In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with her Italy-based partner, Laura Somma, to talk about what “high-touch” really looks like when the guest list includes celebrities, royals, and families who do not tolerate chaos. They start with the practical magic of a cross-time-zone partnership, then trace Laura’s path from studying German literature to building a career defined by precision, discretion, and calm execution. 
Laura shares the behind-the-scenes stories that shaped her standards, including producing a paparazzi-proof private island birthday for Naomi Campbell in Positano and how a chance conversation in Doha led to working inside the orbit of the royal family of Qatar. Along the way, she makes a point planners need to hear: the most powerful thing you can bring into a room full of “yes people” is a steady voice that tells the truth. 
They also dig into what sophisticated clients actually crave when they can already access everything: authenticity, simplicity, and experiences rooted in place. Laura explains why she builds a “bridge” in design across cultures, why a local performance is often the most unforgettable anchor of a destination celebration, and how The Wedding Prive was created to solve the real complexity of multi-destination weddings with senior planners leading each chapter. In this episode, we cover:

• Why a US + Italy planning partnership eliminates lag, follow-ups, and lost days
• How German literature (and German work habits) shaped Laura’s planning brain
• The first wedding she ever produced, and why she asked two questions first
• What discretion looks like when paparazzi are actively trying to get in
• The real reason top-tier clients choose “simple” food and simple moments
• How to read a culture fast (and why you should stop relying on other people’s opinions)
• Laura’s non-negotiable for guest experience: a performance that belongs to the place
• What The Wedding Prive is, and why multi-destination weddings are the next frontier
• Laura’s closing advice to planners: trust your gut and lead the conversation 

Key moments (timestamps)

• 00:52 Laura’s background and why Reagan trusts her as an Italy partner
• 04:24 German literature, Goethe, and the pivot into events
• 10:35 Her first wedding came from a corporate guest, and she never “sold” planning
• 14:55 The private island birthday story and what discretion actually requires
• 20:07 The Doha connection that opened the door to royal work
• 29:36 How Laura learns a new culture: sit, watch, listen, decide for yourself
• 33:58 Her guest-experience non-negotiable: local performance over predictable extras
• 36:24 The Wedding Prive and the operational reality of multi-destination weddings
• 48:52 Final advice: trust your gut, stop people-pleasing, lead the room

Connect with Laura:

• Instagram: @theweddingprive, @ellessevents
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: The Wedding Prive

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