Author: Erin Giberson

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 123: Crafting Enchanting Wedding Experiences With Ashley Smith

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Think of the moment that you knew you wanted to do weddings. Do you still plan from that place of inspiration? Because this planner taps into that feeling to create enchanting experiences and challenges you to do the same.

Ashley Smith is the Principal of Ashley Smith Events, a team of experience-based designers specializing in destinations globally. With almost two decades of experience and a background in International Business and Hospitality, she brings out-of-the-box thinking to event planning and production. Known for creating magical dreamscapes, her work is featured in Carats & Cake, The Knot, Junebug Weddings, Ruffled, 100 Layer Cake, Green Wedding Shoes, Refinery 29, California Style & Culture, Bizbash, and other leading industry publications. Additionally, she has made the Best Planner list by BRIDES for the last five years (2017-2022).

In this episode, she recalls helping at a summer wedding in Spain and witnessing the father of the bride become overcome with emotion. Moved by the moment, she gained a new outlook on weddings and became passionate about cultivating unique and personalized events. In particular, she encourages you to embrace adventurous ideas and take risks in order to create authentic and memorable celebrations.

Read More “WII 123: Crafting Enchanting Wedding Experiences With Ashley Smith” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 122: Diana Ganz on Her Approach to Growing a Successful Business

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If you think your business isn’t big enough to create change, then catch the lessons from today’s guest. With her business partner, she disrupted an industry and brought in over 20  million dollars in revenue last year.

Diana Ganz is the Co-founder of SuitShop, the premiere destination for affordable, size-and gender-inclusive, and yours-to-keep suiting. A graduate of MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Diana teamed up with her childhood friend and fashion design guru Jeanne Foley to give couples a better option for their wedding attire. Launched as The Groomsman Suit in 2016, they rebranded as SuitShop to also include non-binary and women’s suits. Ultimately, SuitShop lets consumers purchase a quality, well-fitting suit for a price that’s less, or at least comparable, to the costs of traditional tux rentals. With virtual appointments as well as five showrooms, SuitShop is revolutionizing the purchase of suits and tuxedos for everyone. 

In this episode, Diana shares how SuitShop grew from an apartment launch to a multi-million dollar business. Specifically, she breaks down the business approach that has fueled SuitShop’s success.

Read More “WII 122: Diana Ganz on Her Approach to Growing a Successful Business” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 121: Master Your Budget with Cash Flow Management Tips from Danielle Hendon

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According to this guest, if you’re a business owner who’s stressed about your budget or cash flow, then you’re not alone.  In fact, she’s sharing her expert tips about what you should do now in order to budget effectively.

Danielle Hendon is the founder and owner of 4 Corners CFO, LLC. Using her 10+ years in corporate finance/accounting, Danielle helps bring the benefit of “big business” financial analysis to entrepreneurs on a scale that fits their company and budget. Additionally, she has experience helping clients in the wedding industry improve their financial management.  

In this episode, Danielle talks about understanding and cushioning your cash flow so that you can effectively manage your budget throughout the entire year.

Read More “WII 121: Master Your Budget with Cash Flow Management Tips from Danielle Hendon” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 120: Brigid Horne-Nestor on Strategically Targeting Your Ideal Clients

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Ready to propel your business forward? Then don’t miss today’s episode with an industry leader who was also instrumental in the founding of Timeline Genius!

Brigid Horne-Nestor is the owner of i-do Weddings & Events. Brigid has over 25 years of industry experience and is a Master Wedding Planner—one of only 69 in the world. Based in Cincinnati, i-do Weddings & Events is a Couples Choice Award Winner and is recognized in The Knot’s Best of Weddings Hall of Fame.

In this episode, Brigid emphasizes the importance of targeting a specific client base and being willing to say no to clients who are not the right fit. Further, she shares how this lesson can help you adjust your price and marketing strategies accordingly. 
Read More “WII 120: Brigid Horne-Nestor on Strategically Targeting Your Ideal Clients” →

Wedding Industry Biz

Member Spotlight: Jaclyn Watson of Jaclyn Watson Events

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We are thrilled to shine the spotlight on Jaclyn Watson, who is nominated for the 2023 NACE ONE Awards!

Jackie is the owner of Jaclyn Watson Events and has over 14 years of industry experience. She is also the president of the Vermont Association of Wedding Professionals. Recently, she appeared on the Fox 44 Morning Brew edition to talk about and reflect on the 2023 wedding season.

Now, we congratulate her on receiving her latest NACE ONE Awards nomination!  

Read More “Member Spotlight: Jaclyn Watson of Jaclyn Watson Events” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 119: Insights from Rob Farrow for Wedding Industry Professionals

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Ready to embrace the spirit of collaboration and tech in the wed-space? Then tune in for success tips from this well-known wed-tech entrepreneur and industry expert!

Rob Farrow is the CEO of Aisle Planner, which he founded with his wife, Christina. For the past decade, they have grown Aisle Planner into an established industry leader. As an all-in-one platform, it is the software solution offering marketing, client, and planning + project management for event professionals. 

Rob himself was the former Global VP of Marketing for SurfTech, and he has over 20 years of experience in product development, marketing, communications, and all aspects of events management. 

In this episode, Rob talks about building a service-based company as well as how you can leverage the principles that guided Aisle Planner’s success.

Read More “WII 119: Insights from Rob Farrow for Wedding Industry Professionals” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 118: Elisabeth Kramer on Making the Industry Better for Everyone

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If you’re in the wedding industry, and you’ve ever felt isolated or overwhelmed, then this episode’s for you. Because today’s guest understands, and she’s working to change it for the better.

Elisabeth “Beth” Kramer is a wedding coordinator in Portland, Oregon, who works to make weddings more inclusive, diverse, equitable, accessible, and sustainable. She is also the co-founder of Altared, a space for wedding vendors who want to change the wedding industry. With a mission to value and respect the lived experience of each person, Beth writes about what she sees in the industry and provides free resources to support anyone who is planning or working a wedding. Her work is published in BRIDES, Vanity Fair, and People, among countless other news syndicates.

In this episode, Beth calls out the problems of the wedding industry complex and gets transparent about what she’s done to grow her business in a spirit of inclusivity, equitability, and collaboration for not only clients but also other vendors. Read More “WII 118: Elisabeth Kramer on Making the Industry Better for Everyone” →

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[New Feature]: Use the Clipboard for a Better Way to Copy & Paste Timeline Items

By Erin Giberson on

 

Timeline Genius now helps you save an entire item or section from one timeline to your clipboard and then paste into another.

The Clipboard Feature lets you copy, rename, and drop items between timelines. Which makes it easier to create industry-leading timelines in less time!
Read More “[New Feature]: Use the Clipboard for a Better Way to Copy & Paste Timeline Items” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 117: Sara McCall on Building a Reputation That Gets the Attention of Your Clients

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While this guest booked her first wedding for $450 and used her mom as free labor, today her company grosses 1.5 million a year. To hear more, click play to tune in!

Sara McCall is the Founder & CEO of Stunning and Brilliant Events, a luxury, full-service wedding and event planning company. Motivated to empower other women, she has grown Stunning and Brilliant Events into 9 successful franchise locations across the U.S. Together, she and her team have planned over 1000 weddings in the last 11 years. In addition, Stunning and Brilliant Events has made the Best of The Knot Weddings for over a decade.

On top of her own background in corporate events and B.A. in Graphic Design, she’s had the privilege of learning from industry leaders including David Tutera and Breston Bailey. Sara is also an industry educator with recent speaking appearances at Event Source and Wedding MBA. 

In this episode, Sara talks about how her marketing perspective influences her business decisions and shares what you can do to better reach your audience.

Read More “WII 117: Sara McCall on Building a Reputation That Gets the Attention of Your Clients” →