Category: Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 191 – Ready to Take Wedding Planning Full Time? Here’s How to Quit Your Day Job (with Gavin Snyder)

By Emily on

Gavin Snyder talks about how he gave up full-time employment to become a wedding planner

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Do you dream of taking your wedding planning career full-time? For wedding business owners, a “day job” can often seem like our lifeline, but it can also hold us back. Giving up a steady paycheck and relying solely on your wedding planning income… How do people take that leap?

If you’re juggling a day job and a growing wedding business, you’re likely wondering if you can “make it on your own.” This Week’s Wedding Industry Insider Podcast has steps you can take to ease the transition from full-time employment to full-time entrepreneurship. 

Read More “WII 191 – Ready to Take Wedding Planning Full Time? Here’s How to Quit Your Day Job (with Gavin Snyder)” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 190 – How Does a Luxury Wedding Planner Only Make $24k? (The Fall and Rise of Gabrielle Pinkerton)

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Gabrielle Pinkerton talks about losing money as a luxury wedding planner, and how she finally got it right

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Luxury wedding planners have it all, right? And with so many high-end weddings, they have to be making high payouts too, right? 

Well, not always. This is the story of Gabrielle Pinkerton, and how she ran her business $7,000 in the red. And it’s a valuable listen for anyone who wants to avoid costly mistakes as they grow their wedding business. 

Gabrielle is the owner of Cause We Can Events, a Nashville-based wedding planning company that specializes in full weekend events. When the business gained traction in 2016, Gabrielle found herself in the luxury market, paying out big commissions and handing off the most fulfilling work to her team. 

And she also found herself burnt out, underpaid, and running her business at a loss. When she ended 2024 with $24,000 in owner pay, she knew things needed to change. 

Read More “WII 190 – How Does a Luxury Wedding Planner Only Make $24k? (The Fall and Rise of Gabrielle Pinkerton)” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 189 – Dana Kadwell Has Wedding Planning Down to a Science

By Emily on

Dana Kadwell on the inspiration for her company Hustle & Gather, which helps wedding and event pros better run their businesses

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What happens when a scientist becomes a wedding planner? They operate with strong SOPs and make decisions based on data. Today on Wedding Industry Insider, we’re talking about how you can run your business like a scientist.

Our guest Dana Kadwell has a degree in chemistry and physics, and a background in education. Still, when she changed careers to wedding planning, she had problems finding balance. Her son’s early life is a blur because she was so busy. She got burnt out as her business grew. And in Dana’s words, her business became her god. 

But it didn’t stay that way.

During this heartfelt interview, Dana is walking us through her journey as a wedding planner and the changes she made to find balance and joy in her business. And a lot of it comes down to science. 

Read More “WII 189 – Dana Kadwell Has Wedding Planning Down to a Science” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 188 – Georgie Mitchell Doesn’t Plan Luxury Weddings (And You Don’t Have to Either)

By Emily on

Georgie Mitchell encourages wedding planners who don't want to plan luxury events

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Wedding Planner Georgie Mitchell talks about cringey TikTok videos, flat-fee pricing, and why she doesn’t plan luxury weddings. 

Feeling pressured to start planning luxury weddings? For many wedding planners, the luxury market seems like the sole place for growth and profits. But what if you don’t feel drawn to luxury events? 

This week’s Wedding Industry Insider episode is perfect for the wedding planner who wants a path toward success that’s not intertwined with extravagant, luxury events. Our guest is Georgie Mitchell, owner of Georgina Rose Events, author of “It’s Your Wedding,” and TikTok wedding expert.

This interview is so powerful and will be refreshing for anyone who feels pressure to book luxury weddings, pressure to make the biggest sales, and pressure to get social media just right. Because Georgie is rewriting the wedding planner playbook. And during this episode, she’s getting real about the journey that brought her success. 

Read More “WII 188 – Georgie Mitchell Doesn’t Plan Luxury Weddings (And You Don’t Have to Either)” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 187 – 5 Ways Wedding Planners Can Stand Out to Gen Z Couples (With WedVibes Founders Daria Neretina & Alina Krupenina)

By Emily on

WedVibes founders talk about how wedding pros should be marketing to Gen Z couples

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You’re ready to plan weddings for Gen Z couples, but do you know how to market to them? For most of us wedding planners, we’ve begun to shift our strategies. We know to be on social media, we know to keep things clear and snappy. 

But that’s just the surface, and if you haven’t thoroughly restructured your marketing plan, you’re just hitting the surface of the market. 

Read More “WII 187 – 5 Ways Wedding Planners Can Stand Out to Gen Z Couples (With WedVibes Founders Daria Neretina & Alina Krupenina)” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 186 – A Special Conversation with Eddie Babbage

By Eddie Babbage on

Eddie Babbage is the guest this week on Wedding Industry Insider Podcast.

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Yes, you read that right – our guest on Wedding Industry Insider is Eddie Babbage! As founder and longtime host of the podcast, Eddie offers so many glimpses into his values and journey as an entrepreneur. But this week we’re getting more than glimpses! We get to hear the full story of how Eddie became the CEO of Timeline Genius, and his many failures, wins, and lessons along the way.

As an entrepreneur, Eddie seeks to serve and solve problems using technology. And as an individual, he has so much wisdom and encouragement to share with us. 

Read More “WII 186 – A Special Conversation with Eddie Babbage” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 185 – Becca Pountney and the Death of the Marketing Funnel

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Becca Pountney on Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

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RIP to the marketing funnel, and welcome to the Marketing Theme Park. Today’s couples enter the realm of wedding planning, and then it’s madness. They’re going all different directions, with short attention spans and noise all around them. 

What does that mean for wedding planners like us? It means we have to meet potential clients where they are, keep the friction out of the buying process, and know the most impactful way to speak over the noise.

This week on Wedding Industry Insider, Becca Pountney joins us to talk about her Marketing Theme Park theory — and she’s breaking it down for wedding planners who want to reach their ideal clients. 

Read More “WII 185 – Becca Pountney and the Death of the Marketing Funnel” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 184 – What Annette Naif Learned Making Negative $57 Per Hour

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When Annette Naif opened her event planning business at the age of 46, she had one big secret: she had no idea what she was doing. She knew how to plan events, and she was good at it. But when it came to running a business, she was clueless, and she didn’t want anyone to know. 

This was despite having a degree in business, a legal background, and commercial experience. Everyone has to start somewhere. And for Annette’s first wedding, her starting pay was negative $57 per hour. 

Over the course of her career — with help from coaches, her network of support, and a lot of dedication and learning — Annette grew to be a successful event planner with a thriving business. And now she’s sharing her hard-learned lessons with wedding pros like us. 

Read More “WII 184 – What Annette Naif Learned Making Negative $57 Per Hour” →

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 183 – Broc Barton’s Top Leadership Tips For Wedding Planners

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Broc Barton on wedding industry insider podcast

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You want to grow your leadership skills in 2026, but you’re not sure where to start. Here’s a great launching point: this week’s Wedding Industry Insider interview.

We’ve got Broc Barton with us for an insightful conversation about leadership, mindset, and business growth. It’s a must-listen for anyone who wants to make confident decisions for their business. 

Broc is the founder and CEO of Elevate Entertainment, which went from zero to 850 events per year during its first 5 years in business. He is also a lifestyle leadership coach who helps business owners and individuals harness their strengths to make the world a better place. 

Read More “WII 183 – Broc Barton’s Top Leadership Tips For Wedding Planners” →