THE Podcast for Wedding and Events Industry Professionals
All Episodes
All Episodes
340 RICHARD EAGLETON/McQueens Flowers – Never Let A Crisis Go To Waste
“The power of flowers to lift our spirits shouldn’t be underestimated.” Listen as Andy and his guest Richard Eagleton discuss the power of flowers, social prescribing, and how he feels that mental health and well-being will be the greatest human global challenge arising from the pandemic, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Richard is the CEO of McQueens Flowers, the internationally renowned luxury floral design brand and flower school. Founded in London’s east end in 2001 with customers in Mexico, the United States, Japan, France, Korea, Kuwait, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Spain, and Australia. They have provided flowers for Vanity Fair’s Oscars afterparty for the last twenty-five years and were the floral design partner for the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s Wimbledon Champions Ball and the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards.
Listen, as Richard shares when he discovered his passion for flowers and his journey to McQueens. He discusses their flower school and how he handles being creative and working the business simultaneously. When Richard asked his team what they saw as McQueens vision, they responded to be the best flower business in the world to work for. Richard strives to make that happen every day.
Richard talks about what they did during the pandemic to make their online store profitable; he believes when you have falling or zero sales, it’s an opportunity for improving margins. He discusses what he sees happening in the event industry post- Covid.
When asked for his advice at the beginning of the lockdown in the UK, Richard said be kind because it costs nothing and will always come back, keep an eye on the horizon because the bumpy road to get there is easier to travel if you know where you are heading and third, just worry about the things you can change and stop worrying about the things you can’t.
339 THE NEXT LEVEL: LAUREN DICKENS discusses LISA ZACHERY – Embodying True Passion in Stationery
Andy welcomes Lauren Dickens to the show as his guest co-host for today’s episode. Lauren is the Founder and lead planner and designer with Elle Audrey, a luxury planning and design company based in NYC and their tag line is “distinctively designed with you in mind.”
Lisa is the CEO and Creative Director of Papered Wonders. As stationers, they design, create and produce exquisite wedding stationery that represents the love and passion shared by the couple. All of their designs are unique and share a piece of the love story unfolding during the time leading up to the wedding. Papered Wonders is also a custom design and print studio, and Lisa also assists other business owners in crafting their best look on paper and other collateral.
338 LISA ZACHERY – Embodying True Passion in Stationery
“Imagine your dreams on paper, imagine being able to embody true passion in stationery.” Listen as Andy and his guest Lisa Zachery discuss the meaning behind this quote, her passion for stationery, her belief that invitations set the tone for the event you are having, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Lisa is the CEO and Creative Director of Papered Wonders. As stationers, they design, create and produce exquisite wedding stationery that represents the love and passion shared by the couple. All of their designs are unique and share a piece of the love story unfolding during the time leading up to the wedding. Papered Wonders is also a custom design and print studio, and Lisa also assists other business owners in crafting their best look on paper and other collateral.
Listen as Lisa shares her process for designing invitations that showcase the couple’s love, how they use favors to imbed the wedding memory into each guest’s hearts and what inspires her to pick the right font, graphics, color, etc. Lisa also helps other creatives rebrand their businesses because she believes that branding is ever-evolving, and as a company grows, its story changes.
Lisa discusses needing more diversity in the industry and the need for more women in power everywhere. She gives advice on what to look for when finding a wedding planner and someone to design wedding invitations because they all need to work together to create the best experience for the couple.
337 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW discusses IRA LEVY – Tastefully Using Technology to Create Lighting Designs
Andy welcomes Sean Low back to the show. Sean is the owner of the consulting firm The Business of Being Creative, which focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. He also has a podcast on The Wedding Biz Network called The Business of Being Creative.
Listen as they discuss Ira Levy, the Creative Director of Levy NYC Design & Production, a full-service design and production company focused on lighting, sound, and video for events, architecture, and what he calls architainment. Ira has been the lighting designer for such event luminaries as Preston Bailey and Colin Cowie. Past clients include Martha Stewart Weddings, Dolce Gabbana, and the American Museum of Natural History.
336 IRA LEVY – Tastefully Using Technology to Create Lighting Designs
“Light starts in the ceiling and ends in the floor, and there is nothing in between.” Listen as Andy and his guest Ira Levy discuss his journey from pre-med to concerts, lighting design, and entertainment, why he uses the term architainment, his process when working with clients, designers, and planners, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Ira is the Creative Director of Levy NYC Design & Production, a full-service design and production company focused on lighting, sound, and video for events, architecture, and what he calls architainment. He has also been the lighting designer for such event industry luminaries as Preston Bailey and Colin Cowie. Past clients include Martha Stewart Weddings, Dolce Gabbana, and the American Museum of Natural History.
“It’s not the turning of the screw; it’s knowing which screw to turn.” Ira believes that the mood you create with lighting is part of the experience. Ira shares mixing entertainment and architecture to create architainment, which happens when light touches inanimate material.
Listen as Ira speaks about the need for event industry professionals to allow more time before an event so that lighting designers can work their creative magic. Ira also shares what he still hopes to accomplish and what he is looking forward to.
335 A Conversation With: VALERIE ROMANOFF
“Music is a force and power tool for our well being.” Valerie Romanoff, founder of Starlight Music, is Andy’s guest on the show today. Valerie was on episode 24 of The Wedding Biz back in October 2017 and has had quite a pivot since. So, Andy wanted to have her on the show to catch up and find out what she has been doing.
Listen as Valerie shares why she uses the terms “still,” “chill,” and “thrill” when discussing the different segments of life, how the vibrations of music can shift energy, and what she does that is so unique and different when putting on a performance. Valerie also talks about having performers who do more than just show up; performers who are aware and more intentional about their performance.
Valerie discusses what she likes to talk about when she coaches her band leaders and why to her every moment, every night is different, and it’s not just a show; it’s an interactive collaboration with everyone who is there. Valerie believes a home run when you have everyone on the dance floor and in a certain state of mind.
Valerie believes we should all look at the gifts this time off has given us instead of focusing on the negatives. She discusses events’ potential to have more meaning and awareness once people can get out and enjoy them again, and where she thinks the industry will go once this pandemic is over.
334 REVISIT: DAVID TUTERA – Finding True Success in Self Reinvention
This is a revisit of Andy’s popular interview of David Tutera from May of 2018 with a new introduction.
333 THE NEXT LEVEL: LAURIE ARONS discusses ERICH MCVEY/Combining Documentary and Fine Art Style Photography
Andy welcomes Laurie Arons back to The Next Level. Laurie is with Laurie Arons Special Events. She has been featured in numerous magazine publications and was listed in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, and Martha Stewart Weddings as one of the top planners worldwide. Listen as they discuss how Erich got his start in photography and how important he feels it is to keep his passion for the art without getting lost in the business side, plus much more.
Erich McVey is a wedding, portrait, and editorial film photographer with a love for medium format cameras, natural light, and incredible scenery. Erich was named by Harpers Bazaar, Brides, and Martha Stewart Weddings as one of the world’s best wedding photographers and twice selected as film Photographer of the Year.
Listen as Laurie gives her insights into Erich’s preference of shooting with film instead of digital, how she loves the look of film and only works with such photographers for her events. Laurie talks about how she gets butterflies before an event because it’s so intense and there is so much on the line. Laurie also discusses what she looks for when hiring a photographer, for her events, and why she loves Erich’s style and the way he shoots photographs.
332 ERICH MCVEY – Combining Documentary and Fine Art Style Photography
“What I strive to do for every couple I shoot is to deliver variety, quality, and consistency throughout.” Listen as Andy and his guest Erich McVey discuss a variety of topics, including how he got started in photography and what he means by combining documentary and fine art styles when he shoots weddings plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Erich is a wedding, portrait, and editorial film photographer with a love for medium format cameras, natural light, and incredible scenery. Erich was named by Harpers Bazaar, Brides, and Martha Stewart Weddings as one of the world’s best wedding photographers and twice selected as film Photographer of the Year.
Listen as Erich discusses controlling variables to position couples to give them a moment and not let the business and repetition kill his zest for creating unique imagery. Erich also shares what drew him to film over digital and why he believes he can live in the camera when he shoots with film instead of dealing with the distraction of digital.
Erich believes that lighting is a photographer’s best friend. Using light is probably the most enjoyable aspect of being a photographer and is a major way to distinguish photographers from one another. Erich says that he loves the fact that this gets to be his job and that it’s totally interpretive.
331 THE NEXT LEVEL: PHIL VAN NOSTRAND discusses JOSH SPIEGEL/Using Social Media to Create Business During the Pandemic
Andy welcomes Phil Van Nostrand back to The Next Level. Phil is based out of New York and Los Angeles. Phil photographs weddings, commercial, and lifestyle projects and is an expert at capturing bright cinematic lifestyle imagery. Listen as they discuss Josh Spiegel, the Creative Director and President of Birch Event Design, a high-end decor, production, and floral company.
Phil speaks about a support group of industry professionals that Josh is a part of during the shutdown and how he himself created his own network of people to reach out to. Phil also talks about the challenge Josh had to create something different for each event while planning daily weddings within the same group of individuals.
Phil discusses how Josh used social media to garner business during the pandemic while staying safe by doing smaller events, having the host testing each guest, and social distancing. Phil agrees with Josh that the smaller events will carry over because people see the beauty in creating an experience for their guests and being able to connect on a deeper level.
330 JOSH SPIEGEL/Birch Event Design – Using Social Media to Create Business During the Pandemic
On this episode of The Wedding Biz Andy is talking to Josh Spiegel, the Creative Director and President of Birch Event Design, a high-end decor, production, and floral company located out of the New York City area. Josh has had a lot of business during the pandemic and shares the story of how he is accomplishing that feat. Josh also talks sincerely about many issues, especially how he is dealing with things now and how he feels the event industry might be different once it fully comes back.
Josh also shares how he got into the event industry and the challenge of creating different designs for the same group of people, sometimes every day. Josh talks about how he failed and learned in the early years of his business and how his business has thrived over the years.
Listen as Josh discusses his process from the first contact with a client through the event and what he did during the pandemic that has kept him and his team busy. Josh is also very open about the deep depression he fell into in the early months of the pandemic and what brought him out and gave him focus as the crisis continued.
Josh speaks about social media and how he uses it to grow his business and what he believes will change in the event industry post-pandemic. He also shares what he has learned during COVID that he believes will carry over and what the hardest part of the past year has been. Andy wraps up the interview by asking Josh how he defines success.
329 A Conversation With: TARA GUERARD
“Our industry will come back in a really good way.” Andy welcomes Tara Guerard back to the show. Listen as they discuss the events she’s designed since the pandemic and how they kept everyone safe. Tara also speaks about what she had done to keep busy and how guests will have to show proof of vaccination before they are allowed at her 2021 events, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Tara is the owner of the event planning company called Tara Guerard Soiree, a full-service event planning and design company headquartered in Charleston, SC, with a second office in New York City. Tara has been in several prestigious wedding publications and published two best-selling books, Southern Weddings and Weddings. She has partnered with the luxury eco-friendly Letterpress Studio as well.
Listen as Tara speaks about how her business is structured for sustainability with very little overhead and property investing instead of leasing. Tara talks about how she has her pricing set up and says that she has raised her prices for 2021 because her time is still important and her designs are worth it.
Tara believes that the industry will come back in full force and stresses that it’s important to stay creative and keep those creative juices flowing. She says that staying motivated and inspired is critical to creatives, and using those talents for good by helping others is a great place to start.
328 A Conversation With: RON BEN-ISRAEL
Andy has the funny and forthcoming Ron Ben-Israel on the show today. Listen as they discuss the second season for his new show, The Big Bake, and his new venture called RBI Treats. We also talk about how the pandemic has impacted both his business and personal life, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Ron is the Founder of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes. In addition to creating stunning and delectable cakes, he hosted the cooking competition TV show Sweet Genius from 2011 to 2013, and was a judge on Food Network’s Cake Wars. He now has a new television show called The Big Bake on Food Network, Canada.
Listen, as Ron discusses how the pandemic has affected his business and how he has kept himself busy and continued to create. Ron talks about his Instagram (IGTV) show called Cake Talk and how he believes it helped him exercise his creativity and get back to work. Ron also shares about his television show, the Big Bake, and talks about the judges who are on the show with him.
Have you always wanted to try Ron’s amazing desserts? Ron speaks about RBI Treats, the new retail division of RBI Cakes. He shares how it got started, the challenges of selling online, shipping to customers, and how much fun he had deciding what to sell and how to package it. Check out his website for RBI Treats, www.RBITreats.com, and start taste testing.
327 A Conversation With: NIKKI KHAN
Today, Andy’s guest is Nikki Khan, the Founder of Exquisite Events, specializing in South Asian weddings out of Los Angeles and working worldwide. Listen as Nikki shares how meditation helps her stay grounded, how the pandemic has changed her perspective on time spent with family and the way they enjoy each other’s company, and to never take things for granted, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Nikki shares how she spends her days now versus how they were spent before the pandemic, the walks she takes, and how she spends time noticing the beauty of nature. Nikki also talks about the fun she had planning micro weddings for her two youngest sons, the joy she felt watching her grandkids on the dance floor, and how she took time to appreciate each moment with family.
Nikki believes that smaller, more intimate weddings will be the focus in 2021, but she hopes that by 2022 the larger events will be back in full force. The weddings may be smaller, but Nikki shared she will not slash her prices. The time and effort she puts into each detail won’t change; smaller is sometimes better.
326 A Conversation With: CECI JOHNSON
Ceci Johnson is recognized as the founder of couture invitation design and her design studio, Ceci New York, having worked in over 40 countries, is globally renowned as the leader in luxury invitation design. Her client list reads like a who’s who of A-list celebrities, royalty, international sports stars, fashion icons, dignitaries and global luxury brands. As a celebrated artist her paintings hang in private collections worldwide. Ceci’s fashion-forward style and sophisticated aesthetic have lead her to be named by Tory Burch as a “Woman to Watch”, and called by Anna Wintour of Vogue magazine “a favorite designer”. Her work has appeared in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, The New York Times, USA Today, InStyle, W Magazine, Town & Country and many more too numerous to mention.
Listen as Ceci shares what she has been doing to stay creative during the slowdown, how she has kept busy expanding her company to include a Palm Beach presence, how she is creating the lifestyle brand she has always dreamed of and how she is now getting into fashion by collaborating with women’s clothing designers and working on product launches with her art on them. Ceci believes if you set small achievable goals it will bring back your positive energy.
Ceci speaks with us about expanding her business and her new IGTV series which showcases some of the rebranding work she and Ceci New York are doing for companies around the world. She shares how she is seizing this unique moment in time to set herself up for when the pandemic is over, and life and events resume, so that her company will reap the benefits of having a forward-looking vision and preparing for what people will desire in the future.
325 THE NEXT LEVEL: VALERIE GERNHAUSER discusses MATTHEW MYHRUM, Event Visualization & Communicating Design
Andy welcomes Valerie Gernhauser back to The Next Level. Valerie is the Owner, Planner, and Designer with Sapphire Events working worldwide out of New Orleans. Listen as they discuss Matthew Myhrum’s definition of what he does and the events Valerie has worked on with Matthew, plus much more.
Matthew is the Founder of Matthew Myhrum Event Visualization, where they provide concept renderings, design drawings, and production design services for event professionals. Matthew shares that they essentially communicate design not only for his clients who are event planners and designers but also to be able to sell their concepts to their clients more effectively and help them with their design process in telling a story.
Listen, as Valerie shares that for her, design isn’t just decor; it involves constant innovation, and hiring Matthew allows her to show her clients exactly what the design will look like. Valerie tells a story of a wedding she worked on with Matthew to create a 360-degree presentation with a virtual reality headset and the reaction she got from her clients.
Valerie discusses the small nuances and details that Matthew puts in his presentation and how these elevate the level of reality for the client. Valerie also speaks about the importance of lighting and how it can be manipulated in Matthew’s presentation to create the look that will be achieved with her design. Valerie believes that in time Matthew will figure out how to add taste and smell to his presentations to elevate the client’s experience.
324 MATTHEW MYHRUM/Rendering Artist – Event Visualization & Communicating Design
“Design is about making things either work properly or better and to bring purpose and direction to chaos.” Listen as Andy and his guest Matthew Myhrum discuss his company, what they do, and how he got interested in creative visualization. Matthew also speaks about his background in set and video design for theater and working with Preston Bailey, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Matthew is the Founder of Matthew Myhrum Event Visualization, where they provide concept renderings, design drawings, and production design services for event professionals. Matthew shares that they essentially communicate design not only for his clients who are event planners and designers but also to be able to sell their concepts to their clients more effectively and help them with their design process in telling a story.
Listen, as Matthew, his process from the first meeting with the designer to the actual event, and the benefit designers get from hiring him to do renderings of the events. Matthew believes that everyone should have the ability to take risks creatively, but it’s important to have a way to test that risk properly.
Matthew shares how the technology behind video games allows him to show the same detail, pick and choose backgrounds, add people, and change the lighting on his presentations to understand better what the event will look like. Technology is changing, and Matthew believes that he has to use all the tools available to stay competitive and keep his business growing.
323 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW discusses MARIANNE BENNETT, Scoring Music To Tell A Story
Andy welcomes Sean Low back to the show. Sean is the owner of the consulting firm The Business of Being Creative, which focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. He also has a podcast on The Wedding Biz Network called The Business of Being Creative. Listen as they discuss Marianne Bennett, the Founder and CEO of Element Music, a highly successful music and entertainment company in the event industry out of New York City.
Sean speaks about Marianne’s understanding of the difference between “custom” and “personal,” her storytelling abilities, and how she takes a client’s story and gives it back after adding her vision. Sean loves the fact that Marianne states that it isn’t just about enjoying the entertainment; it’s about the experience.
Marianne believes that you have to be creative with your company’s business side, and Sean agrees 100% with her view on combining the business and creative aspects to keep the company balanced. Marianne says you can love business and still be a great creative.