Wedding Pros who are ready to grow - with Becca Pountney

Show notes:

In this episode I'm joined by Joaquin Corrales, wedding venue owner, software developer and founder of Venue AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the sales process and what wedding professionals can learn from it.

Joaquin shares how his experience building and running Gran Paraiso Gardens, a successful wedding venue in Miami, helped him identify one of the biggest challenges businesses face: generating enquiries is only half the battle. If you're not responding quickly, following up consistently and understanding what turns a lead into a booking, you could be missing out on valuable opportunities.

Drawing on the systems he's developed for his own venue and through Venue AI, Joaquin explains how AI can help businesses manage enquiries, answer questions, follow up with potential clients and streamline repetitive tasks. While his experience comes from the venue industry, these lessons are relevant to wedding planners, photographers, florists and other wedding professionals looking to improve their sales process and make better use of their time.

We also discuss why AI shouldn't mean losing the personal touch. From getting the right brand voice to knowing when a conversation needs a human response, Joaquin shares what business owners should consider before introducing automation and how to choose tools that genuinely support their business.

Venueai

Joaquin's Instagram

Gran Paraiso Gardens

Time stamps:

00:59 - Joaquin Corrales — Venue Owner & Tech Entrepreneur

08:15 - Growing the Venue: Building a Consistent Lead-Generation System

18:25 - Building Venue AI — prioritising conversational quality and accuracy

22:21 - Practical Lead Workflow: Automated Handling Until the Tour

26:54 - Preserving Personality: Preventing Lazy, Generic AI

39:05 - AI for Small Businesses — How to Evaluate and Adopt Tools

42:27 - The Future of the Wedding Industry

48:33 - The One Business Lesson I Wish I'd Known Sooner

Mentioned in this episode:

Discover Venue AI for yourself

Ready to take your Venue Team into the future? Take a look at what Venue AI has to offer, find out more or book a demo now.

Find out more about Venue AI

Show notes:

In this episode, I’m joined by Jonathan Aymin, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Events, a venue management company in the US. Jonathan also hosts the VenueRx podcast and founded the Wedding and Event Venue Association, so he brings a wealth of experience and some refreshingly honest insights into running and growing a venue business. We chat about Jonathan’s journey into the wedding industry, from starting a staffing company to managing wedding venues across the US, and why being successful in this industry takes far more than simply having a beautiful space.

We also get into the practical side of marketing. Jonathan explains why he doesn’t believe in writing off a platform just because it hasn’t worked for another business, and why looking at your own numbers is essential when deciding where to invest your time and money. From wedding directories and Google Ads to Meta, TikTok and AI-driven referrals, we explore why different platforms can work differently depending on your venue and your ideal client.

One of my favourite parts of this conversation is our discussion about consistency. It can be tempting to give up when your marketing doesn’t seem to be generating immediate results, but couples may be watching your content for months before they’re ready to enquire. Jonathan explains why it’s important to keep showing up, track your results and look at the bigger picture rather than reacting to every individual post or quiet week.

Common Sense Events

The Venue RX podcast

The Venue RX Instagram

Time stamps:

03:53 - From Fired to Founder — Jonathan's Journey into Hospitality and Venue Management

19:20 - What marketing is actually working for venues?

34:02 - Measuring Social Media Success: What Metrics to Track

45:11 - People First: Turning Authenticity into Hiring and Culture

54:05 - Balancing Family and Work: Life with Seven Children

01:08:54 - Final takeaways: Track your data and next steps

Mentioned in this episode:

Discover Venue AI for yourself

Looking to take your venue into the future? Why not take a look at Venue AI for yourself. Find out more or book a demo now.

Show notes:

What happens when your ideal client stops Googling and starts asking AI who they should book?

In this episode of Wedding Pros Who Are Ready to Grow, I’m chatting with Vivienne Wagner, CEO of Houndstooth Media Group, about the changing world of SEO, AI search and what it means for wedding businesses. Vivienne shares how she went from blogger to running a digital marketing agency with a team of specialists, and why the lessons she learned from building an audience still apply today.

We talk about why blogging is still worth doing, how evergreen content can continue bringing people to your website years after you publish it, and why being clear about who you serve is more important than trying to chase every new marketing trend. We also get into the increasingly important relationship between SEO and AI search. Vivienne explains why SEO remains the foundation, but why simply being visible isn't enough anymore. AI is increasingly interpreting information from your website, social media, Google Business Profile and reviews to decide which businesses it recommends.

One of my favourite parts of the conversation is the practical advice around Google Reviews. Rather than simply replying with "Thanks so much", Vivienne explains how your responses can reinforce what you do, who you serve and the experience you provide.

Follow Vivienne on Linkedin

Follow on Instagram

Watch the FREE Bridal AIO Webinar

Time Stamps:

00:08 - Episode intro — Meet Vivian Wagner & what to expect

01:52 - Vivienne's Journey: From Politics to Blogging and SEO

37:13 - Consumers trusting AI: where decisions and sales happen (and how businesses stay trustworthy)

42:31 - Pricing Strategy & AI: Transparency, Positioning, and Schema

53:26 - AI Was Coming: Lessons and Predictions for Business

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about Venue AI

Ready to embrace AI in your wedding venue? Take some time to find out more about Venue AI or book a free demo.

Find out more about Venue AI

Show notes:

What does accessibility really look like in the wedding industry?

This week, I’m chatting to Charlotte Rowe, founder of The Unseen Weddings, about her experience of planning her own wedding as a disabled bride and the lack of accessibility and representation she has encountered along the way.

From struggling to find genuinely accessible venues to seeing very little representation at wedding shows, Charlotte shares some of the experiences that inspired her to start The Unseen Weddings project.

We talk about why simply describing somewhere as “wheelchair accessible” isn’t always enough, why asking couples what they actually need is so important, and how accessibility can look completely different from person to person.

And it isn’t just about venues. We explore what photographers, florists, DJs, planners and other wedding professionals can do to make their businesses more inclusive; from asking better questions during consultations to thinking about sensory needs, mobility aids, photography and representation.

Charlotte also shares some of the positive experiences she’s had, including a wonderfully accessible engagement experience at the Sea Life Centre, and explains her plans to create a directory of wedding suppliers who are committed to learning, listening and doing better.

If you’re a wedding professional, I hope this episode makes you stop and think about your own business and the small changes you could make to create a more accessible experience.

Unseen Weddings Instagram

Time stamps:

00:57 - Charlotte Rowe — Founder of Unseen Weddings

08:45 - Sea Life Center: Accessibility Done Right

13:31 - Directories and Accessibility: Finding Accessible Wedding Venues

22:28 - When Wedding Planning Doesn't Reflect You: Realising You're Unseen

26:00 - Turning Frustration into Action — Starting Unseen Weddings

32:10 - Creating an Inclusive Supplier Directory and Accessible Events

39:34 - Asking About Accessibility: How Suppliers Should Start the Conversation

45:26 - A Word of Caution: Who Should Get Involved

Mentioned in this episode:

Discover Venue AI for yourself

Ready to take your Venue Team into the future? Take a look at what Venue AI has to offer, find out more or book a demo now.

Find out more about Venue AI

Show notes:

In this episode, I’m chatting to Lianne Cole, a female wedding DJ, live vocalist and entertainer who is right at the beginning of her journey in the wedding industry.

Lianne’s route into weddings hasn’t exactly been a straightforward one. With a Master’s in opera performance behind her, she’s worked across a whole mix of different industries and businesses before finding her way into DJing and entertainment. She now brings together her love of performing and her passion for music through LMC, combining live vocals with high-energy DJ sets.

We talk about what it’s actually like trying to establish yourself when you’re new to the wedding industry, particularly as a female DJ in what has traditionally been a very male-dominated space.

Lianne shares some of the challenges she’s come up against, from seeing the same male DJs repeatedly recommended in local wedding groups to feeling like female DJs can sometimes be brought in simply to tick a box. We also talk about why visibility matters, the importance of having more women represented in the industry and how venues and suppliers could help create more opportunities for people who are newer to the wedding world.

Lianne's TikTok

Time stamps:

01:37 - Leanne's Background & Opera Journey

13:57 - Gender and the DJ Industry: Women in Opera, Weddings, and Beyond

19:41 - Confronting Sexual Harassment in the Industry

27:34 - Unearthing the Gender Gap: Getting On Venue Supplier Lists

35:16 - Marketing on a Shoestring: Visibility Strategies for New DJs

Mentioned in this episode:

Discover Venue AI for yourself

Looking to take your venue into the future? Why not take a look at Venue AI for yourself. Find out more or book a demo now.

Show notes:

This week, I'm chatting to Ade, a wedding MC and celebrant based in London and working worldwide, about exactly that. Ade has built a hugely successful wedding business, with 50 weddings this year, while continuing to work full time as a management consultant. His journey into the wedding industry was almost accidental, starting when friends asked him to MC their wedding in Athens. Five years later, he's worked on weddings around the world and has even been featured in publications including The New York Times and Vogue Weddings.

If you're currently juggling a wedding business alongside another job, wondering whether you're ready to go full time, or simply trying to figure out what makes your business different, I think you're going to get a lot from this episode.

New York Times article

Time stamps:

09:55 - Benefits to Couples: Guest Experience & Value

19:37 - Breaking Down 50 Weddings: Where Clients Come From

28:20 - When Time Becomes Precious: Balancing a 9-to-5 and a Wedding Business

40:00 - The Pipeline: When to Quit and Go Full-Time

51:52 - What I Wish I'd Known Sooner — Essential Business Advice

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about Venue AI

Ready to embrace AI in your wedding venue? Take some time to find out more about Venue AI or book a free demo.

Find out more about Venue AI

Show notes:

In this week's episode I'm chatting to wedding photographer Ollie Knight, who has been capturing weddings since 2011 and has photographed more than 400 couples.

Based in Canterbury, Ollie has built a photography business around a documentary, unscripted approach, capturing the real moments of a wedding day rather than creating lots of staged images. But photography is just one part of Ollie's life. Alongside his business, he makes time for his family, his faith, music and his work mentoring and educating other photographers through Framed.

One of my favourite parts of this conversation is our discussion around being niche. Ollie talks about how, in the early days, he sometimes compromised his documentary style because he wanted to attract more work. Looking back, he'd choose to double down on what makes his work different. And I couldn't agree more. You don't need everyone to love what you do. It's a brilliant reminder that your business doesn't have to consume every part of your life. You can build something successful while still making space for your family, your faith, your interests and the things that matter to you.

FramED Instagram

FramED website

Mentioned in this episode:

Discover Venue AI for yourself

Ready to take your Venue Team into the future? Take a look at what Venue AI has to offer, find out more or book a demo now.

Find out more about Venue AI

Show notes:

What is it really like to run a wedding venue in the middle of a wild animal park?

In this episode, I’m chatting to Stephanie Betts, Wedding & Event Sales Manager at Port Lympne Reserve in Kent, an award-winning wedding venue with a seriously unique USP. I was lucky enough to visit Port Lympne myself. From safari experiences and a stunning private orangery to exceptional customer service and a carefully curated recommended supplier list, there’s plenty that wedding businesses can learn from the way Port Lympne approaches its guest experience.

Time stamps:

00:12 - Introduction to Wedding Marketing

05:34 - The Uniqueness of Portland's Wedding Experience

21:51 - Adapting to Changing Wedding Trends

30:02 - The Rise of Intimate Weddings

45:53 - Understanding Supplier Relationships in Event Management

01:01:29 - The Importance of Customer Experience in Weddings

Mentioned in this episode:

Discover Venue AI for yourself

Looking to take your venue into the future? Why not take a look at Venue AI for yourself. Find out more or book a demo now.

Show notes:

Is AI killing your marketing? I’m not anti-AI, in fact, I use it every single day in my business! But I am starting to see more and more wedding businesses using AI in a way that is making their marketing sound exactly the same. In today’s episode, I’m talking about how to use AI without losing your personality, creativity and unique voice. I’ll be sharing some honesty checks to help you work out whether AI might be hurting your marketing, the difference between generative and agentic AI, and exactly how I’m using AI behind the scenes in my own business. Because AI should be your partner, not your replacement!

Download my AI worksheet

The AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions

Time stamps:

00:03 - The Problem with Wedding Marketing

01:23 - The Impact of AI on Marketing

12:51 - Understanding AI in Business: Generative vs. Agentic

22:43 - Using AI as a Thinking Partner

26:52 - Using AI to Enhance Creativity and Efficiency

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about Venue AI

Ready to embrace AI in your wedding venue? Take some time to find out more about Venue AI or book a free demo.

Find out more about Venue AI

Show notes:

This week I’m joined by Lee Clubb Sansom, CEO of Sarah Haywood’s luxury wedding and party planning business, to talk about what goes on behind the glamour of the industry. Lee has had a fascinating career, starting in retail at just 15 before working in premium brands including Ted Baker, AllSaints, Selfridges and Harrods. He then moved into the luxury floral world with McQueens Flowers before joining Sarah Haywood four years ago. Lee’s career journey has given him a brilliant perspective on what it takes to build and run a successful wedding business.

We get into the reality of working in luxury weddings, and it isn’t always quite as glamorous as Instagram makes it look! Lee shares why staying humble is so important, why your suppliers and event partners should be treated as clients too, and what separates the people who build long careers in the wedding industry from those who disappear after a few years.

Time stamps:

00:13 - Introduction to Becca Pountney

03:13 - Transitioning Careers in the Wedding Industry

15:40 - Transitioning to Employee Ownership

20:40 - Understanding the Reality of Event Planning

27:51 - Navigating Relationships in Event Planning

37:55 - Navigating Follow-Up Emails in Professional Relationships

52:32 - The Importance of Professionalism in Business

Mentioned in this episode:

Discover Venue AI for yourself

Ready to take your Venue Team into the future? Take a look at what Venue AI has to offer, find out more or book a demo now.

Find out more about Venue AI