In today’s episode of Event: Crushed, Becky is joined by Taylor Fail, CEO and lead planner of Lace & Bow Bridal, a destination wedding planning and design company based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Taylor’s story is a powerful reminder that growth often comes from bold decisions—like leaving behind a veterinary career during COVID to pursue wedding planning full-time. Since then, she’s built a thriving team of planners and support staff, expanding her business while maintaining her high-touch, intentional approach to weddings.

Together, Becky and Taylor dive into:

Taylor’s journey from marine biology and veterinary medicine into wedding planning

What it looked like to go from a solo business owner to leading an 8-person team

Why hiring for initiative and personality often beats hiring for experience

How to maintain high standards and consistent client experiences while scaling

The importance of SOPs, communication, and leadership in business growth

Strategies for building a recession-resilient wedding business

The myth of “losing control” when building a team—and how to see expansion as a brand strength

The importance of hiring slow and firing fast when growing your team

Taylor also shares what’s next for her and Lace & Bow Bridal, including a new rebrand and the exciting launch of her own podcast focused on education and inspiration for wedding pros.

If you’ve ever wondered how to grow a team while keeping your business sustainable and your reputation strong—even in uncertain times—this episode is packed with wisdom you won’t want to miss.

Connect with Taylor on Instagram: @laceandbowbridal

Visit Lace & Bow Bridal: laceandbowbridal.com

Follow Becky on Instagram: @eventcrush.ed

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Gen Z is changing the wedding industry in big ways — from how they search for vendors to how they prefer to communicate. In this episode of the Event: Crushed Podcast, Becky sits down with Amanda Writesman of the Bridal Theory, marketing strategist, educator, and small business coach with over 14 years of experience in the wedding and creative industries.

Amanda shares her insights on how wedding pros can adjust their marketing and sales strategies to connect authentically with Gen Z couples. From texting etiquette to social media trends, this conversation is packed with practical tips to help you stay relevant and confident when working with the next generation of couples.

If you’ve been wondering how to attract and book Gen Z clients without feeling like you’re chasing trends, this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Why Gen Z approaches wedding planning differently than past generations

How to adapt your communication style (including when and how to text)

Marketing shifts wedding pros need to make right now

What authenticity really looks like when speaking to Gen Z couples

Practical steps to update your sales process for today’s couples

Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

ClickSend – a text messaging platform for communicating with clients professionally

Google Voice – a tool for managing calls and texts without using your personal phone number

AmandaWritesman.com – learn more about Amanda’s programs and resources

Follow Amanda on Instagram: @thebridaltheory

Connect with Becky: @eventcrush.ed

In this episode of Event: Crushed, I’m joined by the talented Samantha Leenheer — creative director and principal planner of House of Joy, founder of Kinetic Experiences, and educator under House of Samantha.

We dive deep into two powerful themes that tie beautifully together:

Storytelling in wedding design – how uncovering your clients’ stories, values, and quirks can spark your creativity and lead to designs that feel authentic and deeply personal.

The power of listening – how asking better questions, staying curious, and practicing active listening can transform fleeting interactions into lasting partnerships with clients and fellow vendors.

Samantha shares her approach to weaving personal stories into design, setting creative boundaries, and building vendor relationships rooted in collaboration and trust. We also talk about why vulnerability is essential for genuine connection in our industry.

Whether you’re a new planner or a seasoned pro, this conversation will challenge you to go deeper in your process and relationships, helping you build more meaningful connections and more impactful events.

Where to find Samantha:

Planning & Design: House of Joy

Personal Brand & Education: House of Samantha

Networking & Events: Kinetic Experiences

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We talk a lot about red flags in the wedding industry… but what about the green flags?

In today’s episode, I’m sharing the vendor green flags that make me so excited to work with someone again and again. These are the qualities I noticed when I looked at my own preferred vendors list — the traits that every single one of them has in common.

If you want to know what makes planners (and other vendors) eager to refer you, this episode is for you.

Side note: the audio isn’t quite as polished this time (the wrong mic picked up my audio, woops!) — but the message is too good not to share. Thanks for sticking with me!

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Your website images do so much more than “look pretty.” They set the tone for your brand, communicate the kind of experience you provide, and can even make or break whether a potential couple decides to reach out.

In this episode of Event: Crushed, I’m joined by website strategist and designer Emily Jane Lee of By Emily Jane. With her background as both a photographer and web designer, Emily brings a unique perspective on how wedding pros can make their websites visually cohesive and effective.

We’re talking about:

Why your images are just as important as your copy when it comes to booking clients

How to choose which photos to showcase (and which to leave out)

Tips for creating consistency across your website when you work with many different photographers

What to do if you don’t have high-quality images yet 

How often you should refresh your site photos for the best results

Common mistakes wedding pros make with their website visuals—and how to fix them

Grab your free ticket here: www.eventcrush.com/summit

Resources from Emily:

Website: byemilyjane.com

Instagram: @byemilyjane

Book a Design Day for Done-For-You Image Curation: byemilyjane.com/designday

The Image Curation Lab: Get it here

Free Image Optimization Guide: Download here

Special Offer: Mention the Event: Crushed podcast when booking Emily’s VIP Day Image Curation service and receive 15% off through the end of 2025!

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Hearing “we’ve decided to go in a different direction” from a potential client never feels great — especially when you were excited about working together. In this short and encouraging solo episode, I’m sharing how to navigate those moments without losing confidence, and how to turn a ‘no’ into a tool for growth in your wedding business.

I’m opening up about a recent experience, the ways I’m working with my business coach to strengthen my sales process, and the important perspective shift that comes with realizing you don’t actually want every single lead to book you.

You’ll also learn why “no” isn’t always personal, practical ways to refine your process, and how to keep relationships positive even when you don’t book the client — because you never know where that connection might lead down the road.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Why a ‘no’ isn’t always about you (and what it might really mean)

The surprising reason you don’t want every single client to book you

How to evaluate your sales process and messaging

Why following up with kindness can lead to future opportunities

How to turn rejection into motivation and business improvements

Resources & Links:

Sign up for the FREE Book More Weddings Summit (Aug 18–22): Unveiled: A Night Out for Wedding Pros (Oct 16 in Eugene, OR) — 20% off through Aug 16

Thanks for tuning in! Loved this episode? Please consider leaving a rating or review, and make sure you’re subscribed!

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Kerry Barrett, event pro turned tech founder and the creator of The Wedding App, a modern, private social platform for weddings. From real-time updates to guest messaging and RSVP reminders, this app is a game-changer for planners and couples alike.

We talk about:

How The Wedding App works and why Kerry built it

Improving guest experience before and during the wedding

Communication features that help planners shine

Real stories about weather delays, shuttle issues, and how the app saved the day

Photo sharing, flight coordination, seating charts, and more

Why this app is ideal for destination weddings

How planners can test it for free

Links & Resources:

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In this episode, Becky sits down with returning guest Heidi Thompson, the founder of Evolve Your Wedding Business, to talk about how wedding pros can rise above the noise in a crowded industry. From navigating inconsistent inquiries to creating messaging that actually connects with your ideal clients, Heidi offers insight into what’s working right now, and what to stop wasting time on.

They also dive into the upcoming Book More Weddings Summit, a free 5-day online event designed to help wedding professionals get more of the right inquiries and book more of the clients they actually want to work with.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

What’s really going on with ghosting and slower booking timelines in 2025

Why generic marketing messages are costing you business

How to clearly communicate the specific problem you solve for your ideal clients

The myth of “doing more” to get better results—and what to focus on instead

What’s working now: strategies from real pros that are booking weddings

How the Book More Weddings Summit can help you uplevel your marketing and stand out!

ABOUT HEIDI THOMPSON:

GRAB YOUR FREE TICKET:

CONNECT WITH HEIDI:

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If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to keep up with SEO — or confused about how AI tools like ChatGPT are starting to impact how couples search for vendors — this episode is for you.

Becky is joined by Sara Dunn, the go-to SEO expert for wedding professionals, to talk about what’s actually changing in the world of search (and what isn’t), how wedding pros can start showing up in AI-driven search results, and what simple changes you can make today to get better visibility online.

They also chat about:

The one SEO “magic wand” fix Sara wishes every wedding pro would make

Why testimonials on your homepage matter more than ever

How ChatGPT is recommending vendors (and how to test if you show up!)

Real examples of couples booking vendors via ChatGPT

How to future-proof your website in an evolving digital space

A behind-the-scenes look at Bing’s connection to ChatGPT search results

Exclusive Listener Discount!

Links & Resources:

Sara's Website: saradoesseo.com

Instagram: @saradoesseo

Free Monthly SEO Lunch & Learn: saradoesseo.com/learn

Wedding SEO Bootcamp: Learn More & Sign up!

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Instagram is a critical part of how many wedding pros market their businesses — which makes the potential of getting hacked feel absolutely devastating. In this solo episode, Becky shares her recent experience getting locked out of her business account, how she got back in quickly, and the exact steps she’s taking now to prevent it from happening again.

You’ll hear:

This is your friendly PSA to audit your social media security settings and protect your accounts before something like this happens to you!

1Password

Meta Verified

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