The Wedding Biz - Behind The Scenes Of The Wedding Business

The Next Level welcomes back Carrie Goldberg. Carrie is the Travel and Wedding Director at Harpers Bazaar. She oversees all things, weddings, and travel for Bazaar.com. Carrie is also responsible for content strategy and visuals for Bazaar's digital travel and wedding verticals, and editor of Bazaar's new program called Bazaar Brides. Micaela is a celebrity stylist based out of New York City and Los Angeles and is the best selling author of the book, How to Accessorize: A Perfect Finish to Every Outfit. Micaela was named one of the most influential stylists by the Hollywood Reporter and has styled Constance Wu, Lupita Nyong'o, Jennifer Hudson, Hilary Swank, Blake Lively, and many more. She recently styled Amanda Hearst for one of the most talked-about weddings of 2019.  Carrie discusses Micaela's idea to have a backup dress and an emergency kit at events, the fact taht what can go wrong will go wrong, and so you always need to be prepared. Also, how important it is to manager your client's expectations, and b

Andy is speaking with Micaela Erlanger on this episode of The Wedding Biz. Micaela is a celebrity stylist based out of New York City and Los Angeles and was named one of the most influential stylists by the Hollywood Reporter and has sustained that title for five years. Micaela has been honored with the Style Influencer Award by the Accessories Council, and she is also the Marie Claire Image Maker Award winner. She has styled numerous celebrities like Constance Wu, Lupita Nyong’o, and Jennifer Hudson to name a few, and she recently styled Amanda Hearst for one of the most talked-about weddings of 2019. She is also the best selling author of the book, How to Accessorize: A Perfect Finish to Every Outfit. Micaela tells us about growing up and her passion for putting together outfits to wear to school, dressing up her baby sister, and styling girls for prom. She went to college for pre-med before she decided that it wasn’t for her and changed her major to design and management. She intended to be a fashion edito

The Next Level welcomes back Sean Low. Sean’s company, The Business of Being Creative, focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. His client list includes the whos who of the wedding industry and design community. Robert is the owner of Washington Talent, the iconic entertainment company out of the Washington, DC area. Robert is passionate about what he does and is in it to bring joy not only to his clients but also to his industry partners. Andy and Sean discuss how Robert expanded his company by adding services designed to make Washington Talent a place where you get everything you need for an event. They talk about his ability to be flexible and professional with the planners, which makes the events less stressful for them.  Did you hear that Robert and Andy are partnering up on Kushner Entertainment? Listen as Sean talks about all the positive things that are in store for these powerhouses of the music and events industry as they combine their forces and form a mega

In this episode of The Wedding Biz, Andy is speaking with Robert Sherman. Robert is the owner of Washington Talent, the iconic entertainment company out of the Washington, DC area. He and his partner purchased the company over twenty years ago and have transformed it, taking it to a whole other level. Robert is passionate about what he does and is in it to bring joy not only to his clients but also to his industry partners. Robert graduated from college with an accounting degree but later decided he wanted to go to law school, during that time he also played drums with his band Onyx. The group was doing well so they hired Washington Talent to book gigs for them. He later worked with them as their in-house counsel. At a time when DJs were all the rage, their band was creating moments for clients and interacting with both kids and adults at events. Robert began building new bands in the '90s and, over the years, became good friends with the owners.  When they decided to sell, he bought the company and now they

Jennifer Stein, welcome back to The Next Level! Jennifer is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Destination I Do Magazine, which is found at newsstands in all fifty states and twelve counties. She also publishes a daily blog, consults, and custom publishes. Joe Goldblatt is a true pioneer of the event industry; he owned The Wonder Company for over 20 years before selling it. He has written, edited, or co-authored 38 books, including the first textbook in the event industry. Joe has taught over 10,000 students in his teaching career and founded ISES, now known as ILEA. He also created the CSEP program and started event management studies at universities. Have you examined your expenses lately? Listen in as Andy and Jennifer talk about Joe’s insight on staying lean, keeping costs down even when your business is flourishing. You don’t want to miss this strategy session, so schedule some alone time for you, relax and enjoy!   Show Highlights: [01:44] Jennifer, welcome back to the show! [03:08] Jennifer speaks

The Wedding Biz welcomes Joe Goldblatt to the show. Joe is a true pioneer and icon of the event industry; he owned The Wonder Company for over 20 years before selling it. He has written, edited, or co-authored 38 books, including the first textbook in the event industry. He founded ISES, the International Special Events Society that is now known as ILEA, the International Live Events Association, and created the CSEP Program, Certified Special Events Professional. And as a teacher, Joe taught over 10,000 students. Joe believes that we need to spend time working on our businesses as well as working in our businesses. And do you thoroughly research and evaluate your projects? Joe tells us that these two go hand in hand and are critical when planning exceptional events. He speaks to us about the organization he created and the reason he believes that events have a logical connection to fields like anthropology, theology, sociology, and technology. He also tells us how we can approach the fear of economic health.

The Next Level welcomes Kiana Underwood! Kiana is the founder of Tulipina, an internationally renowned floral design studio that specializes in creating incredible experiences for luxury weddings and events. She is the author of the book, Color Me Floral, which covers the secrets of designing showstopping monochromatic arrangements for each season. Her work can be seen in numerous publications and she has sold out workshops all over the world. Rachel is a wonderful planner and designer from The Lake Como Wedding Planner based in Como, Italy. She not only works with clients directly but also has the pleasure of, as she says, morphing into the local team for many foreign companies such as planners in the states like Lisa Vorce on Chrissy Tegan and John Legend’s wedding and many others. Kiana and Rachel share many of the same views about making quick decisions before you can talk yourself out of them, having a clean slate when working with a client so that the design is unique, and the need to see the client's r

Andy welcomes Rachel Birthistle to The Wedding Biz. Rachel is the Owner and CEO of The Lake Como Wedding Planner based in Como, Italy. In addition to her own events, she has worked with people like Lisa Vorce on Chrissy Tegan and John Legends wedding and many others. She says she is predominately a wedding planner in a destination rather than a destination wedding planner. Rachel's father was in the fashion industry, and from a young age, she worked in his factory doing tasks like snipping thread and packing items. She found the place fascinating and knew that being in the fashion industry was where she wanted to be. She started making her own clothes in school even though her friends thought her fashion style was a little out there! Rachel discusses going to design college, finding a job with a large retailer in London, traveling all over the world, and her decision to stay home. She speaks about going back to college for sports therapy and starting a clinic in her home. Her life took twists and turns but ev

Andy has Julie Novack as his guest co-host today on The Next Level. Julie is the CEO and Co-Founder of PartySlate. PartySlate is a photo-rich website where leading event professionals share their work, build their brand, and drive leads. Le Reve Films is the brainchild of Lindsey and Cherish Conklin. This husband and wife team is known for their work on the Engage 19 Baha Mar Conference as well as their work with other discerning clients. To them, cinematography is building a relationship with clients and telling their stories in the most effective way possible.  Andy and Julie discuss Lindsey and Cherish’s unique way of following up with people they meet at networking events. Their ability to market themselves and their business with Instagram stories that are authentic and moving and the way they take these Instagram links and share them with creative partners. The trick to standing out with potential clients, when you know they have many options, is to send an introduction video with your proposal. Do you

Lindsey and Cherish Conklin, who make up the team of Le Reve Films, are Andy’s guests on this episode of The Wedding Biz. This duo is known for their work on the Engage 19 Baha Mar summit and other discerning clients. Cinematography to them is building a relationship with clients and telling their stories through film. They are brilliant at capturing the emotion of events in the most engaging ways. Lindsey started taking multimedia classes in high school and shooting video wherever he could. He quickly found that if you used video in school projects, you were pretty much guaranteed a good grade. Cherish, on the other hand, took control of the family video camera at a young age. She says that if it weren’t for her, they wouldn’t have any home videos. They have been friends since they were three, but it took until the last few years of high school for Lindsey to get out of the friend zone with Cherish, and they have been together ever since. The leap from a steady job and guaranteed income to building their own

In this episode of The Next Level, Andy is with Jennifer Stein. Jennifer is the Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of Destination I Do Magazine. She publishes a daily blog and also consults, and custom publishes. Andy and Jennifer discuss Audrey's moxy in starting her business before learning the trade and how testing is a great way to make sure your business is viable. They also speak about Audrey's authenticity and vulnerability and that she isn't afraid to put it all out there because she wants potential clients to be able to connect with her in a real way. Have you ever had a meet up with clients when you are traveling? Listen to Andy and Jennifer talk about Audrey doing just that. She posts where she is going to be, so if a potential client or vendor wants to meet up with her in their area, they can get together.  Listen in to this deep dive into some key points of Audrey's interview. Jennifer speaks about Audrey's ability to market herself by listening to what people want, how she connects with people by ta

Audrey Neracoulis, Welcome to The Wedding Biz! Audrey is a film photographer based in Paris and is known for her unmistakable fashion house inspired aesthetic, and unique and sophisticated work. She also brilliantly utilizes social media, especially Instagram, in ways that will surprise you. Audrey has a master’s degree in marketing and dreamt of being surrounded by, and working with, a wonderful team. When faced with the reality that a first job working for a corporation meant sitting alone in a cubicle, she decided it wasn’t for her. She chose to pick up a camera, tell stories visually with pictures and become a photographer, even though she had never taken a picture before.  Is the hardest part of your business attracting new clients? Listen, as Audrey describes what she did when she started out and what she does today to attract clients. She says you have to have a strong brand and make personal connections with your clients. Audrey is sharing her life with pictures on Instagram believing that letting pot

Andy welcomes Sean Low to this episode of The Next Level! Sean is the Founder and President of The Business of Being Creative LLC, which focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. His client list includes the elite of the wedding industry and the design community. Vanessa is the Owner and Creative Director of Two Paper Dolls, a pioneering custom design house that feeds the desire for customization across all aspects of the wedding industry. TPD Design House services clients in the art of branding, website and logo development, and invitation design around the world. Andy and Sean discuss Vanessa's conviction to her start her own company, about being a risk-taker and her need to succeed even though there were bumps along the way. Sean talks about her being a culture specialist, and she understands that it's not about telling the story to everyone. It's about telling the story to those who care, knowing that the culture drives the story, not the other way around. Listen in

The Wedding Biz is excited to have Vanessa Kreckel on the show. Vanessa is the Owner and Creative Director of Two Paper Dolls, a pioneering custom design house that foreshadowed the desire for customization across all aspects of the wedding industry. She has been named in design publications including PRINT, and Communications Arts as well as BRIDES Magazine and Martha Stewart Weddings. TPD Design House services clients in the art of branding, website design and development, and invitation design around the world. Vanessa has always loved being creative, which is why she studied art at Moore College of Art and Design and learned how to be a graphic artist. She started her company with one employee and used printing presses, and somehow found a niche with her customized stationery and invitations.  Who are your ideal clients? What is the voice of your company? These are some of the questions Vanessa asks when helping someone develop their brand. Branding is an essential ingredient in making your business succe

The Next Level welcomes Laurie Arons to the show! Laurie has been mentioned in numerous magazine publications and was listed in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, and Martha Stewart Weddings as one of the top planners worldwide. Her clients include trendsetters like Sofia Coppola, Vanessa Getty, and Christy Turlington, to name a few. Laurie has also created and runs a very successful Wedding Planner Masterclass in March of each year and just announced that for March 2020, it will be at the stunning Brush Creek Ranch in Wyoming. Greg Finck is a brilliant photographer based in Paris. Greg was an executive for ten years with Proctor and Gamble and, at first, was doing wedding photography on the side as a hobby. Five years ago, he started shooting weddings full-time and is already handling major destination weddings and working in the fashion industry. He learned early on how to utilize social media as a marketing tool effectively and has over 70 thousand Instagram followers. Greg also gives a workshop in the spring and is s

Andy is excited to be speaking with Greg Finck on this episode of The Wedding Biz. Greg is a brilliant photographer based in Paris. He studied business in France then came to the U.S to get his MBA. Greg was a marketing executive for ten years with Proctor and Gamble and at first, was doing wedding photography on the side as a hobby.  Greg is now a major photographer even though he's technically only been doing it full-time for five years. Besides shooting significant weddings, he is doing fantastic work in the fashion world and has mastered marketing digitally in social media. He also gives master classes on photography and speaks at Engage. "Elegance is the only beauty that never fades," a quote on his website from Audrey Hepburn summarizes the approach that Greg has to photography. Black and white photos are what he started out doing, giving him the ability to really focus on what he wanted to shoot in order to hone his eye. Greg talks to us about many things; his life in marketing, the catalyst for moving

Andy is speaking with Sean Low on this episode of The Next Level. Sean is the Founder and of The Business of Being Creative LLC, which focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. His client list includes the elite of the wedding industry and the design community. David Monn is known for producing events like The Met’s Costume Institute Gala, and the iconic 100th Anniversary of the Park Plaza Hotel in NYC, to name just a couple. His clients include many social leaders from around the world. David is also a contributing editor to Departures Magazine and has been featured in numerous luxury and lifestyle publications.  This is a conversation that imparts much wisdom including his perspective on legacy, teaching your team to carry on without you, but maintaining the quality that your name invokes. Sean agrees with David’s concept of having a business structure in place that will withstand his absence and hopefully be there for many years after he is gone. Know that your busin

In this episode of the Wedding Biz, Andy brings back David Monn for part 2 of their conversation. David's clients include social leaders from around the world. He is known for events like The Met’s Costume Institute Gala, and the 100th Anniversary of the Plaza Hotel, to name a few. He is also a contributing editor to Departures Magazine and has been featured in numerous luxury and lifestyle publications.  Listen as David breaks down how he planned the Met’s Gala, how he used the senses, time of year, and locations to make the event one of a kind. He discusses how having discipline and order at a function allows it to flow, and why the band or DJ should know how to read the energy of the group. David’s wisdom knows no bounds. You can't help but learn from listening to him talk about corporate events being about messaging the brand and learning his perspective on how to most effectively work with fundraisers.  He talks about the three main things he feels are given us in life and how thankful he is for them. Th

The Next Level welcomes Sean Low, Founder, and President of The Business of Being Creative LLC, which focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. He has worked with many prestigious clients in both the design community and the wedding and event industry. Michael is the founder of Cerbelli Creative, an event design and production company, and the creator of The Hot List, a list of the best ideas in the industry, and was inducted into the Event Industry Hall of Fame in 2019 by Bizbash.  Andy and Sean discuss Michael's passion for the industry and his belief that the size of the event doesn't matter as long as it creates long-lasting memories for the clients. They deliberate on Michael's knack for challenging everyone around him to be an artist, and his need to inspire people to take risks. Sean examines Michael's philosophy of paying his people well, letting them grow, and the importance of recognizing them for a job well done. This is taking Andy's interview with Michael t

The Wedding Biz welcomes Michael Cerbelli, a paragon in the events industry for over 42 years. He is the creator of The Hot List, a list of the best ideas in the industry, and was inducted into the Event Industry Hall of Fame by Bizbash in 2019. He has worked with several high profile clients and in some fantastic venues all over the world.  Michael started at the tender young age of 13 as a DJ for parties in his neighborhood. He purchased turntables from Radio Shack and a crate full of records and proceeded to market himself as a DJ. He did this for several years until he met his first business partner and they built the biggest Mitzvah DC/MC/Dancers company in the nation. Listen as he shares his progression from DJ and MC into event management and creation.  Michael prides himself on the level of preparation he and his team put into every event. No matter the size or cost of the event, his goal is to create lasting memories for his clients, and he credits his team for the success of his company. Finding and