The Wedding Biz - Behind The Scenes Of The Wedding Business

"Our industry will come back in a really good way." Andy welcomes Tara Guerard back to the show. Listen as they discuss the events she's designed since the pandemic and how they kept everyone safe. Tara also speaks about what she had done to keep busy and how guests will have to show proof of vaccination before they are allowed at her 2021 events, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.   Tara is the owner of the event planning company called Tara Guerard Soiree, a full-service event planning and design company headquartered in Charleston, SC, with a second office in New York City. Tara has been in several prestigious wedding publications and published two best-selling books, Southern Weddings and Weddings. She has partnered with the luxury eco-friendly Letterpress Studio as well.   Listen as Tara speaks about how her business is structured for sustainability with very little overhead and property investing instead of leasing. Tara talks about how she has her pricing set up and says that she has ra

Andy has the funny and forthcoming Ron Ben-Israel on the show today. Listen as they discuss the second season for his new show, The Big Bake, and his new venture called RBI Treats. We also talk about how the pandemic has impacted both his business and personal life, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.   Ron is the Founder of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes. In addition to creating stunning and delectable cakes, he hosted the cooking competition TV show Sweet Genius from 2011 to 2013, and was a judge on Food Network's Cake Wars. He now has a new television show called The Big Bake on Food Network, Canada.   Listen, as Ron discusses how the pandemic has affected his business and how he has kept himself busy and continued to create. Ron talks about his Instagram (IGTV) show  called Cake Talk and how he believes it helped him exercise his creativity and get back to work. Ron also shares about his television show, the Big Bake, and talks about the judges who are on the show with him.   Have you always wanted t

Today, Andy's guest is Nikki Khan, the Founder of Exquisite Events, specializing in South Asian weddings out of Los Angeles and working worldwide. Listen as Nikki shares how meditation helps her stay grounded, how the pandemic has changed her perspective on time spent with family and the way they enjoy each other's company, and to never take things for granted, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz. Nikki shares how she spends her days now versus how they were spent before the pandemic, the walks she takes, and how she spends time noticing the beauty of nature. Nikki also talks about the fun she had planning micro weddings for her two youngest sons, the joy she felt watching her grandkids on the dance floor, and how she took time to appreciate each moment with family.  Nikki believes that smaller, more intimate weddings will be the focus in 2021, but she hopes that by 2022 the larger events will be back in full force. The weddings may be smaller, but Nikki shared she will not slash her prices. The

Ceci Johnson is recognized as the founder of couture invitation design and her design studio, Ceci New York, having worked in over 40 countries, is globally renowned as the leader in luxury invitation design.  Her client list reads like a who’s who of A-list celebrities, royalty, international sports stars, fashion icons, dignitaries and global luxury brands.  As a celebrated artist her paintings hang in private collections worldwide. Ceci’s fashion-forward style and sophisticated aesthetic have lead her to be named by Tory Burch as a “Woman to Watch”, and called by Anna Wintour of Vogue magazine “a favorite designer”. Her work has appeared in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, The New York Times, USA Today, InStyle, W Magazine, Town & Country and many more too numerous to mention.   Listen as Ceci shares what she has been doing to stay creative during the slowdown, how she has kept busy expanding her company to include a Palm Beach presence, how she is creating the lifestyle brand she has always dreamed of and how

Andy welcomes Valerie Gernhauser back to The Next Level. Valerie is the Owner, Planner, and Designer with Sapphire Events working worldwide out of New Orleans. Listen as they discuss Matthew Myhrum's definition of what he does and the events Valerie has worked on with Matthew, plus much more.   Matthew is the Founder of Matthew Myhrum Event Visualization, where they provide concept renderings, design drawings, and production design services for event professionals. Matthew shares that they essentially communicate design not only for his clients who are event planners and designers but also to be able to sell their concepts to their clients more effectively and help them with their design process in telling a story.   Listen, as Valerie shares that for her, design isn't just decor; it involves constant innovation, and hiring Matthew allows her to show her clients exactly what the design will look like. Valerie tells a story of a wedding she worked on with Matthew to create a 360-degree presentation with a virt

"Design is about making things either work properly or better and to bring purpose and direction to chaos." Listen as Andy and his guest Matthew Myhrum discuss his company, what they do, and how he got interested in creative visualization. Matthew also speaks about his background in set and video design for theater and working with Preston Bailey, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.   Matthew is the Founder of Matthew Myhrum Event Visualization, where they provide concept renderings, design drawings, and production design services for event professionals. Matthew shares that they essentially communicate design not only for his clients who are event planners and designers but also to be able to sell their concepts to their clients more effectively and help them with their design process in telling a story.   Listen, as Matthew, his process from the first meeting with the designer to the actual event, and the benefit designers get from hiring him to do renderings of the events. Matthew believes t

Andy welcomes Sean Low back to the show. Sean is the owner of the consulting firm The Business of Being Creative, which focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. He also has a podcast on The Wedding Biz Network called The Business of Being Creative. Listen as they discuss Marianne Bennett, the Founder and CEO of Element Music, a highly successful music and entertainment company in the event industry out of New York City. Sean speaks about Marianne's understanding of the difference between “custom” and “personal,” her storytelling abilities, and how she takes a client's story and gives it back after adding her vision. Sean loves the fact that Marianne states that it isn't just about enjoying the entertainment; it's about the experience. Marianne believes that you have to be creative with your company's business side, and Sean agrees 100% with her view on combining the business and creative aspects to keep the company balanced. Marianne says you can love business and stil

"I love creating an amazing soundtrack for a ceremony." Listen as Andy and his guest Marianne Bennett, the Founder, and CEO of Element Music, a very successful music and entertainment company in the event industry out of New York City, discusses why she believes that music should be scored to tell a story, how someone at the top of the industry handles her business and brings creativity to what she does plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.   Marianne shares how she gets to know her clients and discovers the music that makes them feel something. She says that knowing a client's favorite songs isn't enough; you need to know how they want to feel during the event. Marianne also takes us through her interview process when she meets clients for the first time to determine their relationship with music.   Listen, as Marianne discusses why she believes that music should score a ceremony, as well as other segments of the celebration, and tell the story of the couple at their wedding. The decor, along wi

Andy is excited for this special episode with floral and event designer Preston Bailey. Listen as they discuss how Preston is handling the pandemic both personally and professionally, what he's learned about himself, and how he's using the slow down to further his path both personally and in the industry. Preston also has a big announcement he is sharing with us, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.   Preston shares how he is handling the pandemic and what he has learned during 2020. Preston discusses how he thinks the event industry will change once the pandemic has been eradicated. He believes that event professionals will need to become better salespeople because consumers will want more value for their money.   Preston is hosting his own podcast called Stop and Smell the Roses! Listen as he shares why this is a dream come true and the content listeners can expect to hear. Preston also speaks about his segment called Dear Preston, where he will answer listeners' questions live on air. His pod

Are you ready for something a little different? Andy is being interviewed by his good friend Jennifer Stein, the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Destination I Do Magazine. Listen, as Andy gets a little personal and allows us to see a side of him that maybe we've never seen before as they discuss the craziness that was the year 2020, what he wants to change in the future and the plans he has for 2021 all on this episode of The Wedding Biz.   Andy shares how the pandemic has affected his life professionally in both negative and positive ways. He talks about the biggest thing he has learned during 2020, launching The Wedding Biz Network, a new podcast he launched called The Music Makers, and some exciting things that will be announced on The Next Level on Wednesday, January 6th.    Congratulations, Andy, on your New Year's Eve engagement! Listen as he shares the amazing things that have happened in his personal life since the quarantine at home orders and how this last year has changed his outlook on life both

On today’s show we hear from Ines and Veronica of Ines Di Santo, a bridal and evening gown couture dress designer. We learn how Ines grew up with the deep creative passion to having her business now.     Show Highlights: Where the passion got ignited Ines tells her incredible and unique story about growing up including her traumatic move from Buenos Aires to Toronto Ines’s biggest dream in her life was to have a daughter and she is the passion of Ines’s life Ines first wedding dress she made and how she obtained her first sewing machine How Ines convinced a bank for a loan for her first fashion show Veronica growing up in the industry with her mother Veronica’s passion first being in film before it became couture gowns What Veronica’s roll evolved from, was when she started helping her mother, to what it is now How Ines got the exclusive on materials How Ines got distribution Weddings gowns are memories The importance of choosing a gown for your personality Some details on the technique of designing the dres

"If you see an opportunity, even if you don't succeed, it's a learning process. There is no such thing as failure." Listen as Andy and his guest Tony Crespo discuss him being a drummer for a Salsa band for fourteen years, his grandfather growing roses in Ecuador, and how that shaped what he does today, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.   Tony is the Co-Founder of FMI Farms, a national floral wholesaler that innovatively offers a web-based marketplace for florists and event planners. They exclusively carry luxury quality that either ship farm direct or they offer a repacking service out of their facility in Miami, Florida. FMI Farms website has over 20,000 line items of flowers from all over the world, including other distributors in Miami and for next day delivery.   Tony shares how the values that his father and grandfather instilled in him have directed his path, how his definition of success has changed over the years, and his journey to being a distributor for other growers. Tony discusse

Andy welcomes Carrie Goldberg back to The Next Level. Carrie is the Digital Travel & Weddings Editor at Harpers Bazaar, where she oversees all things bridal, weddings, and travel for HarpersBazaar.com. Listen as they discuss how who has the most input in weddings has changed, why Alex doesn't advertise and how he maintains his client's privacy by taking people's phones at high-profile events, plus much more.   Alex is the Managing Director of Fait Accompli out of London, which organizes, plans and designs spectacular events worldwide from A-list to Royal weddings. He is also responsible for the wedding celebration of Ellie Goulding and weddings for the Royal family, including Prince William and Katherine the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry and Megan the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.    Listen as Carrie speaks about the weddings Alex designs, the glamping wedding he planned on the grounds of a medieval castle, and how his discretion has earned him the high-profile weddings others seek. They d

"Our interests are totally aligned with our clients, to make sure their wedding is the best it can possibly be." Listen as Andy and his guest Alex Fitzgibbon discuss how he got involved in the event industry, his journey to Fait Accompli, why he feels his work there is about finding and expressing the life and soul of weddings he orchestrates, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.   Alex is the Managing Director of Fait Accompli out of London, which organizes plans and designs spectacular events worldwide for A-list clients and Royal weddings. He orchestrated one of Vogue's top listed weddings of 2019, and was also responsible for the wedding celebration of Ellie Goulding and weddings for the Royal family, including Prince William and Katherine the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry and Megan the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.    Alex discusses his understanding of what a client wants and how he finds his inspiration when planning the event. Alex shares a story of one of his favorite we

Andy welcomes Jennifer Stein back to The Next Level. Jennifer is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Destination I Do Magazine, which can be found at newsstands in all fifty states and twelve countries. She also publishes a daily blog, consults, custom publishes, and has a podcast called CONFETTI.   Majeda Bisharat and Sewar of MY Event Design, based in Jordan, cover events across the Middle East and Europe. MY Event Design is a full-fledged luxury event design, planning, and management company that has designed and planned events for influential figures in various industries and members of the Royal family.   Jennifer discusses the natural gifts that she believes people in the event industry are blessed with, how Majeda gets her inspiration from everywhere, and how great it is that Majeda and Sewar have a multigenerational approach to events that have served them well. Jennifer also talks about what Majeda said about Sewar’s engagement party.   Listen as Jennifer shares how vulnerable and upfront Majeda wa

"Majeda's vision has no boundaries, so why should we as a company?" Listen as Andy and his guests Majeda & Sewar Bisharat with MY Event Design, based in Amman Jordan and working all over the world, discuss Majeda's passion for fashion and the transition to event design and how Sewar wanted to get experience in the corporate world before she joined her mother's company plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.   MY Event Design is a full-fledged luxury event design, planning, and management company founded by Majeda Bisharat and her two daughters Maysam and Sewar, covering events across the Middle East and Europe. In addition to weddings, engagements, corporate events, and other special events, MY event design has designed and planned events for influential figures in various industries and members of the Royal family.   Listen as Majeda and Sewar discuss why they feel they are a strong team, their roles in the company, and their process from start to finish with their clients. Majeda shares a sto

Andy's guest co-host today is Julie Savage. Julie is the Founder and Creative Director of Strawberry Milk Events, who has planned and designed celebrations worldwide.  Listen as they discuss how impressive it was that Caleb launched his business at 16 and filmed 40 weddings his first year, and his insights into developing relationships with his creative partners, plus much more on this episode of The Next Level.   Caleb is a brilliant filmmaker and the owner of East West Production, a full-service event filmmaking company with award-winning coverage. Caleb's work has been showcased in publications such as People's Magazine, particularly for shooting Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra's wedding. He has also been featured in Vogue, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides Magazine, and Harpers Bazaar named Caleb as one of the world's top filmmakers.   Julie discusses how she matches her clients with creative partners like Caleb, the process they go through from there, and how it's a learning curve to know that you are not t

"I resonate with the client that wants to make you a part of their family throughout the wedding weekend." Listen as Andy and his guest Caleb Jordan Lee discuss his early passion for travel and filmmaking, Caleb starting his LLC at sixteen and why he decided to film weddings, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.   Caleb is a brilliant filmmaker and the owner of East West Production, a full-service event filmmaking company with award-winning coverage. Caleb's work has been showcased in publications such as People's Magazine, particularly for shooting Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra's wedding. He has also been featured in Vogue, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides Magazine, and Harpers Bazaar named Caleb as one of the world's top filmmakers.   Caleb speaks about his first year in business and how his sister's wedding was the catalyst for his business boom. Caleb speaks about how important he feels relationships are, with the creative partners and planners, and how he works with the planners to create t

Andy's guest co-host today is Jennifer Stein, the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Destination I Do Magazine, which can be found in newsstands in all 50 states and 12 countries. She also has a wonderful daily online blog, consults, and custom publishes. Listen as they discuss Morgan's view on elopement weddings, smaller events, and whether that trend will continue going forward, plus much more on this episode of The Next Level.   Morgan first began by founding Moana Events and Belle Destination Events and then created another element by adding Modern Elopement, for which she is the CEO and Creative Director. Morgan has been called the elopement expert by Destination I Do Magazine and is a planner who started in the elopement brand back in 2015 when she saw a trend for smaller weddings happening, and with COVID, the concept has exploded.   Listen as Jennifer discusses working with Morgan and the spread they did for Destination I Do Magazine. Jennifer talks about Morgan shifting her business to serve those nee

"It isn't about creating a less than wedding; it's just about a different format." Listen as Andy and his guest Morgan Childs discuss her growing up in Kauai, how she got into the event industry, and how to make it through the pandemic and beyond, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz. Morgan first began by founding Moana Events and Bella Destination Events and then created another element by adding Modern Elopement, for which she is the CEO and Creative Director. Morgan has been called the elopement expert by Destination I Do Magazine and is a planner who started in the elopement brand back in 2015 when she saw a trend for smaller weddings happening, and with COVID, the concept has exploded. Morgan shares when she started seeing the trend for smaller weddings even before the pandemic, why her clients find them more attractive, and the difference between all the different terms of smaller weddings like micro and tiny weddings. She also speaks about where the focus is on the elopement weddings her