This Week in Weddings

Although having more events on the books certainly gets your business name out there, is it really what you want? Growing your wedding business bigger isn't always better, and in this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a wedding photographer who discovered just that. Wedding photographer Donna Von Bruening grew her business to more than 100 weddings in a year, then realized being overworked with little free time on her calendar wasn't the life she wanted. After some work with a business coach to get to the bottom of what she wanted her business to look like, she scaled back, eliminated some overhead, and reduced her workload while increasing her profits.

About our guest: 

Recognized as one of the South’s premier wedding photographers, Donna Von Bruening provides a bespoke and sincere photographic experience for her cherished clients.  

People are drawn to her striking, clean imagery of relationships and emotion…between people and places. A graduate of The Ohio State University School of Journalism, she has found success with her photojournalistic approach for 18 years. Her work is featured regularly in print and online; however, she cares most about how her clients feel when they hold her prints in their hands.  

Donna calls the salty Savannah marshes home, where the light is gold, but travels often for client events. She cherishes her husband of 21 years, her two teenage sons and their Cavapoo, Archie.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Donna's background and experience in the wedding industry
• How Donna's business grew over time by adding associate photographers to her roster
• What Donna's business looked like at the busiest point, doing more than 100 weddings in a year
• The steps Donna took to intentionally scale back her business, taking on fewer events and having a smaller team

• On the web: https://donnavonbruening.com/ 
• Instagram: @donnavonbruening
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonnaVonBruening 

If you've been in business for a while, you've no doubt figured out your ideal client and ideal price points. But, are you leaving money on the table by not offering something for everyone? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a floral designer who has expanded his business by offering  two different divisions of his company – one for a luxury wedding client and one for more modest budgets. In this episode, we're diving into not only why he's taken this approach, but how he's done it successfully without confusing his brand.

About our guest: 

Award-winning floral and event designer Bron Hansboro has devoted his career to navigating clients through the creative process and transforming their visions into exquisite events since 2014. Fondly referred to as “The Flower Guy,” he is the lead creative and floral designer at The Flower Guy Bron. He provides bespoke design and styling experiences for weddings and events of all types. Bron deeply values his interactions with clients and peers alike, and understands the power of making connections through design. His motto is, “We don’t sell flowers, we sell experiences.”

Bron has received the WeddingWire’s “Couples Choice” designation for three consecutive years and is a Metropolitan Business League’s “One to Watch” Honoree. He is a sought-after speaker and will be featured at Wedding MBA 2018. Bron is dedicated to providing seamless and stress-free design services and loves seeing the look on his clients’ faces when they see their completed concept come to life. When he’s not dreaming up magical events, he loves to cook, travel, entertain, shop and connect.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Bron's background and how he jumped into the wedding industry unexpectedly
• The clients Bron was working with when he started his business
• What spurred Bron to open a second division of his company targeted toward a different budget client
• How Bron markets two different businesses models simultaneously
• What Bron takes on himself vs. what his team handles

• On the web: https://www.theflowerguybron.com/
• Instagram: @theflowerguybron
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theflowerguybron 

Having a staff can certainly help you scale and grow your business, but bringing on employees is certainly not without its challenges. How do you find good people? And even more importantly, how do you train them to carry on your reputation and brand? Whether you already are leading a team or you're just starting to consider making the move from solopreneur status, this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast is for you. 

About our guests: 

Lindsay Val Longacre founded and launched LVL Weddings & Events in 2007. Since its founding, LVL has grown to be one of the most recognized wedding and event planning companies in California with additional locations in Denver, Phoenix, Napa and Hawaii and a team of 20 professional coordinators and planners.

A Midwest girl at heart, Lindsay was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and is now living between California and Hawaii. She is a proud military wife, entrepreneur and special event planner. Lindsay gets her drive and entrepreneurial spirit from her mother, who always encouraged her to find her calling and be the best she could be at it. Through LVL, Lindsay is on a mission to do just that – to be the best at doing what she loves the most – planning dream weddings, leading a successful team and always raising the bar in the wedding industry.

Heather Hoesch joined LVL in 2010 and she’s the yin to Lindsay’s yang. Currently with over 700 weddings and ten years of experience under her belt, Heather is passionate, detailed, organized, and most importantly calm.

Inspired by love, engagement stories, color combinations and hand written wedding vows, she brings a colorful style to the design and planning of a wedding. She will tell you that she loves her job, her clients and most of all her team. She believes that her passion for love adds to her commitment to creating the ultimate wedding for her couples.

Heather always wanted to be part of a team that is an innovative leader in the industry and she found her dream team with LVL. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Long Beach, she has successfully blended her education with doing what she enjoys the most – celebrating love.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Lindsay and Heather's background and how they got into the wedding industry
• How Lindsay and Heather joined forces at LVL
• How they have grown their team by bringing other business owners into their company
• How to identify the right people for what you need
• Knowing when you're ready to add employees
• Documenting processes in order to train your team

• On the web: https://lvlevents.com/ 
• Instagram: @lvlweddings
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lvlweddings

If you've been in business for any period of time, you've very likely seen busy periods of booking followed by slower seasons. But how do you handle those valleys of business and what can you do during those slower times to continue to generate leads? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with wedding planner and designer Valerie Gernhauser, who's opening up about managing a slower period of business. From ideas for keeping your team busy during a slower season to thoughts about how to trim the fat during a leaner time, this week's episode is full of great advice from an industry leader.

About our guest: 

Valerie Gernhauser is a recovering attorney, Yale grad, pug lover, Springsteen fanatic, and Florida native. Calm, cool, and collected is her mantra. She is a natural-born leader that takes pride in moving people, creating memorable milestones, and maintaining poise under pressure.

As a thought leader and industry expert in the event space, Valerie is grateful to share her knowledge on national platforms such as the Engage! Luxury Wedding Business Summit, Trouvaille Workshop, Cultivate Retreat, Bliss and Bespoke, and honored to present as a keynote speaker at ILEA, NACE, and WIPA events across the country. She’s very proud of the success of her Sapphire Sessions speaking tour, a specialized program for wedding planners and event designers aimed at elevating event industry best practices for the benefit of the greater good. 

Valerie likes getting lost in Anthropologie, spontaneous road trips, mixing metals and prints, kitchen dance parties with her daughters, and getting her hands dirty in a flower bucket or two. She’s a consummate over-achiever and a habitual mover-and-shaker. She considers herself very fortunate to bear witness to unfettered, intrepid, veracious love stories on Saturdays.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Valerie's background and how she went from lawyer to wedding planner and designer
• When Valerie noticed her first slow season in her business
• What Valerie did during the downtime to connect with another area of the event industry
• Cutting back on expenses during slower times
• Keeping your team happy (and busy) during a business drought

• On the web: http://www.sapphireevents.com/
• Instagram: @sapphireevents
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sapphireeventsnola/ 

The term ghosting may have started with the rise of online dating, but no doubt every wedding professional has been ghosted by a potential client at one point or another. You meet with a couple, think it went really well, send a quote, and... nothing. Why does this happen? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with wedding planner Beth Bernstein about this ghosting phenomenon and what she's seen in the industry. While we don't know if there's any real solution to the ghosting practice, it's nice to know we're not alone!

About our guest: 

After nearly a decade working at Chicago’s top advertising agencies, followed by several years planning events for non-profit organizations, Beth Bernstein launched Sine Qua Non: Special Events, LLC. in May 2009.

The name Sine Qua Non is a Latin phrase that translates to "indispensable or essential ingredient." That is what Beth has become to the couples she has guided through the wedding planning process over the past nine years. SQN Events has quickly risen to become one of Chicago's leading wedding planning companies, and Beth is well respected amongst her peers as a leader in the industry. Beth received Wish Upon a Wedding’s “Shining Star” award for 2012.

Beth has spoken at the University of Chicago, Roosevelt University, WeddingWire World, and several industry events to inspire people who want to pursue careers in the wedding industry or those who want to take their current businesses further. Beth produced an industry conference, Toss the Bouquet, from 2013-2016, bringing in national speakers to educate her peers and colleagues, emphasizing community over competition. She currently serves as President of the Chicago chapter of WIPA (Wedding International Professionals Association).

Beth has been a contributor to the Equally Wed blog, Huffington Post Weddings, and more. Her work has been featured in numerous magazines and blogs, including: Carats + Cake, Destination I Do, Elizabeth Anne Designs, Inside Weddings, The Knot, Modern Luxury Weddings, Style Me Pretty, and more.

When she’s not working, you can find Beth at a coffee shop, Shred 415 or SoulCycle, volunteering, or screaming her head off at her son’s hockey games. Beth resides in Chicago with her husband and two children, Zoe and Jason.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Beth's background and how she went from advertising agency to the wedding industry
• What ghosting means in terms of wedding inquiries
• Beth's personal experience with ghosting
• What she learned when asking other wedding industry vendors about their ghosting experiences
• Ways wedding vendors are ghosting themselves without even realizing it

• On the web: http://sqnevents.com/
• Instagram: @sqnevents
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SQN.Events 
• Twitter: @sqnevents

YouTube is the new television. And the new search engine! There's no disputing that the video platform has grown exponentially and is where millions of people are finding information, tutorials, and entertainment. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a wedding planner and designer who is using YouTube to expand her reach, educate couples, and project her personality to potential clients. Whether you're a YouTuber or not, this episode will certainly give you something to think about when it comes to expanding your marketing mix.

About our guest: 

As You Wish’s Owner, Designer and Planner, Rachel Burt Garcia, pairs her extensive background in design and her dedication to detail to plan the wedding or event her clients have always dreamed of! Her professional yet spunky personality makes her a favorite of clients and vendors alike. Rachel has planned hundreds of luxury weddings and events nationally and internationally, including many high profile events such as the Margot Perot Center for Woman and Infants’ anniversary celebration for the Perot family, on-air parties for Stephanie Hollman of “Real Housewives of Dallas”, the wedding of Mark Phariss and Vic Holmes – the couple that challenged the state of Texas for the right to legalize gay marriage – and the KISS FM wedding with rapper, Coolio.

In addition to “Real Housewives of Dallas”, Rachel can also be seen on TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress”. Her unique perspective on aesthetics has garnered her many awards and accolades such as the NACE “Color Me a Cure” tabletop design competition and several magazine and blog features in publications like D Weddings, Modern Luxury Weddings, Inside Weddings, Brides of North Texas, Style Me Pretty and many more. She currently holds the title of Certified Wedding Planner through the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners (AACWP) where she sat on the board of directors and has her ear to the ground on everything going on in the industry!

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Rachel's background and how got into the wedding industry
• Why Rachel decided to use YouTube as a marketing tool
• How Rachel records and edits her videos
• The must-do tip for making your videos stand out on YouTube
• What Rachel learned about "batching" multiple videos all in one day
• The change Rachel is making in order to be able to be more consistent
• The results that Rachel's found from adding YouTube to her marketing mix

• Rachel's YouTube Channel  
• Instagram: @asyouwish_dfw
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asyouwishdfw/
• Twitter: @asyouwish_dfw
• Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/asyouwishdfw/

In this casual episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, Kimberly, Annie, and podcast editor Lance take listeners behind the scenes of the podcast, discussing everything from how and where they record the podcast to how they determine show topics.

There are tons of wedding and event industry conferences. From WeddingMBA and The Special Event to the Be Sage Conference and Engage! Luxury Wedding Business Summit, there's something for everyone. If you have plans to add some education and networking to your agenda with an upcoming event conference, this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast is for you. We're chatting with wedding planner Kelly McWilliams, who shares some of her top tips for getting the most out of your conference experience. Whether you're a conference junkie or just starting to think about attending your first, this episode is full of valuable advice from a wedding industry veteran.

About our guest: 

A Florida native, Kelly McWilliams, a destination wedding planner-designer has been producing weddings, social events and celebrations since 2002. In 2018, her business expanded beyond Florida to formally include Nevis & St. Kitts to her roster of islands and Waterfront cities which already included Sanibel, Captiva, Marco, Boca Grande, Naples & the Florida Keys. Her company, Kelly McWilliams Celebrations, Weddings & Parties, has been a leader in the destination wedding industry in SW Florida by keeping the local industry community based and fostering over 40 college student internships. She helped to put the not so metropolitan area on the map for destination weddings. through media press & publish and by bringing what was “big and happening” in the major metropolitan areas back to this small region on the Florida Gulf Coast. In 2016 Kelly also began consulting with venues to help them “up their game” and obtain appeal for more luxury wedding clientele.

When it comes to creating weddings, Kelly’s most known for her designs which are subtle with statements. Her goal is that the events are as equal in beauty as they are an outstanding experience no guest will ever forget; and that they are as personalized as they are traditionally elegant. Her weddings have graced the pages of The knot, Inside Weddings, Brides, Destination I Do, Modern Luxury, Destination Weddings, Style Me Pretty, Celebration Society, Bridal Guide and countless others. She has been quoted on CNN, NBC, Fox and spoken at countless industry conferences around the globe.

Kelly has been married to her husband also named Kelly for over 20 years and is a mom to daughters Madeline & Emily and her dog Monreau Gray. In the upcoming year Kelly will be expanding her commitment to sharing her expertise with her IGTV channel for engaged couples and small group 1 day intensives for wedding professionals.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Kelly's background and how she went from actress to accountant to wedding planner
• What you should do to connect with other attendees and conference organizers before you attend
• Why Kelly suggests having a conference roommate
• The benefits of adding on a day before or after the conference
• Kelly's thoughts on international conferences
• Post-event follow up

• On the web: https://www.kellymcwilliams.com/ 
• Instagram: @weddingtidbits
• Facebook: Kelly McWilliams Celebrations

When you're in a creative field, getting clients to trust your vision can be challenging, especially when they can't see the finished product before hiring you. In this episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with invitation designer and owner of A Fine Press, Matthew Wengerd, who has taken steps to fine tune his consultation strategy to attract clients who are trusting of his creativity, experience, and desire to think outside the box. Regardless of your area of the wedding industry, you're sure to find takeaways from this week's episode to help you narrow in on clients who will trust you with their big day.

About our guest: 

You know how NPR has "driveway moments?" Matthew Wengerd makes "mailbox moments." And, while stationery with a wow factor certainly makes an impact, he believes that stationery given as a true gift can last a lifetime.

Matthew spent a lot of time and effort pursuing a life in jazz before realizing that the act of creation was what he was really after, and that this act can happen on paper, at a keyboard, or on a press just as easily as it can on the bandstand. In fact, it was a fateful composition and arranging lesson that brought him face-to-face with a certain fountain pen and his future life as an art-minded stationer.

He's adamant about giving stationery a second function that keeps it out of the trashcan and might even move it to a place of honor. And he does his best work when he gets to answer the question "what happens if we...."

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Matthew's background and how he became drawn into the world of stationery and invitation design
• How some clients are naturally more trusting of professionals than others
• How to identify clients that will be a good fit for the creative work that you do
• Matthew's philosophy on pre-screening clients prior to going to contract
• Charging an initial consultation and/or concept fee prior to doing any proposal
• Creating work for your portfolio vs. creating work for a client

• On the web: https://afinepress.com/
• Instagram: @afinepress
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afinepress
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/afinepress 

Are you giving back to the community? If not, it's never too late to start. And even better, giving back can help build your business by expanding your current circle of influence. In this episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with industry veteran Jennifer Burns, who has seen first hand how being involved in the non-profit events can build a business. No matter what your cause of choice is, this week's episode will have you considering how your company is giving back.

About our guest: 

With over 18 years of experience in the event industry, Jennifer understands what it takes to make each event special. With a gift for working with clients and understanding their needs, Jennifer plays a pivotal role in helping events evolve from concept to execution. Jennifer’s career has taken her all over the country as well as international locations such as London and Beijing. She has planned for multi-million dollar budgets with thousands of attendees, but also understands the nuances needed for smaller, more personal events. She’s equally adept in either situation and everything in between.

When she’s not planning the next awe-inspiring event, Jennifer enjoys donating her time to help with a number of charities. She is currently the co-chair for the upcoming Trains of Northpark benefitting the Ronald McDonald House Dallas, an active underwriting committee member of Cattle Baron’s Ball and advises on special events for The Family Place. In addition, Jennifer plays an active role in event specific associations such as the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE) and was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2016. 

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Jennifer's background in the event industry
• How being involved in non-profit work grew the event planning company she was previously with and the lighting and a/v company she currently is a part of
• How to give without being taken advantage of
• Finding a cause you care about

• On the web: http://www.beyondld.com/
• Instagram: @BEYONDldtx
• Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/BEYONDldtx/