In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with Caroline Brown and Julie Livingston, co-founders of EventDox, a concierge event medicine service designed for elevated weddings, private events, and high-touch celebrations where discretion and preparedness matter.

Julie, a seasoned wedding photographer, first noticed the gap after years of seeing guests, family members, brides, and grooms become sick or injured during events, sometimes leading to ambulances, missed moments, or family members stepping away to manage the situation. That experience sparked the question: why isn’t there a better way to handle medical needs without disrupting the event?

Caroline brings a background in healthcare, concierge medicine, and relationship-driven business, helping shape EventDox into what they describe as a hospitality company that does medicine, not the other way around. Their providers dress in event attire, blend into the environment, and understand the expectations of sophisticated private events.

The conversation explores the difference between traditional EMT coverage and concierge event medicine, including why nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians can offer a broader scope of care on site. Caroline and Julie explain what they bring to an event, from prescription medications and IVs to AEDs, EpiPens, Narcan, and wellness lounge support.

They also discuss the liability planners and hosts may not realize they are carrying, from handing out Advil to hiring a nurse friend or relying on a doctor who happens to be attending as a guest. EventDox operates as a medical practice with licensed providers, clinical oversight, and malpractice insurance, filling the space between a small injury and a full emergency response.

The episode also moves into a more personal conversation about reinvention, resilience, motherhood, postpartum anxiety, difficult life chapters, and what it means to build something meaningful while still being human. Caroline and Julie share how their own hard seasons shaped the way they show up as business owners and as women leading a new company.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What concierge event medicine actually means
• Why medical support is becoming a thoughtful layer of event hospitality
• The difference between EventDox and traditional EMT coverage
• How medical care can be integrated discreetly into weddings and private events
• The liability planners, venues, and hosts may not realize they are carrying
• Why relying on a guest who happens to be a doctor is not the same as having medical coverage
• Wellness lounges, IV support, and on-site medical care for guests and event teams
• Building a business from lived experience and industry need
• Motherhood, resilience, postpartum anxiety, and asking for help
• Why preparedness should feel like care, not fear

Guest Information

Guests: Caroline Brown and Julie Livingston
Company: EventDox
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @eventdox

Listen & Follow

• Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.
• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.
• Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.

In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with Bryan Rafanelli for a conversation about the kind of event work that lasts beyond a single night.
Bryan shares how he thinks about client relationships, not as one-time projects, but as long-term partnerships built through trust, care, and future-minded service. From wedding planning and private celebrations to corporate and nonprofit events, he talks about why the strongest businesses are built by staying close to clients, understanding who is in the room, and creating moments that feel personal without being performative.
Reagan and Bryan also talk about high-touch guest service, the pressure to stay relevant, why event innovation cannot only be visual, and how planners can advocate for the right decisions when the integrity of the guest experience is at stake. The conversation moves from business strategy to hospitality philosophy, with Bryan offering a generous, candid look at what has shaped his career after decades in the event industry.They also discuss:

•  Why a wedding can be the beginning of a lifelong client relationship 
•  How to make sure guests know who produced the event without awkward self-promotion 
•  The role of trust when discussing budgets, investments, and last-minute decisions 
•  Why planners should understand the character of the guest list 
•  How to approach VIPs with confidence and humanity 
•  Why diversifying your client portfolio can create a stronger business 
•  The difference between staying visible and staying truly relevant 
•  Why guest experience is still the real measure of a memorable event

Connect with Anja Winikka:
Instagram: @rafanellievents
Website:  rafanellievents.comListen & Follow

• Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.
• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.
• Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.

In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with Anja Winikka, founder and CEO of Freeda, a private membership network for leaders in the global events industry.
Anja has seen the wedding and event industry from nearly every angle. She spent more than a decade at The Knot, helped shape modern wedding media, co-founded Maroo, and now leads Freeda, where creative founders gather in curated peer groups for honest conversations, trusted relationships, and the kind of support that rarely happens in public.
This conversation looks at the difference between visibility and true influence, why follower count is no longer the strongest signal of credibility, and why discerning clients are paying closer attention to trust, referrals, and the rooms people are actually in.
Reagan and Anja also talk about the loneliness that can come with building a successful creative business, the pressure to appear booked and thriving, and what longevity really requires behind the scenes: emotional intelligence, operational maturity, financial clarity, boundaries, and relationships that can sustain you through different seasons of business and life.
This episode is for creative founders, planners, designers, photographers, and hospitality professionals who are asking bigger questions about growth, visibility, trust, and what kind of business they actually want to build.
Listen to the full episode for a candid conversation on influence, private networks, mature business ownership, and why the right room can change everything.In This EpisodeReagan and Anja discuss:

•  The shift from media-driven visibility to trust-based influence 
•  Why follower count does not equal credibility 
•  How high-end clients evaluate trust differently now 
•  What creative founders are craving behind the scenes 
•  Why Freeda was created for more honest peer conversations 
•  The difference between networking and belonging 
•  What longevity really looks like in the wedding and event industry 
•  Why emotional intelligence and operational maturity matter more than ever 
•  How the right relationships can shape both your business and your life

Connect with Anja Winikka:
Instagram: @joinfreeda
Website: https://www.joinfreeda.com/
Listen & Follow

• Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.
• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.
• Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.

What matters more now: being followed, or being found?
In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with Lauren Taylor, founder of LeFleur Society, a high-touch agency representing creators, celebrities, public figures, and entrepreneurs. Lauren’s path started in law, but her work now sits at the intersection of legal protection, brand strategy, creator representation, and business growth.
Together, Reagan and Lauren talk about what it really takes to build a brand that lasts. Not just one that looks good online, but one built with clarity, protection, credibility, and trust.
They dig into why follower count is losing its power, why authenticity has become harder to fake, and why creative entrepreneurs need to think more like business owners. Lauren also shares what brands are looking for now, how searchability and SEO are changing the way people discover businesses, and why the strongest founders are not waiting for the perfect moment to begin.In This Episode
Reagan and Lauren discuss:

•  Why follower count is becoming less important than credibility 
•  How creative entrepreneurs can better understand their own value 
•  What authenticity actually means now 
•  How sophisticated brands can show more realness without losing polish 
•  Why personal brand and business brand need to grow together 
•  The difference between viral content and lasting brand trust 
•  Why SEO, searchability, and platform strategy matter more than ever 
•  What creators may be giving away without realizing it 
•  Why entrepreneurs are beginning to replace traditional influencers 
•  How to build a brand ecosystem that extends beyond one platform 
•  Why imperfect timing is often the moment to move

Connect with Lauren Taylor:
Instagram: @lefleursociety / @laurentaylorattorney
Website: https://www.lefleursociety.com/
Listen & Follow

• Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.
• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.
• Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.

In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with photographer and licensed sommelier Alex Schon to talk about what “exceptional” really looks like when the weekend is high-stakes and the margin for error is basically nonexistent. They get into the difference between a vendor who creates pretty work and a partner who protects the entire experience. The throughline is simple: the best people on your team add calm, not questions.
Alex shares how an aerospace engineering background wired him to think in systems, contingencies, and cause-and-effect. One small delay doesn’t stay small. It cascades. That’s why his standard is “zero management.” He shows up already briefed, already prepared, already watching the room, already solving what most people don’t notice until it’s too late.
They also talk about the “one-inch rule” and why tiny details matter more than anyone wants to admit. Because photography is the permanent record. It becomes the proof of the weekend. One crooked chair or messy corner in a frame can quietly undermine the credibility of a multi-layered production. Not because clients are picky, but because the images are forever.Along the way, Reagan and Alex get candid about trust, pricing, and the post-COVID market. Alex makes a point every vendor needs to hear: pricing isn’t just math. It’s integrity. If you feel opportunistic or inconsistent, the people who refer you will notice first.In this episode, we cover:

•  What “zero management” actually means on a wedding weekend
•  Why obsessive hospitality is the real flex, not performative service
•  How an engineering brain changes the way you plan and shoot
•  The one-inch rule and how small details can weaken the entire story
•  Why photography is the final filter, not the main character
•  How to build calm through preparation, not personality
•  Pricing, trust, and why the market always corrects inflated value
•  The difference between anxiety and care, and why clients feel it
•  Alex’s sommelier lens on guiding experiences without showing off
•  His closing line that says everything: if you’re a project, you’re not a partner

Key moments (timestamps)
 00:00 Intro and why this conversation matters for planners and vendor teams
 03:40 Alex’s background and how engineering shaped his planning brain
 08:55 What “zero management” looks like in real time
 13:20 Obsessive hospitality and the Mary Poppins bag mentality
 18:45 The cascade effect: how one delay becomes the whole day
 24:10 The one-inch rule and why details affect credibility in photos
 31:30 Photography as the permanent record: proof, not performance
 38:05 Pricing, integrity, and what breaks trust fastest
 46:15 Sommelier mindset and guiding people through experience
 52:30 Closing takeaway: partnership over performanceConnect with Alex:
 Instagram: @alexschon
Website: www.alexschon.comListen & Follow

• Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.
• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.
• Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.

In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with her Italy-based partner, Laura Somma, to talk about what “high-touch” really looks like when the guest list includes celebrities, royals, and families who do not tolerate chaos. They start with the practical magic of a cross-time-zone partnership, then trace Laura’s path from studying German literature to building a career defined by precision, discretion, and calm execution. 
Laura shares the behind-the-scenes stories that shaped her standards, including producing a paparazzi-proof private island birthday for Naomi Campbell in Positano and how a chance conversation in Doha led to working inside the orbit of the royal family of Qatar. Along the way, she makes a point planners need to hear: the most powerful thing you can bring into a room full of “yes people” is a steady voice that tells the truth. 
They also dig into what sophisticated clients actually crave when they can already access everything: authenticity, simplicity, and experiences rooted in place. Laura explains why she builds a “bridge” in design across cultures, why a local performance is often the most unforgettable anchor of a destination celebration, and how The Wedding Prive was created to solve the real complexity of multi-destination weddings with senior planners leading each chapter. In this episode, we cover:

• Why a US + Italy planning partnership eliminates lag, follow-ups, and lost days
• How German literature (and German work habits) shaped Laura’s planning brain
• The first wedding she ever produced, and why she asked two questions first
• What discretion looks like when paparazzi are actively trying to get in
• The real reason top-tier clients choose “simple” food and simple moments
• How to read a culture fast (and why you should stop relying on other people’s opinions)
• Laura’s non-negotiable for guest experience: a performance that belongs to the place
• What The Wedding Prive is, and why multi-destination weddings are the next frontier
• Laura’s closing advice to planners: trust your gut and lead the conversation 

Key moments (timestamps)

• 00:52 Laura’s background and why Reagan trusts her as an Italy partner
• 04:24 German literature, Goethe, and the pivot into events
• 10:35 Her first wedding came from a corporate guest, and she never “sold” planning
• 14:55 The private island birthday story and what discretion actually requires
• 20:07 The Doha connection that opened the door to royal work
• 29:36 How Laura learns a new culture: sit, watch, listen, decide for yourself
• 33:58 Her guest-experience non-negotiable: local performance over predictable extras
• 36:24 The Wedding Prive and the operational reality of multi-destination weddings
• 48:52 Final advice: trust your gut, stop people-pleasing, lead the room

Connect with Laura:

• Instagram: @theweddingprive, @ellessevents
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: The Wedding Prive

Listen & Follow

• Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.
• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.
• Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.

In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with Lynn Easton, founder of Easton Events, for a candid conversation about what actually separates “pretty” from powerful in high-stakes event work.

Lynn shares how she built a brand people recognize before they even read the caption, why language is one of a planner’s most underrated tools, and the real reason budgets must get handled early (not “once we see what things cost”). They also get into the systems behind calm execution, including the story that led Lynn to build her timeline and budget infrastructure and eventually turn it into eventPERCH. 

In this episode, we cover:

• Why “ma’am” and “sir” can shrink your authority when you’re the one responsible for the call
• Branding as behavior, not visuals: what makes a brand feel consistent in the room and in the inbox
• The budgeting conversation planners avoid, and why avoiding it makes you the villain later
• What Instagram is actually good for (and what it should never replace)
• The moment a single timeline mistake changed how Lynn built her systems forever
• Why Lynn chose to share her proprietary workflow with the industry through eventPERCH 
• A real take on growth: more people, better structure, and protecting the work from burnout

About Lynn Easton:
Lynn is the founder of Easton Events and Easton Education, known for producing sophisticated, high-touch celebrations with serious operational discipline behind the scenes.
Connect with Lynn:

• Easton Events on Instagram: @eastonevents 
• Easton Education on Instagram: @eastoneducation 
• eventPERCH: eventPERCH (event planning software built from Easton’s internal systems) 

Listen & Follow

• Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.
• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.
• Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.

In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with Calder Clark for a candid conversation about what it really takes to produce beautiful events without losing the plot. This one is equal parts creative process and hard-earned perspective. The kind you only get after years of doing the work, living through the curveballs, and learning when to hold the line.
Calder shares how she thinks about value, how she navigates client expectations (especially when the vision is larger than the budget), and why the best planners are the ones who can protect the experience while staying calm and direct. They also dig into what fuels Calder’s design process, how she stays inspired without living on social media, and why getting copied is not the crisis people make it out to be.
It’s smart, grounded, and full of the kind of real-world advice that helps you refine how you sell, design, communicate, and lead.In this episode, we cover:

• Why “value” is the real conversation, not price
• How to handle the expectation gap when budgets don’t match the vision
• Why you need the bill payer involved early (and how it changes everything)
• The difference between planning, designing, and producing - and why clients confuse it
• Boundaries that still feel high-touch and responsive
• How Calder stays inspired without chasing the scroll
• What her actual design process looks like (sources, references, and how she builds a point of view)
• Why being copied is not the threat people think it is
• When “pretty” becomes standard, and how to keep your work intentional
• The mindset shift that makes you easier to work with - and better at the job

Guest Spotlight
Calder Clark is a Charleston-based planner and designer known for her editorial eye, confident point of view, and ability to balance beauty with real-world execution. She brings a rare combination of creative clarity and business candor - the kind that elevates the final product and protects the client experience at every step.
Listen & Follow

• Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.
• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.
• Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.

In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with Jessica Connolly, co-founder and creative director of Social Supply Design, for a wide-ranging conversation on what it actually takes to build meaningful experiences at scale.

Jessica shares her unconventional path from government work to wedding planning to running a multimillion-dollar experiential design and build studio. Together, Reagan and Jessica unpack why design without function is just decoration, how emotion and execution must work together, and what happens when creatives stop designing for Instagram and start designing for people.

This conversation goes deep into the realities of entrepreneurship, scaling a labor-intensive business, hiring with intention, and navigating creativity, leadership, and ADHD in a high-pressure industry. It’s honest, grounded, and filled with insight for anyone building something that matters.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why design without function fails the guest experience
• The difference between decoration and design that performs
• Taking real risks and going all in on your business
• How divorce, alignment, and life shifts can clarify your work
• Scaling a creative business when every project is a one-off
• Bringing production in-house to protect quality and execution
• Designing spaces around human behavior and emotional flow
• Hiring for humility, hunger, and honesty
• Why trends fade but nostalgia and intention endure
• What’s overdone in event design and what’s being overlooked

Guest Spotlight
Jessica Connolly is the co-founder and creative director of Social Supply Design, an experiential design and production studio known for immersive, interior-grade builds for events, brands, and venues nationwide. Her work sits at the intersection of architecture, emotional storytelling, and execution at scale.Connect with Jessica
Instagram: @socialsupplydesign
Website: socialsupplydesign.com
Listen & Follow

• Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.
• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.
• Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.

There’s a shift happening in weddings today — one grounded in clarity, meaning, and a more discerning approach to design, storytelling, and guest experience. In this episode, Reagan sits down with Sarah Schreiber, former Associate Editorial Director of Brides and Martha Stewart Weddings, to explore the evolving expectations of modern couples and the direction our industry is undeniably moving toward.
With over a decade shaping the editorial lens of two of the most influential wedding publications, Sarah brings an invaluable perspective on trend forecasting, the rise of authenticity, the role of social content, and the realities of pricing in a culture that often misunderstands the scale of a celebration. Today, she consults with luxury creatives on brand positioning, website curation, copy, and digital strategy — work informed by thousands of weddings she has reviewed, refined, and uplifted.Together, we explore:

• Why the Pantone Color of the Year sparked industry-wide debate
• How trends actually emerge in today’s landscape
• The rise of deconstructed timelines and guest-first design
• What couples want to see from vendors before they ever inquire
• The declining influence of traditional wedding publications
• The importance of transparency in pricing and value
• How authenticity shapes both online presence and event design
• Sarah’s unexpected career pivot and what reinvention can look like

This conversation is honest, grounded, and deeply relevant for anyone navigating weddings at a high level — whether as a planner, designer, photographer, or a couple seeking a celebration rooted in intention and meaning.
Connect with Sarah:
Instagram: @sar_schreiber
TikTok: @sar_schreiberWant more behind-the-scenes stories, trends, and inspiration?

• Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.
• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.
• Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.