Mind Your Wedding Business Podcast

Networking is about more than collecting business cards and making small talk. In this episode of Mind Your Wedding Business, Kevin sits down with Jade Ladson of Jade Ladson Weddings to discuss the lost art of networking and how building genuine industry relationships can lead to long-term business opportunities.

Jade shares how networking helped her grow her luxury wedding planning business, why meaningful connections matter more than simply meeting as many people as possible, and how wedding pros can approach networking with more intention. She also offers advice on following up after events, becoming a valuable connector in the industry, maintaining vendor relationships, and building a reputation that keeps referrals coming.

Jade Ladson is the Founder and Creative Director of J. Ladson Weddings, an Atlanta-based luxury wedding and event planning company. With over 22 years of experience, she is known for creating elegant, thoughtfully designed celebrations and building meaningful industry relationships. Jade is also the founder of A Match Made in Wedding, an experiential bridal event, and the author of Whispers of a Wedding Planner. As a mentor and advocate for collaboration, she is passionate about educating and supporting fellow wedding professionals.

Highlights:

• Why networking is still essential for growing a successful wedding business
• Common networking mistakes wedding pros make and how to avoid them
• How to build genuine industry relationships instead of simply collecting contacts
• The importance of following up and staying connected after networking events
• How being a connector and helping others can lead to long-term referrals
• Ways to maintain vendor relationships and build a reputation that keeps people recommending you

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Your website may be your own piece of online real estate, but how are people actually finding it? In this episode of Mind Your Wedding Business, Kevin sits down with live wedding painter Renée van de Kerkhof to talk about backlinks, why they matter for your website, and how wedding pros can start building them in practical ways.

Renée breaks down what makes a backlink valuable, why quality and relevance matter, and how relationships with fellow wedding pros can help strengthen your online presence. She also shares creative ways she's earned backlinks through blogging, vendor collaborations, styled shoots, guest posts, media opportunities, and even stock photography—plus common backlink mistakes wedding pros should avoid.

Renée van den Kerkhof is a live wedding painter and courtroom sketch artist from the Netherlands. She specialises in portraits that actually resemble the wedding couple, in a romantic and detailed style. She services couples (and their loved ones) across Europe. Renée is autistic, a dog mom, and lives with her partner in Dordrecht (near Rotterdam).

Highlights:

• What backlinks are and why they matter for your wedding business website
• Why relevant, reputable backlinks are more valuable than simply having a lot of links
• How blogging and sharing your expertise can naturally lead to backlink opportunities
• How vendor relationships, guest blogs, styled shoots, and directories can help build backlinks
• Why spammy links and outdated backlink strategies can actually work against you
• Simple ways to start building backlinks without a large audience or marketing budget

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Social media can bring potential clients to your business, but what happens once they land on your profile? In this episode of Mind Your Wedding Business, Kevin sits down with Nina Addeo of I Do Wedding Marketing to talk about how wedding pros can create social media that attracts the right audience instead of leaving potential clients confused.

Nina shares how clear messaging, an optimized profile, strong storytelling, and a mix of polished and real-life content can help potential clients better understand who you are, what you offer, and whether you’re the right fit. She also explains why your inquiries and sales conversations can be some of your best tools for figuring out what your social media may be missing.

Nina Addeo is the founder of I Do Wedding Marketing, a social media and marketing company dedicated to helping wedding professionals turn their online presence into a consistent source of inquiries and bookings. With a background in digital marketing and a deep focus on the wedding industry, Nina is known for her practical, no-fluff approach to content that prioritizes clarity, strategy, and results. She is also the host of the I Do Wedding Marketing Podcast, where she shares actionable insights to help wedding pros grow sustainable, profitable businesses.

Highlights:

• How to tell if your social media is attracting the right potential clients
• Why your profile should clearly communicate who you are, what you do, and where you work
• How storytelling can help educate couples and create warmer leads
• Why polished portfolio content and real, behind-the-scenes content both have a place in your strategy
• How your inquiries and sales calls can reveal gaps in your social media messaging
• Why relying too heavily on AI-generated content can cause your personality to get lost

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Standing out in the wedding industry can feel harder than ever, especially when couples have so many options competing for their attention. In this episode of Mind Your Wedding Business, Kevin sits down with wedding business marketing expert Becca Pountney to rethink the traditional marketing funnel and explore a new way to approach the customer journey.

Becca breaks down her “marketing theme park” approach and SCREAM framework, sharing how wedding pros can stand out, create better experiences, generate recommendations, and give potential clients more ways to connect with their business.

Becca is the UK’s leading wedding business marketing expert. With a background in film and production, she has scaled her consultancy business to help and develop other wedding pros. Becca has also written a book and hosts a successful, award-winning podcast that allows her to further share her expertise with the wedding industry and help wedding pros grow.

Highlights:

• Why the traditional marketing funnel doesn’t always reflect how today’s couples make booking decisions
• How the “marketing theme park” offers a different way to think about the customer journey
• The SCREAM framework and how wedding pros can apply it to their marketing
• Why transparent pricing, recommendations, and client experience matter
• How personality can help your business stand out in an increasingly AI-driven marketing landscape
• Why your inquiry and booking data can help you understand what’s actually working

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Contracts may not be the most exciting part of running a wedding business, but understanding what you’re signing can save you from major headaches. In this episode of Mind Your Wedding Business, Kevin sits down with Casey Glasser, founder of Foundwell Legal, to break down the contract terms wedding pros should actually be paying attention to.

Casey shares what to know about common clauses like force majeure, indemnification, cancellation policies, and liability, along with when to push back on a contract and why your agreements shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all.

Casey Glasser is the founder of Foundwell Legal, a law practice focused on event contract review. After noticing how often contracts in the event industry are signed without a clear understanding of key terms, she started the firm to work with event planners and their clients on reviewing vendor and venue agreements, as well as drafting and refining planner agreements. Her work focuses on helping clients identify risk, understand their obligations, and approach negotiations with clarity.

Highlights:

• Contract clauses wedding pros should pay closer attention to before signing
• What force majeure, indemnification, and other common contract terms actually mean
• Why copying and pasting contract language can create problems for your business
• How strong contracts can help set expectations and prevent miscommunication
• When to negotiate a contract term and how to approach the conversation
• Why it’s important to periodically review and update the contracts you use

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A beautiful website doesn’t always mean a website that converts. In this episode of Mind Your Wedding Business, Kevin sits down with Adrienna McDermott, Owner & Lead Strategist of Ava And The Bee, to discuss how your website could be costing you inquiries without you even realizing it.

Adrienna shares what wedding pros should be paying attention to beyond aesthetics, from website analytics and clear messaging to pricing, testimonials, contact forms, and making it easy for potential clients to take the next step.

If you’re getting website traffic but not enough inquiries, this episode is packed with practical ways to figure out where potential clients may be getting lost, and what you can do about it.

Adrienna McDermott is the founder and CEO of Ava And The Bee, a marketing agency exclusively for wedding pros that builds connections with dream couples through inclusive, results-driven marketing, copywriting, branding, and website design. As a former bridal boutique owner, wedding planner, and florist, she intimately understands vendors' challenges when standing out against the competition. With a unique blend of real-world experience and a signature step-by-step process that is always backed with data, Adrienna knows how to simplify marketing so that wedding pros can confidently grow and scale their business.

Highlights:

• Why website analytics should guide your marketing decisions
• Common reasons potential clients leave without inquiring
• What couples are looking for when researching wedding pros online
• How pricing, testimonials, and clear messaging help build trust
• The biggest homepage and contact form mistakes wedding pros make
• Simple website updates that can help turn more visitors into inquiries

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Destination weddings can open the door to an entirely new revenue stream for wedding professionals. In this episode of Mind Your Wedding Business, Kevin sits down with Tami Santini, founder of Paradise Getaways and Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Travel Business Academy, to discuss what it takes to break into the destination wedding travel industry.

Tami shares why wedding pros don't need to know everything before getting started, from finding the right niche and building supplier relationships to understanding group travel and creating a message that attracts the right clients. She also explains how destination wedding travel can complement an existing wedding business and create opportunities to continue serving couples long after the wedding day.

If you've ever wondered what it takes to work in destination wedding travel (or whether it could be a natural extension of your current services), this episode is a great place to start.

Tami Santini is the founder of Paradise Getaways, an award-winning destination wedding travel agency, and creator of The 20K System & Toolkit, North America's leading course for building a destination wedding business. With numerous industry accolades and partnerships with top travel organizations, Tami now shares her strategies to help others achieve success in the wedding and travel industry.

Highlights:

• Why destination wedding travel is a valuable niche for wedding pros
• What a destination wedding travel professional actually does
• The skills you need to get started in the industry
• Why specializing can help you stand out and attract the right clients
• How resort and supplier relationships support your business
• Ways destination wedding travel can create repeat clients and new revenue opportunities

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Paid advertising can be one of the fastest ways to grow your wedding business... if you're doing it correctly. In this episode of Mind Your Wedding Business, Kevin sits down with Mark Chapman, Founder of The I Do Society, to discuss the biggest mistakes wedding professionals make with paid advertising and how to build a strategy that actually brings in qualified leads.

Mark shares why most businesses waste money by relying on a single advertising platform, how today's couples really shop for wedding vendors, and why showing up in multiple places is more important than ever. He covers everything from Google Ads and Meta to website optimization and lead follow-up; this episode is packed with practical advice to help you make smarter marketing decisions.

If you've ever wondered whether paid advertising is worth the investment, or why your campaigns haven't delivered the results you expected, this episode will help you rethink your strategy.

Mark Chapman is the Founder of The I Do Society and one of the wedding industry's leading experts on paid advertising. His team helps wedding businesses use Google Ads, Meta Ads, and TikTok Ads to reach their ideal couples and turn clicks into bookings. After discovering the power of paid advertising while growing his own family wedding business, Mark has spent nearly two decades helping thousands of wedding professionals grow through strategic advertising.

Highlights:

• Why most wedding businesses waste money on paid ads
• Understanding how today's couples actually shop
• Why Google Ads alone aren't enough
• The website changes that improve conversions
• How to build trust with cold leads before they inquire
• What wedding pros should know before investing in paid advertising

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Difficult clients are part of the wedding industry, but what if the way you respond to them has more to do with your nervous system than you think? In this episode of Mind Your Wedding Business, Kevin sits down with Wealth Capacity Strategist and Bookkeeper, Hailey Fernelius of Hailey Ann Co., to explore how stress responses can influence the clients you attract and the decisions you make.

Hailey shares how the four survival patterns (fight, flight, fawn, and freeze) show up in business, why burnout often starts long before you notice it, and how simple shifts can help you build a healthier, more sustainable business.

If you've ever struggled with people-pleasing, over-delivering, or setting boundaries, this episode offers practical insights to help you work with more confidence and clarity.

Hailey Fernelius is a Wealth Capacity Strategist who combines nervous system science with bookkeeping to help entrepreneurs align their brain, body, and bank account. She helps business owners break free from limiting patterns and build businesses that support the life they truly want.

Highlights:

• How fight, flight, fawn, and freeze show up in business
• Why boundaries lead to better client relationships
• The connection between burnout and difficult clients
• Using financial data instead of fear to make decisions
• Practical ways to regulate your nervous system
• Building a business that aligns with your goals

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Mind Your Wedding Business is back LIVE from NACE Experience 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana, as the official podcast of NACE Experience! Kevin Dennis and Michelle Stansfield continue the conversation with speakers, sponsors, and industry leaders from this year's conference.

They go deep into content creation and AI to generational leadership, industry trends, and what today's couples are looking for; this episode dives into the conversations shaping the future of the events industry. Plus, hear from NACE leadership as they reflect on another incredible conference and what's ahead for the association!

Highlights:

• Using AI to enhance creativity without losing the human touch
• Creating content that builds trust and attracts clients
• Leading and collaborating across multiple generations
• What today's couples are looking for when choosing vendors
• Insights from NACE leadership on the future of the events industry

Thanks for joining us live from NACE Experience 2026 in New Orleans, and we'll see you at the next Mind Your Wedding Business live event (maybe in Omaha)!

Connect with our Guests:

Michelle Stansfield, CPCE, 2026 NACE National Immediate Past President, Senior Account Manager at Terramar, A DMC Network Company

Chip Dizard, Lead Creative/Photographer at Chip Dizard Studios

Jill Vidal-Raines, CPCE, 2026 NACE National President, Owner of EB Inc. Event Rentals

Erin Dennis, Owner of Evergreen Hospitality Solutions

Jennifer Jenkins, Director of Catering and Events at Sugar Creek Country Club

Tom Chelednik, North America Executive Director of Vendor Engagement at The Knot & WeddingPro

Anne Harper, CAE, Deputy Executive Director at NACE

Lawrence Leonard, Executive Director at NACE

Renee Dalo, CPCC, Visibility & Confidence Coach, Keynote Speaker

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