Yeah... we said it.

This week, Milly Baine with The Rose Reflective is back on Emotionally Booked Out, and we're talking about the elephant in the room: are wedding photographers ruining weddings?

From making couples redo moments over and over again to chasing content instead of connection, we're unpacking how ego, trends, and social media have changed the client experience... and not always for the better.

We're not speaking from some high horse either. We've both made these mistakes. We've both had to learn when to direct, when to step back, and when to remember that this day isn't about us.

We get into editorial vs. documentary photography, overshooting because of nerves, working with videographers and content creators, reading the room, and why your clients will always remember how you made them feel more than they remember your coolest photo.

This one's spicy, a little sassy, and hopefully makes all of us better photographers. Because at the end of the day...

The wedding was never about us.

No seriously, sometimes being in the wedding industry feels like a pyramid scheme.

What if the scoreboard you've been chasing was never yours to begin with? What if I told you that what you deem successful is probably way different than what you've been told?

This week's episode is a quick one, but it packs a punch. I'm talking about the myths we've accepted in the photography and wedding industry, that destination weddings, luxury venues, follower counts, and constant busyness somehow equal success.

They don't.

We're unpacking why visibility isn't the same as revenue, why burnout isn't a badge of honor, and why the most successful businesses are often the ones you don't see shouting the loudest online.

If you've ever caught yourself comparing your business to someone else's highlight reel, this episode is your reminder to stop borrowing someone else's definition of success and start building one that actually supports your life.

Because a business you enjoy living is always more impressive than one that just looks impressive.

What started as a styled shoot became something none of us expected: a real wedding.

In this episode, I'm joined by wedding planner Jen of Hitched AF and our incredible couple, PJ and Aaron, to unpack what it felt like to hand over the planning process, trust an entire vendor team, and experience a wedding that was designed around them - not trends, timelines, or expectations.

We talk about building a wedding experience rooted in queer joy, why the right vendors change everything, how collaboration creates better art, and the behind-the-scenes moments that made this day unforgettable (including the surprise involving one of PJ and Aaron's favorite musicians that still makes us cry).

This isn't an episode about wedding planning. It's about what becomes possible when people stop treating weddings like productions and start treating them like deeply human experiences.

Whether you're engaged, a wedding vendor, or simply someone who believes people deserve to feel fully seen, this conversation is for you.

Planning + Design: @hitchedaf_
Venue: @eventsbybestow

Photographer: ⁠@mckenzie_bigliazzi⁠

Videographer: @rachkobernikphoto 

BTS Photography: @photographermarybeth

Beauty + Grooming: @catehairmakeup

Cake + Dessert: @alyce.in.flourland

Catering: @sugarpinecatering

Draping: @coloradoeventcorentals

Entertainment: @electriflyevents

Floral + Decor: @growingwildbv  

Officiant: @nearlywedcoaching

Rental Company: @copartyrentals

Stationary: @honeybirdpaper

Happy Pride Month 🌈

Every June, wedding vendors rush to add a few rainbow photos to their feed. But real inclusivity? That goes so much deeper than a once-a-year portfolio refresh.

In this episode of Emotionally Booked Out, I’m joined by Ali of A Ray of Light Videography - a queer wedding videographer, advocate, and bride herself. Together, we unpack what it actually feels like to plan a wedding as a queer couple, the emotional labor that comes with constantly assessing whether a vendor is truly safe, and why representation still has such a long way to go in the wedding industry.

Ali shares what she wishes more wedding pros understood, how vendors can move beyond performative allyship, and what it means to create spaces where couples feel genuinely seen, celebrated, and cared for.

We also get into one of the wildest wedding-day stories I've ever heard - featuring a rogue DJ, a timeline nightmare, and an unauthorized Facebook Live that left everyone asking, "How did this happen?"

Whether you're a wedding vendor committed to serving people better or a couple trying to find your place in an industry that wasn't always built with you in mind, this conversation is packed with perspective, honesty, and practical ways to do better.

Connect with Ali:

Website: arrayoflightvideography.com
Instagram: @arayoflightvideography

Resources Mentioned:

https://arayoflightvideography.com/lgbtq-resources

Equally Wed by Palladino
Safe Zone Initiative (Business Training)

Unlike other episodes, this one takes the form of what it feels like to sit in on a FaceTime call between my best friend, Mallory, and me since high school. She’s one of the few people who got a front row seat to my journey, who knew me before McKenzie Bigliazzi Photography.

This episode is hard to summarize, but this is my best: Two best friends from central Illinois sit down and accidentally unpack how wildly different life looks when you finally stop settling. From bad relationships, survival mode, and feeling stuck, to building businesses, finding healthy love, cleaning up your community, and realizing you actually can change your life, if you’re delulu enough.

TBH, this episode is basically one long unfiltered conversation about figuring it out as you go.

It’s messy, funny, honest, a little chaotic, and probably the closest thing to overhearing us at dinner. If you’ve ever felt behind, stuck, surrounded by the wrong people, or scared to make a change, this one’s for you.

Two photographers. One very honest (unfiltered) conversation about why workshop culture feels so weird right now.

When did “education” turn into:

• fighting 20 people for the same shot

• shooting styled couples with zero story

• attaching yourself to photographers with huge followings

• and leaving with content… but no actual growth

In this episode, I sit down with photographer and educator Milly Baine from The Rose Reflective to talk about the explosion of content days, influencer-led workshops, creative burnout, neurodivergence in education spaces, and the fuckery of the education space in general.

We absolutely rip to shreds:

• overpromising and underdelivering in the education space

• how to actually vet a workshop before investing

• why community matters more than follower count

• storytelling vs. “pretty pretty pretty” wedding content

• slowing down creatively instead of fighting for content

• what photographers really need from education right now

Also: possum cakes, Tumblr-era party photos, and the phrase “we’re just serving pasta” becoming a life philosophy. You’ll understand once you listen to the episode lol

If you’re curious about workshops, scared of workshops, or had a disappointing experience with workshops… you’re not alone. 

Follow Milly: https://www.instagram.com/therosereflective/

Yelp for Retreats and Workshops: https://www.instagram.com/soocdirectory/

Business has been feeling… off lately? You’re not alone.

I’m sitting down with Kelsey from Launch Your Daydream (aka the reason I look cool on the internet), and we’re getting into the real, unfiltered side of running a business.

Not the “do this and you’ll make more money” version.The actual experience - you know, the shit that no one talks about but truly affects all of us.

We’re talking about:

• outgrowing your business

• identity shifts and pivots that don’t make sense yet

• the messy middle where nothing feels clear

• why niching down isn’t always the answer

• and how to trust yourself when nothing external is validating it yet

This isn’t a strategy episode (those are boring anyway). This is about intuition. Alignment. And building something that actually feels good to wake up to.

If you’ve been burnt out, disconnected, or lowkey questioning everything… this one’s gonna hit.“Ditch the shoulds and do what feels good.”

Also… something kind of wild came out of this conversation.

Kelsey and I are officially teaming up. We are combining brand clarity + website design into a limited experience for business owners who are ready to actually book more aligned inquiries.

If you want in, join the waitlist here!

HAPPY ONE YEAR PODCAST ANNIVERSARY!

I'm so stoked you've been here with me - I can't believe it's been one whole year.

If I lost my entire business tomorrow and had to start from scratch, no audience, no referrals, no portfolio, here is exactly what I would do.

This is not a fluffy “go viral” episode. This is not about posting every day or chasing trends.

In this episode, I break down:

• What I would ignore completely (and why it is keeping people stuck)

• The biggest mistakes I made in my own business

• What actually leads to bookings, not just likes

• How I would rebuild trust, reputation, and demand from the ground up

We talk about the industry noise, the obsession with vanity metrics, and why most advice online is burning people out instead of helping them grow.

If you feel like you are doing everything and still not seeing results, this episode will probably slap.

Also, Emotionally Booked Out is turning one year old. Thank you for being here, for listening, and for building this with me.

Send me a DM and tell me what you want to hear next.

What if burnout isn’t about doing too much, but about being in the wrong rooms?

In this episode of Emotionally Booked Out, I’m sitting down with Jordan Vaz, founder of The Friendship Mixer, to talk about what real community actually looks like and why so many “community over competition” spaces feel off.

We get into the difference between networking and genuine connection, how to recognize when a room isn’t meant for you, and why self-awareness is the foundation of building relationships that actually support you.

We also talk about creating your own spaces, even if it’s small, messy, or just two people at a coffee shop. Because community doesn’t have to be performative to be powerful.

If you’ve ever felt drained by industry spaces, struggled to find your people, or questioned if community is even worth it, this conversation will shift the way you see it.

This episode is your reminder that the right rooms won’t make you question your worth. They’ll feel like a deep exhale.

Flexibility, inclusivity, and saying yes to real, aligned people is how you grow a business that actually works.

In this episode, Kylee B. Photography joins us to talk about breaking the wedding industry rulebook. From working with all types of couples to navigating budgets and family dynamics, Kylee shares how being flexible and inclusive can set your business apart. This is a modern, non-traditional take on being inclusive and breaking into the non-traditional market without compromising yourself.

If you are a wedding vendor or creative looking to ditch rigid rules and create a business that truly serves real people, this episode is for you.

Find Kylee here:

Instagram: @kylee_b_photography

Website: http://kyleebphotography.com