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What if you could build a whole career in the wedding industry without ever starting a business of your own?
In this episode of Friendors, host Shawn Miller sits down with Brittany, Director of Catering at The Vancouver Club, for an honest conversation about the path almost nobody in this industry talks about. Most guests on the show run their own company. Brittany took a different road entirely, rising through the ranks of one of Vancouver's most iconic heritage venues, and she wouldn't trade it for anything.
This one goes deep on the parts of the job nobody romanticizes. The twelve years selling wedding dresses that started because her mom spotted an ad in the North Shore News. The fashion design degree she earned dreaming of evening gowns, before realizing she loved the business side far more than the sketchbook. The June 2019 start date at the club, just weeks before the world shut down, when her director left, her manager left, and COVID arrived all at once, leaving a skeleton crew to figure out how to keep a hundred-year-old institution alive. The roughly forty weddings that had to be postponed, and the ones that never came back.
Then it turns. Brittany walks us through climbing from coordinator to director in the middle of a pandemic, what it really takes to run around 1,500 events a year, and the one question she asks every couple that has nothing to do with how their day looks: what do you want it to feel like. Plus the signature service that still stops a room cold (yes, we get into the synchronized cloche reveal), why walking through the doors feels like stepping into a different era, and why your wedding might be the one day you finally get to stop pleasing everyone else.
π‘ What you'll learnBrittany is the Director of Catering at The Vancouver Club, one of the city's most iconic heritage venues. After twelve years in bridal and a background in fashion design, she joined the club as a coordinator in 2019 and worked her way up to running catering for a private club that hosts around 1,500 events a year. She has spent her career proving you can love this industry deeply without ever needing to go out on your own.
π² Connect with The Vancouver ClubIf this episode resonated with you, hit subscribe and leave us a review. New episodes drop every week.
π Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify
#FriendorsPodcast #ShawnMiller #TheVancouverClub #WeddingVenue #VancouverWeddingVenue #WeddingCatering #HeritageVenue #WeddingIndustry #WeddingVendors #VancouverWeddings #YoungHipAndMarried #BCWeddings #WeddingBusiness #WeddingPlanning #LuxuryWeddings
What does it take to walk away from a job with a full pension, full benefits, and a paycheck for eight hours of work you actually finish in four?
In this episode of Friendors, host Shawn Miller sits down with fingerstyle guitarist Lenny Palerstein for an honest conversation about the long, unglamorous road to going full-time. Lenny now plays weddings, corporate events, and venues all over as a solo performer, but it took him nine years of part-time gigs, survival jobs, and one genuinely terrifying leap to get there.
This one goes deep on the stuff nobody romanticizes. The bartending years working until 4am, winding down with a drink and some Church's chicken, then waking up at 1pm too sad to practice guitar. The Canada Post letter carrier job he calls the real golden handcuffs, good enough to stay forever but not good enough to live your dreams. The nine years teaching guitar that he loved right up until his soul was screaming get me out of here. And the girlfriend who finally sat him down and said you have to quit now.
Then it turns. Lenny talks about the reframe that changed everything, deciding to be a businessman first and a musician second, and what happened the moment he finally let go. Plus why a wedding might be the last place left where everyone leaves their differences at the door.
π‘ What you'll learnLenny Palerstein is a Vancouver-based fingerstyle guitarist who performs solo at weddings, corporate events, restaurants, and venues. After nearly a decade of teaching and part-time gigs, he went full-time a year and a half ago and hasn't looked back, even if he'll be the first to tell you he's still a little terrified.
π² Connect with Lenny PalersteinIf this episode resonated with you, hit subscribe and leave us a review. New episodes drop every week.
Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify #FriendorsPodcast #ShawnMiller #LennyPalerstein #FingerstyleGuitar #WeddingMusician #WeddingGuitarist #WeddingIndustry #WeddingVendors #VancouverWeddings #CreativeEntrepreneurship #LiveWeddingMusic #YoungHipAndMarried #BCWeddings #WeddingBusiness #MusicianLifeShe showed up as an emergency guest, ready in under an hour. But honestly, that's peak Stephanie Veri, and it tracks with everything she's built over the past 15+ years.
Stephanie is the founder of Sweetheart Events Inc., Vancouver's premier wedding planning and officiating company, and Veri Creative Events, her social and corporate division. She's the OG proposal planner of Western Canada, a planner-turned-officiant who spent three years under a licensing company before striking out on her own, and someone who has quietly become one of the most trusted names in BC's wedding industry. She also happens to be a wife, a mom, and a former shy girl from Abbotsford who used to turn five shades of purple when anyone looked her way.
In this episode, Shawn and Stephanie get into all of it. They talk about getting rejected by your dream company and going back the following year anyway, about hiring someone specifically to replace your burnt-out version of yourself, about the moment a wedding guest at Brock House told her she should be the one holding the mic, and about why her ceremony script is something no couple ever sees before the wedding day. They also get into what it looked like to plan her own wedding as a seasoned planner, including a helicopter elopement at the top of the world that nobody, not even the brother who was officiating, saw coming.
π‘ What you'll learnStephanie Veri is a Vancouver-based wedding planner, officiant, and the founder of Sweetheart Events Inc. and Veri Creative Events. With over 15 years in the industry, she's built a reputation for weddings that are intentional, deeply personal, and just a little unexpected. She was the first planner-officiant in BC, and she is genuinely one of the warmest people working in this space.
π² Connect with Stephanie & Sweetheart EventsIf this episode resonated with you, hit subscribe and leave us a review. New episodes drop every week.
Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify #FriendorsPodcast #ShawnMiller #StephanieVeri #SweetheartEvents #VeriCreativeEvents #WeddingPlanner #WeddingOfficiant #WeddingIndustry #WeddingVendors #VancouverWeddings #CreativeEntrepreneurship #WeddingPlanning #YoungHipAndMarried #BCWeddings #WeddingBusinessIn this candid episode of Friendors, host Shawn Miller sits down with Simon, the videographer and producer behind the Friendors podcast itself, to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to build a wedding video business from scratch.
Simon opens up about an origin story that started with a GoPro strapped to a helmet on the slopes of Cypress Mountain and slowly grew into a full-time creative business he now shares with his wife Melissa. Along the way there was a business partner, 20 free shoots, a full-time IT career, and a COVID layoff that turned out to be the push he didn't know he needed. He shares what it felt like to get that phone call ending his nine-to-five ("I should be feeling worse about this, but I'm actually excited") and the moment he decided to go all-in. From the craft of storytelling through spoken audio to the human skill of showing up to a wedding with the right energy even when your cat is sick and your gimbal is acting up, Simon brings the kind of inside view that only someone who has truly lived it can give. Whether you're a wedding vendor trying to make the leap, a creative feeling the weight of going solo, or a couple trying to understand what your videographer is actually doing during those tense pre-ceremony minutes, this conversation is packed with real, hard-won perspective.
π‘ In this episode, you'll learnCapture Media is a Vancouver-based wedding and commercial video production company founded by husband and wife duo Simon and Melissa. Self-taught from his early GoPro days, Simon brings a story-first approach to every wedding, prioritizing spoken audio, emotional moments, and the quiet craft of making couples feel like there's no camera in the room at all. Their work has been featured in WedLuxe, Vancity Weddings, Rocky Mountain Bride, and Daily Hive. Simon also serves as the behind-the-scenes production force for the Friendors podcast itself.
π² Connect with Simon & Capture MediaFriendors is where the wedding industry gets real: candid conversations with the vendors, creatives, and entrepreneurs who do the work every weekend so couples can have the day of their lives.
Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify #FriendorsPodcast #ShawnMiller #Simon #CaptureMedia #CaptureProductions #WeddingVideography #WeddingVideographer #WeddingIndustry #WeddingVendors #CreativeEntrepreneurship #VancouverWeddings #WeddingFilm #BehindTheLens #YoungHipAndMarried #FromSideHustleToFullTimeEp 16 - You Can't Beat the Game: Graham of Grey House Visual on Teaching Yourself, Staying Invisible, and Why the Feeling Always Wins | Friendors Podcast
What happens when a guy who learned to film by chasing skateboarders around a park ends up building one of Vancouver's most respected wedding film companies without a single day of formal training?
In this episode of Friendors, host Shawn Miller sits down with Graham of Grey House Visual for a conversation a decade in the making. These two have been shooting weddings side by side since 2014, and this is the first time they've actually sat down to talk about all of it.
This conversation goes deep on what it really takes to build a career in wedding filmmaking from scratch: shooting your sister's wedding on a Canon T3i with a $50 Best Buy microphone, going on a lunch break mid-portrait session at your very first paid gig, and figuring it all out in real time while working full-time hauling 800-pound panes of glass. Graham shares the philosophy behind Grey House Visual's approach β capture the moment rather than capture it perfectly, stay invisible without being creepy, and never show up to a wedding with a preconceived idea of what you want. He and Shawn also get into the seagull-eating-a-pigeon story, the groomzilla who yelled at Graham for approaching him without a camera, the shift they're both seeing toward feeling over aesthetics in post-COVID weddings, and why the market being saturated is mostly a mindset problem.
Whether you're a wedding vendor trying to figure out how to build something real, a filmmaker just getting started, or a creative entrepreneur who's ever had to bet on yourself before you felt ready, this one's for you.
π‘ In This Episode, You'll Learn
πΏ Who This Episode Is For
βοΈ Wedding filmmakers and photographers just getting started who need permission to be imperfect βοΈ Couples who want to understand what separates a great wedding film from a forgettable one βοΈ Creative entrepreneurs figuring out when to go all in on the thing they love βοΈ Wedding vendors who want to work better across disciplines with photographers, officiants, DJs, and planners βοΈ Anyone who's ever had to figure it out as they went and wondered if that was going to be enough
π¬ About Grey House Visual
Grey House Visual is a Vancouver-based wedding and events filmmaking company founded by Graham and his wife Trisha in 2014. What started with a Canon T3i, a $50 microphone, and a free wedding for Graham's sister has grown into one of the most trusted names in the local industry, built entirely through relationship, craft, and a decade of showing up. Graham is still a daily watcher of skateboarding videos, still obsessed with getting better, and still firmly believes you can't beat the game. That's the whole point.
π² Connect with Grey House Visual
Instagram: @greyhousevisual YouTube: Grey House Visual Website: greyhousevisual.com
π Subscribe to Friendors
Friendors features real conversations with wedding professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs building meaningful businesses without sacrificing their lives.
π Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify
He Got Laid Off with a Two-Month-Old at Home: DJ B-Fad on Reading Rooms, Trusting Your Gut, and Building a Referral Business That Does the Talking For You | Friendors Podcast
What happens when you lose your job the same month you become a father β and your wife just says, go DJ for a bit?
In this episode of Friendors, host Shawn Miller sits down with Bret, better known as DJ B-Fad, for a conversation that's been a long time coming. These two have been crossing paths at Vancouver weddings for years β and this is the first time they've actually sat down to unpack all of it.
This conversation goes deep on what it really takes to command a dance floor: reading the room in the first thirty minutes, playing to the reluctant uncle in the corner instead of the bridesmaid already moving, and knowing when to trust your gut versus honour the couple's plan. Bret shares the famous ABBA saves the wedding story, the bride who absolutely would not let him go off script (and the tumbleweed moment that followed), and the philosophy he's carried for fifteen-plus years β that a truly great wedding night is one third your experience, one third the couple's vision, and one third pure live chaos. He also gets honest about why the DJ and the officiant are the two roles most likely to get handed off to a well-meaning family member, what post-COVID weddings have quietly changed for the better, and how he's built a business so rooted in referrals he barely needs to market himself anymore.
Whether you're a wedding vendor trying to figure out how to stand out, a couple building your reception playlist, or a creative who's ever had to bet on yourself when the timing felt completely wrong β this one's for you.
π‘ In This Episode, You'll Learn
πΏ Who This Episode Is For
βοΈ Wedding vendors trying to build a reputation that outlasts any algorithm βοΈ Couples who want to understand what actually makes a reception feel alive βοΈ Creative entrepreneurs who've ever had to bet on themselves at the worst possible time βοΈ Anyone who's had to show up and perform on one of their hardest days βοΈ Wedding pros who want to build a business around clients they actually love working with
π§ About DJ B-Fad
DJ B-Fad is a Vancouver-based wedding and events DJ with nearly two decades of experience and a reputation built almost entirely on word of mouth. On July 17th, 2009, he was called into a back room at a software company, handed a folder, and told it was his last day β his son was two months old. His wife Emma told him to just DJ for a bit. He never looked back. Today, he's one of the most referred DJs in the city, keeps his music library sharp by consulting high schoolers on what's actually cool, and still gets nervous before the first thirty minutes of every dance floor. Some things don't change. Most of them shouldn't.
π² Connect with DJ B-Fad
Search him on Instagram and Google to find his booking info and see what a packed Vancouver dance floor actually looks like.
π Subscribe to Friendors
Friendors features real conversations with wedding professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs building meaningful businesses without sacrificing their lives.
π Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify
She Gave the First One Away: Nicole of Pop-Up Weddings BC on Doing It Afraid and Loving What You Built | Friendors Podcast
What happens when you give away your very first wedding - and that single act of generosity becomes the foundation for an entire career?
In this episode of Friendors, host Shawn Miller sits down with Nicole, the founder of Pop-Up Weddings BC, for a conversation over a decade in the making. These two have been working weddings side by side since Nicole launched one of Vancouver's most beloved micro-wedding companies - and this is the first time they've actually sat down to talk about all of it.
This conversation explores what happens when someone leaves a career in criminal justice, starts a vintage rental company in her garage, and stumbles into the wedding industry by simply saying yes when no one else would. From her unexpected origin story to the hard lessons of business partnerships, bad reviews, and showing up on her worst days with a smile, Nicole shares what it really looks like to build something meaningful when you don't have a blueprint - and why loving what you built makes all the difference.
Whether you're a wedding vendor just finding your footing, a couple exploring micro-wedding options, or a creative entrepreneur who's ever had to figure it out as you went - this episode is for you.
π‘ In This Episode, You'll Learn
πΏ Who This Episode Is For
π² About Pop-Up Weddings BC
Pop-Up Weddings BC is a Vancouver-based micro-wedding and intimate ceremony company offering all-inclusive packages that cover everything - officiant, photographer, planning, and decor. Founded by Nicole over a decade ago, the company has become one of BC's most trusted names in small, intentional celebrations held in beautiful outdoor locations. It all started with a free wedding given to a stranger. That spirit hasn't changed.
π² Connect with Pop-Up Weddings BC
Instagram: @popupweddingsbc Website: www.popupweddingsbc.com
π Subscribe to Friendors
Friendors features real conversations with wedding professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs building meaningful businesses without sacrificing their lives.
π Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify
What happens when you build an entire career around the one thing you were told never to do?
In this dynamic Season 2 premiere of Friendors, host Shawn Miller sits down with Chris and Sam, the creative duo behind Isle + Oak Photography, to unpack nearly a decade of partnership, creative risk-taking, and building a wedding photography brand that defies convention.
This conversation explores what happens when two art school "black sheep" ignore the rules, bond over their disdain for pretentious programs, and dream up a business over dessert pizza on Scotland's Isle of Skye. From navigating COVID as a brand-new company to discovering their signature shadow-and-light style through failure, Chris and Sam share the real story behind one of Vancouver's most recognizable wedding photography brandsβand why being different became their greatest asset.
Whether you're a wedding photographer, creative entrepreneur, someone considering a business partnership, or a vendor looking to stand out in a crowded market, this episode will leave you inspired to embrace what makes you different.
π‘ In This Episode, You'll Learn
π©βπ©βπ§βπ¦ Who This Episode Is For
πΈ About Isle + Oak Photography
Isle + Oak Photography is a Vancouver-based wedding photography duo known for their emotionally-driven, shadow-and-light aesthetic. Founded by longtime friends Chris and Sam after a trip to Scotland's Isle of Skye, the brand has spent nearly a decade capturing weddings with intention, artistry, and a people-first approach.
π² Connect with Isle + Oak Photography Instagram: @isleandoakphotography Website: https://isleandoakphotography.com/
π Subscribe to Friendors Friendors features real conversations with wedding professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs building meaningful businesses without sacrificing their lives. π Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify
What does it really take to build a creative business, raise kids, and protect your marriageβall at the same time?
In this deeply honest and insightful episode of Friendors, host Shawn Miller sits down with returning guest Erica Miller, photographer and co-owner of Young Hip & Married, to unpack over 15 years in the wedding industry, entrepreneurship through parenthood, and the realities of building a life-first business.
This conversation explores what happens behind the scenes of running a successful wedding brand while navigating marriage, childcare, burnout, financial uncertainty, big dreams, and constant pivots. From starting a business while raising young kids to learning how to work with your spouse instead of against them, this episode is packed with wisdom for creatives at every stage.
Whether you're a wedding photographer, planner, creative entrepreneur, small business owner, or parent building a business, this episode will help you feel seenβand better equipped.
π‘ In This Episode, You'll Learnβ’ How to balance marriage, parenting, and entrepreneurship β’ What it's really like to raise kids while running a wedding business β’ The importance of defining your "why" as a business owner β’ How Erica built a thriving photography brand alongside motherhood β’ Lessons from working with your spouse in the same industry β’ Why flexibility, flow, and communication matter more than perfection β’ How long-term vision helps you survive hard seasons in business β’ Why entrepreneurship can be a powerful legacy for your kids
π©βπ©βπ§βπ¦ Who This Episode Is ForβοΈ Wedding photographers & wedding vendors βοΈ Creative entrepreneurs & freelancers βοΈ Parents building a business βοΈ Couples working together βοΈ Small business owners in the events industry βοΈ Anyone chasing freedom, flexibility & family-first success
πΈ About Erica MillerErica Miller is a photographer, entrepreneur, and co-owner of Young Hip & Married, one of Canada's leading wedding brands. With over a decade of experience balancing business growth, marriage, and parenting, Erica brings real-world insight into building a sustainable creative career.
π Subscribe to FriendorsFriendors features real conversations with wedding professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs building meaningful businesses without sacrificing their lives. π Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify
In this episode of Friendors, host Shawn Miller sits down with Esther Moerman to unpack how mindset, energy, and genuine human connection can shape a wildly successful wedding photography brand.
Esther shares her journey from shooting weddings for free and learning through "YouTube University" to becoming a sought-after destination wedding photographer. She opens up about building confidence, showing up authentically online, and why making people feel something matters more than chasing perfection behind the camera.
This conversation is great for photographers, wedding vendors, creatives, and entrepreneurs who want to stand out, attract aligned clients, and build a business rooted in passion and purpose.
π‘ In This Episode, You'll Learnβ’ How Esther built her photography brand through energy and connection β’ The role of mindset in creative business growth β’ Why client experience drives referrals and longevity β’ How social media and authenticity fuel brand visibility β’ Lessons from scaling a wedding photography career β’ Advice for photographers starting (or restarting) their business
π About Esther MoermanEsther Moerman is a Canadian and destination wedding photographer known for her high-energy presence, emotional storytelling, and people-first approach to photography.
π² Connect with EstherYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@esthermoermanphoto
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esthermoermanphoto
Website: https://esthermoermanphoto.ca
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@esthermoermanphoto_
π Subscribe to FriendorsFollow Friendors for real conversations with wedding pros, creatives, and entrepreneurs building meaningful businesses. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify
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