when your pricing doesn’t seem to fit in any market?

Your business has grown and you’ve gotten too expensive for the budget shoppers, but you don’t yet have the reputation or prestige that luxury clients are looking for. Does that sound like you? 

It’s a tricky spot to be in, so in this episode of Design Your Wedding Business, we’re hearing from someone who has been there and navigated it beautifully. Jenna Noelle is sharing everything she’s learned about how to get out of the price gap. She’s covering what a price gap is, how to know if you’re in one, how to price your services, and when to consider raising your rates. 

Jenna Noelle is a destination event photographer, small business coach, and podcaster who is passionate about giving creative professionals the tools to define and achieve their own versions of success.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• What happens when you’re in a price gap
• How to calculate your prices 
• Standing up for yourself and your prices 

Tune in for a value-packed episode about how to price yourself.

I would love to connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesignYourWeddingBusiness & Instagram: www.instagram.com/design_your_wedding_business!

Resources Mentioned:
Visit Jenna Noelle’s Website: https://www.jenna-noelle-creative.com/
Check Out Jenna Noelle’s Mentorship Program: https://endless-summer-collective.com/client-management-freebie
Follow @jennanoelleweddings on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennanoelleweddings
Follow @jennanoelletravel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennanoelletravel/

Show notes available at: designyourweddingbusiness.com/design-your-wedding-business-podcast/

How do you get into the luxury market? 

If your goal is to work with high-end clients, you might be wondering where to start. I have the perfect guest for you in this episode of the Design Your Wedding Business podcast. James Christianson from James x Schulze is sharing his expert advice for breaking into the luxury market as a wedding professional. 

There’s more to this than just marketing; we’re talking about mindset, sales, buying psychology, and (of course) systems and processes. In this episode, James explains how all these pieces work together to get you where you want to be: in front of luxury clients. 

James started his career as an educator and entrepreneur. With 20+ years of experience as a photographer, combined with his business and education experience, James brings a distinctive and clear voice to the world-renowned photography brand James x Schulze. 

Topics covered in this episode include:

• Marketing for a luxury audience 
• How to get comfortable talking about your prices 
• The buying psychology of the luxury market 

Are you ready to break into the luxury wedding market? Get started with this episode.

I would love to connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesignYourWeddingBusiness & Instagram: www.instagram.com/design_your_wedding_business!

Resources Mentioned:
Sign Up for the Sage Business of Luxury Weddings Course: www.sagejourney.co
Join The Business of Luxury Weddings Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessofluxuryweddings
Follow @jamesandschulze on Instagram: www.instagram.com/jamesandschulze

Show notes available at: designyourweddingbusiness.com/design-your-wedding-business-podcast/

Follow-up. You know you need to do it, but it always ends up on the back burner. 

In this episode of Design Your Wedding Business, I’m joined by fellow wedding industry mentor Kate Storey to talk about why follow-ups are so valuable and how to use them to get more bookings from your ideal wedding clients. 

Believe it or not, a good follow-up strategy can double or even triple your business. Yes, triple. How? That’s a great question that Kate would love to answer for you. She’s sharing three tips to help you get more bookings from your follow-ups. 

Kate Storey is a marketing and messaging expert for wedding professionals who want to book more of their perfect couples at a higher rate. 

Topics covered in this episode include:

• Why you need a good follow-up system
• How many times to follow up with a lead 
• Why you shouldn’t start your follow-ups with “congratulations on your engagement”
• How to resonate with your target audience

Are you working on getting more bookings for your wedding business? Don’t miss this episode.

I would love to connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesignYourWeddingBusiness & Instagram: www.instagram.com/design_your_wedding_business!

Resources Mentioned:
Get the Price Shopper Guide and Email Templates: https://bit.ly/45IDCQA
Visit Kate’s Website: https://www.bookmorebrides.com/
Join the Book More Brides Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bookmorebridescommunity/
Follow @bookmorebrides on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookmorebrides/

Show notes available at: designyourweddingbusiness.com/design-your-wedding-business-podcast/