The Wedding Biz - Behind The Scenes Of The Wedding Business

Mark Held didn’t originally see himself as a florist. His first arrangement-- a project assigned to him at summer camp as a young boy-- turned out to be poison ivy. But after a successful dance and theater career as a young adult, Mark wanted to continue his creative expression. His partner, Richard David, had just the outlet: a flower shop he was opening up. And he convinced Mark to join him for a bit. At the time, Mark thought it would be a temporary arrangement.   Fast forward a couple decades, and Mark Held is a prominent name in floristry. As a grounded, creative mind, he believes that flowers “breathe life into events” and is always looking forward to the future of his business and clients.   In this episode, Mark shares his perspective on career development, crafting a quality event, and the way he navigates the Hollywood scene as a professional florist.   About Mark   Born in Chicago, Mark Held is the son of a preacher and attended the University of Redlands in California.   Together with Richard Davi

Andy and Melissa take a second listen to Preston Bailey's interview about his design process. There's so much that can be learned from Preston's interview! In this episode, Melissa and Andy discuss: How Preston embraces new technology Preston's work for Joan Rivers and how it changed his life How to solve problems as things get a little crazy The difference dramatic entrances can make in an event Andy and Melissa also answer a listener question! Be sure to join us!  

REVISIT: The year is 1980. The place is New York City. And the person is Preston Bailey, who at the time was just looking for a way to pay the bills and not get evicted from his apartment. What started as a small time floral business blossomed into what we know as Preston Bailey’s immaculate and stunning work. For Preston, it’s been a long journey to get to the top tier of wedding and event designing. He’s had to overcome challenges and obstacles, both personally and professionally, including drug addiction and taking his business and clients more seriously. But at 68 years young, Preston’s career is far from the home stretch, as he’s still as passionate about pushing boundaries and discovering new designs as he’s ever been. In this illuminating interview, Andy and Preston explore Preston’s meandering path to present. The two discuss his most life-changing moment back in 1990, how Preston truly wows guests with his decor and designs, and how he orchestrates his own work to be in perfect synchronicity with all

Today, Melissa and Andy are recording this episode of TNL from the Engage! Conference in Banff, Canada! Listen in as Andy answers a listener question that may also be a question you’ve been wondering about too! Stephanie Bradshaw’s interview was amazing for a lot of reasons, but certain aspects of it particularly resonated with Andy and Melissa. If you haven’t listened to Stephanie’s interview yet, definitely make sure you listen because it is packed full of value! In this episode, Melissa and Andy take a deeper dive into the following topics from Stephanie Bradshaw’s interview:   How Stephanie used being fired from a job she loved as a launch pad for her business. Andy’s book recommendation for dealing with challenges and failure. The unique program that Stephanie has developed for internships and mentorships. The philosophy Stephanie implements company-wide for self-care - for herself and her team.   Resources Mentioned: The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holi

Stephanie Bradshaw has more than just impeccable taste, she has a knack for project management and has a very diverse business portfolio-which in our opinion has lead to ultimate success!   Growing up in a traveling military family, she quickly found inspiration through other cultures, colors, and textures from around the world, and she’s translated that into her love for event design and production. But even more than the art of an event, Stephanie is a fearless business leader who has endless inspiration and skill to offer when it comes to team development, taking on the right clients for your brand, and creating truly inspiring events-- all while balancing print publications, industry summits, and raising a family.   Tune into this episode to be inspired by Stephanie’s drive, all while picking up some invaluable  tips along the way. About Stephanie Bradshaw   Currently based in Baltimore, Stephanie spent her childhood traveling through the world in a military family. Inspired by her travels through Germany

This episode of The Next Level dives deeper into the interview with Tara Dowburd. You may be wondering what a makeup designer can tell you about your business, but Tara is full of great ideas. Andy and Melissa discuss the particular wisdom that Tara shared about networking for your business. As someone whose business depends on relationships, networking has been the key to propel Tara to success. In this episode, Andy and Melissa also mention Bryan Rafanelli'sshow, as well as Lynn Easton'sshow. So if you have not listened to either of those shows yet, please check them out!

Tara has always known that creativity needs to be at the center of her career. She’s an artist. What she didn’t expect was that makeup would be her medium. But after seeing how involved she could be in the lives of her clients and the craft of building confidence inside and out, she realized there was no other place that would be more suitable for her.   After spending over 20 years in the field, Tara has the skills and experience to give solid business advice in the wedding and event makeup realm. About Tara Dowburd:   Born just outside Philadelphia, Tara Dowburd moved to LA and founded Make-Up Therapy, where she and her hand-selected Beauty Team specialize in hair and makeup for celebrities and other high end clients-- from red carpet to weddings and more. A few notable clients include Fergie, Kristen Bell, Ervin “Magic” Johnson, and more. Show Highlights:   How Tara named her business, Make-Up Therapy Tara’s earliest memories of makeup, and her first reactions to it Why Tara thought she’d never get in

Join Andy and Melissa for today's Next Level episode, where they break down the amazing interview with Kevin Lee. Kevin sat down with Andy and shared his story of coming to the US and in the process, completely changing careers. What started as a love for flowers, quickly blossomed into the event planning business he has today. Kevin became known for some of the most glamorous events and his over the top flair for artistry made him a beloved movie character.  Andy and Melissa dive deeper into the strategies that Kevin shared and they pull out the practical tips that you can use to build your business. In this episode, Andy and Melissa also mention Preston Bailey's episode, so if you haven't listened to that one yet, check it out here.

Wedding Biz - Kevin Lee Kevin Lee loves living a glamorous lifestyle, and he’s proved time and time again, he’s willing to work for it. He learned the value of true discipline early in life through ballet and becoming a talented clarinet player. Coming from South Korea to America, changing lanes and opening a flower shop-he created his business from continual learning, humility and a true thirst for creating the best and most beautiful experiences possible for his high end clientele.   About Kevin Lee Kevin Lee is known for the most innovative designs and cutting edge events, from grand awards shows such as the Oscars, Grammys and Emmys, to over the top weddings, private celebrity events and Hollywood premiers. He has designed weddings and events for A-list celebrities such as Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, and Kate Hudson, among others.   Show Highlights:  The career Kevin had in South Korea, prior to becoming an event

REVISIT: Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce are powerhouse team is the force behind the wedding and honeymoon industry consulting firm Engaging Concepts. In this episode, we talk about their road from their Disney Weddings days to their own Engage! Summits events.

Join Andy Kushner and Melissa Fancy as they digest the value-packed episode with Harmony Walton!  Tune into this episode to get some major insight on how to maintain a creative and flourishing business with multiple revenue streams! Show Highlights: Everyone looks at every detail of a wedding  Keeping relationships alive and nurtured  Becoming a person everyone wants to work with  Writing handwritten “thank you” notes  Never letting limitations get in your way  Keeping an open mind when things don’t go as planned  Being willing to embrace change  Look at what you already have and improve it    Resources: Sign up for the newsletter for the deep dive into the tips: theweddingbiz.com  Instagram: @Weddingbizshow  Email: Marketingat@thheweddingbiz.com 

It takes but a moment to see that Harmony Walton’s path to success had everything to do with how she handled perceived challenges along the way. Her career is marked by her own fearless ability to focus on giving direction to her dreams and focus on doing work that she loved and would succeed at. She credits her work with a well-known Hollywood Celebrity as the best training she could have had, especially when it comes to high touch client service.    About Harmony:   Harmony Walton is the founder of The Bridal Bar and a luxury destination wedding and honeymoon blog, Jet Fete. She hosts Bridal Bar Radio, powered by Clear Channel, airing weekly and on demand at iHeart Radio.  Since it’s inception, The Bridal Bar has been featured in over 100 media outlets, including The New Yorker, The NY Times, Entertainment Tonight, People magazine, Martha Steward Weddings, US Weekly, and many, many more. She also has over a decade in marketing, consulting, and brand-representation experience in the luxury wedding industry.

It hardly seems possible that today’s show is the celebration of the One Year Anniversary of The Wedding Biz podcast! When Andy started the show a year ago, he began as a passion project, but since that time, it has turned into so much more! Andy knew he wanted his podcast to be different, and he certainly accomplished that. One of the things that makes The Wedding Biz so unique is that Andy only does interviews in person. So for the past year, he has visited the homes, offices, and event venues with his guests, in order to sit down and conduct a face to face interview. Andy says it’s one of his secrets to making a real connection with his guests!   Listen to the episode as Andy introduces you to his team - Marketing Director, Melissa Fancy, and Director of Strategic Partnerships, Christy Haussler. Together they share their favorite things about the show, re-live some highlights of their favorites guests on the show, and they also reveal the strategic direction of the podcast of 2018 and beyond!   This star-s

In this companion episode of David Tutera's interview, Andy and Melissa Fancy take a deeper dive into the strategies that David shared. David insists that you don't have to love your clients, as long as you love what you do for your clients. This concept and many more are discussed in this episode of THE NEXT LEVEL! Don't forget to visit the website - www.theweddingbiz.com and sign up for the additional information to help grow your business!   Previous Episodes Mentioned: Sean Low Ian Prosser Bryan Rafanelli Lynn Easton Matthew Robbins David Stark

If you’ve heard of David Tutera, you know he’s done it all.  He’s a leading expert in the wedding and entertaining business with a list of accomplishments almost too long to mention.   From sharing how he found himself in the events industry, to his foresight for where the industry is going, David dishes on everything you want to know-with the incredible motivation you need.   About David Tutera:   Originally from New York, David Tutera is a celebrity wedding planner and designer, author of seven books, television personality, and bridal fashion and wedding accessories designer. His work has graced both television for 14 years, from regular spots on The View to his own collection of television series like My Fair Wedding. David has created weddings and events for Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, Barbara Walters, the White House, the Grammy Awards, and countless others.   David currently lives in Malibu, California with his husband Joey, daughter Ceilo, and their rescue dog Lucy.   Show Highlights:   David’s unexp

Join The Wedding Biz host, Andy Kushner and Marketing Director Melissa Fancy as they break down Lisa Gooder's interview. Lisa Gooder is the Executive Director of Brides Magazine.  Andy and Melissa dive a little deeper into the content from Lisa's interview and discuss the following: Current trends in weddings Why the story is the main thing Why some wedding traditions no longer matter Exclusivity in the wedding industry Why you want to be a "friendor", not a vendor How social media has forever changed the wedding landscape for both the couples and industry professionals The case for social media in your business Why relationships really do matter at the end of the day Join us right here each week as Andy and Melissa dig deeper into the expert interviews and give you tips, tricks, and strategies to take your business to the next level! Other shows mentioned in the show: Jose Villa Colin Cowie Shawna Gohel  

Lisa Gooder was always passionate about telling stories. No matter the workplace-- from artifact appraisals to digital media, to Lisa, the way a story could connect others and draw interest were obvious. Enter her break into the wedding industry, where the story has been culturally set for decades - that is, until Lisa began to see changes with the demographic and wanted to help tell their honest stories. Get ready to dive deep with Lisa on how she’s seen the answer to the question, “why get married?” change drastically over the years, why that matters, and what it means for brands in the wedding industry.  About Lisa Gooder: Lisa Gooder has been at the intersection of digital media and the wedding industry for years -  from her time working at The Knot to her current position as Executive Director for Brides Magazine. Lisa attended Brown University and lives in New York with her family.   Show Highlights: Lisa’s early eclectic career beginnings that immersed her in story Why Lisa put off going to college Th

Initially, Jose’s parents were nervous about him becoming a photographer. As recent US immigrants, they didn’t think his dreams of making money in portrait photography would come to fruition and wanted to see him take on a more traditional career path.  But Jose knew he was onto something when he started taking photos in high school, and his friends started paying him for senior portrait sessions. He loved portraits, he loved film, and he never looked back. Since then, Jose has been shooting film professionally for all of his clients. He’s been photographing weddings for about 16 years and finds them to be completely immersive, personal, and life-changing for everyone involved.  In this episode, Jose sits down to share his perspective and tips on what it’s like to be a professional wedding photographer who has an eye for fine art, and how his niche in film photography plays out in the digital age. About Jose Jose Villa is a fine art wedding photographer known for crafting vibrant, energetic, fine art images t

To Ron Ben-Israel, a cake is far more than a cake. It’s equal to a performance. And if anyone knows about performance, it’s surprisingly the master of couture celebration cakes.   After graduating college with a Fine Arts degree, Ron saw the world through two distinct lenses: the Israeli military, and a ballet company he joined after serving in his early 20’s. He traveled around the world, performing with two companies over nearly 15 years before finding himself in New York City and wanting to make a career transition. This is where he began to discover his talent for baking.   From never having baked a professional cake to founding Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, Ron shares the path and experiences that got him there. His practical and disciplined approach to growth illustrates the level of passion, dedication, and humble learning that successful pastry chefs possess.   About Ron Ben-Israel   Ron Ben-Israel is a renowned pastry chef originally from Israel and currently based in New York. Ron is the founder of Ron Ben-