The Wedding Biz - Behind the Scenes of the Wedding Business

"As planners, we need our clients to trust us." Listen as Andy and his guest Nellie Butler discuss why she says becoming a bride's friend is the only way she can do an event justice, and getting a bride to trust her makes her job easier. Neillie is the Founder of Mariee Ami, which means 'a bride's friend.' Mariee Ami is a multimillion-dollar wedding and event planning firm in the Southeast, recognized for producing celebrations that reflect a genuine sense of hospitality. Their new lifestyle brand Ami a Vi

This is the first of a series of conversations, called "A Conversation with," beginning with photographer Phil Van Nostrand. Phil was first interviewed by Andy on 12/3/18 (see link below). Taking good care of ourselves, during this pandemic, is critical to our mental and physical health. Although Phil had been traveling 100-200 days per year, he has adapted fairly well to living as we now know it. Andy and Phil discuss whether or not they feel fear about their finances and what their perspectives are on th

"Bridal is inherently timeless." Listen as Andy and his guest Micaela Erlanger discuss what she means by this and how the pandemic has affected timelines for the production of bridal gowns. Micaela also shares why she believes that designers will see a rise in demand for wedding dresses for the fall and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz. Micaela is a celebrity stylist based out of New York City and Los Angeles. She was named one of the most powerful stylists by the Hollywood Reporter and has sus

“Advertising says hey I’m great, PR is when somebody else says you are great.” Listen as Andy and his guest Meghan Ely discuss what this means and how important it is to have the recognition if you are interested in being published. Meghan shares a simple formula that can help you get your name recognized with the media as an expert in your field. Meghan is the owner of OFD Consulting, an award-winning publicity agency that focuses on the wedding industry and the B2B market. Their client portfolio ra

Could you be more productive with honing your storytelling techniques? Listen as Andy and Sean Low discuss Bill's insights into storytelling and how doing it more effectively can help you with prospective clients. Sean's consulting firm, The Business of Being Creative, focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. His client list includes the who's who of the wedding industry and design community. Andy is announcing the official launch of his new podcast network called

When you hear a story, does it engage your brain? Listen as Andy and his guest Bill Baker discuss how to use storytelling in your communication to persuade, influence, and inspire people and the importance of making sure that your team, creative partners, and clients are clear on the story of your brand and mission. Behind every leader, brand, strategy, or idea, there's a story, and Bill makes these stories real. Listen, as Bill shares his definition of storytelling, how to use it to bring your company's i

Andy has Julie Novack as his guest co-host today on The Next Level. Listen as they speak about Steve Kemble, who is known as “America’s Sassiest Lifestyle Guru,” and how he brings his unique perspective to the events he plans. 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. Steve has been the magic behind countless corporate events, weddings, and other ventures for over two decade

How about a jungle-themed corporate event with elephant rides? Listen to Andy and his guest Steve Kemble, who is known as “America’s Sassiest Lifestyle Guru,” as they discuss how he takes a client's idea and creates a fabulous event. Steve shares one of his favorite corporate events and how he made the jungle theme come to life plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz. Steve has been the magic behind countless corporate events, weddings, and other ventures, including events for

Do you have a strong brand identity? Listen, as Andy and John discuss Wendy El-Khoury, her insights into a brand identity, and how she believes it starts before the ring ever hits the hand. John is Australia’s premier floral designer, and John was on The Wedding Biz on January 13th, 2020, so check out his episode if you haven’t already. Wendy lives in Sydney, Australia, and is the owner of Wedded Wonderland, which gives its followers exclusive on-trend and immediate access to the latest celebrity new

Wouldn't it be great to be able to go to a website you already follow for celebrity news and beauty tips to plan your dream wedding? Listen to Andy and his guest, Wendy El-Khoury, as they discuss how you can do all of this on the Wedded Wonderland website. They also chat about the challenges she faces with the pandemic and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz. Wendy lives in Sydney, Australia, and is the owner of Wedded Wonderland, which gives its followers exclusive on-trend and immediate access

Picking a wedding dress is hard, and you need an expert to make sure you look and feel your best. Listen as Andy and Nayri discuss Monte Durham, his humble upbringing, his great success as a fashion expert and TV star, and his love of being a hairstylist. Nayri Kalayjian is a wedding fashion expert with Lovella Bridal, she is also a best-selling author, celebrity stylist, and she coaches and educates with a series of fantastic online courses. Monte is a very successful fashion expert and one of the stars o

Have you heard an excellent rag to riches story lately? Listen to Andy and his guest, Monte Durham, discuss how he went from growing up with no running water to becoming a hugely successful fashion expert and one of the stars of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress, Atlanta, where he had been the fashion director at Bridals by Lori, the south’s premier bridal salon. Monte shares his life in small-town West Virginia, how he was bullied and how that contributed to the man he is today. He discusses going to junior

"A lot of musicians and bands make the performance about themselves; we make our performances about our clients and their audiences." Listen in as Andy and his guest, Jordan Kahn, with Jordan Kahn Music, discuss how important it is to know your audience and play what will resonate with everyone that attends plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz. Jordan and his business partner Chris have ten bands with the premier one being the Jordan Kahn Orchestra. They perform events worldwide and Jordan, as

In this stand-alone episode of TNL, Andy and his guest, Sean Low, discuss how the pandemic is affecting the event industry and much more. Sean is the owner of The Business of Being Creative, which focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. His client list includes the who's who of the wedding industry and design community. Sean was on The Wedding Biz in February of 2018, so check out that episode if you haven't already. Listen as Sean speaks about the constraints the

“What would you do if you lost everyone and everything in your life and then got it all back again?” Listen in as Andy and his guest, Bryan Rafanelli, discuss this and how Bryan is handling the effects of the pandemic both personally and professionally, and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz. Bryan is the go-to planner for some of the nation’s most exclusive and high-profile events. He has been named an innovator and Event Producer of the Year by BizBash, was one of Out Magazines One Hundre