THE Podcast for Wedding and Events Industry Professionals
All Episodes
All Episodes
387 REVISIT: Eddie Zaratsian – Experiential Events to Delight the Senses
If you’ve never had the joy of working with a designer who absolutely lives to utterly delight their client, then you will find this interview with today’s guest, Eddie Zaratsian a breath a fresh air. Eddie’s abundant energy and passion for creating a feast for the senses, allows him to reflect the very essence of his clients in an unimaginable way.
Eddie Zaratsian is the Owner of Eddie Zaratsian Lifestyle and Design. Eddie was born in Armenia and came to the US when he was 5 years old. He watched his parents arrive in the US, unable to speak English, without the promise of a career, and yet they were determined to pursue their dreams. The family arrived in Hollywood and built the life they had dreamed of. Eventually, Eddie started his own business that evolved over time and became a luxury lifestyle and design company serving A-list clients and creating events that cultivate a sense of wonder and delight the senses-both for the clients and their guests.
386 EMILY REIFEL: Talking Weddings with the “Empress Em of Events” at The Plaza, NYC
Joining Andy in this episode of The Wedding Biz is Emily Reifel, Social Events Director at CPS Events at The Plaza in New York City! In this wide ranging...
385 CHIOMA ADURE NWOGU-JOHNSON: Humility and Accountability in a Multicultural World
Andy is so happy to bring Chioma Adure Nwogu-Johnson to this episode of The Wedding Biz! Chioma is the creative director of Dure Events, a full...
384 EMILY CAMPBELL: Planning and Designing Events with an Anthropological Perspective
Emily Campbell, founder and executive director of Go Bella Events based in Colorado, joins Andy in this episode of The Wedding Biz to discuss her career! Over...
383 REVISIT: Mindy Weiss – Setting the Standard
Mindy Weiss is a force in the high-end wedding and event planning business. Since her early beginnings, she has delighted celebrity and non-celebrity clients alike with her ability to build meaningful relationships every step of the way.
On this episode, Mindy shares her wealth of knowledge about what it’s like to maintain an A-List clientele. But while there certainly are additional factors to consider when planning luxury events for celebrities, Mindy’s insights from years of experience working with families and couples are applicable to anyone in the event planning industry.
From getting to truly know your clients– both financially and personally– to how you might be able to successfully evade the paparazzi, Mindy Weiss dives in with honesty and humor to share her wisdom on this episode.
382 EVA CLARK: Anticipating Needs and Evoking Senses
Eva Clark is the award-winning owner and creative director of Eva Clark Events. She joins Andy in this episode of The Wedding Biz to discuss various aspects of...
381 LAURYN PRATTES: Staying Relevant in a Saturated Market
Joining Andy today is a good friend of his, Lauryn Prattes of Lauryn Prattes Events. Lauryn is one of the top planners in the country as per Martha Stewart...
380 COLIN COWIE: The Gold Standard: Giving Your Customers What They Didn’t Know They Wanted
Having had celebrity clients such as Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Seacrest, Kim Kardashian, Lil Wayne, Nicole Kidman, and Demi Moore, this...
379 JACK EZON: Bespoke Travel & A Risk-Taking Entrepreneur
Andy chats today with Jack Ezon, C.E.O. and managing partner of EMBARK Beyond! EMBARK Beyond is a luxury lifestyle partnership that specializes in bespoke travel...
378 REVISIT: MINDY RICE of MINDY RICE DESIGN – Creating Feelings Instead of Just Events
When we think about wedding and event floral designs, our imagination is often limited to bouquets and centerpieces. Today, I am talking to one of the premier event designers in the world. She sees flowers and foliage as a way to create lasting memories of events your guests will never forget. Mindy Rice, of Mindy Rice Design, is a native Californian with a creative lineage. Growing up, Mindy was taught how to think like a designer. Never feeling confined by the “rules” wedding floral arrangements like to follow, Mindy seemed to fall into the wedding business after designing events for the corporate world.
What makes Mindy unique is how she encourages her clients to step into their most daring self. She turns dreams into reality—no Pinterest board copy-cat ideas here! Today, Mindy is going to walk us through her process, from the exciting ideation stages to actually executing her most memorable pieces. She will share stories of how she has transformed a simple barn into a Redwood wonderland. Mindy will describe her favorite pieces, and how she uses color and perspective to transform any event space. Mindy’s goal is to create unique elements for each event that guests will really remember. She is not afraid to take a risk because she knows the risky pieces will always pay off. Every bloom and bough is placed thoughtfully so that guests will feel something long after the last toast and dance.
“Everybody has two personalities—who they really are, and who they dare themselves to be.” ~Mindy Rice
Today is not just about flowers and spectacle! Mindy and I will chat about what it means to own our own business, and how we can successfully balance our creative endeavors with family life. The event design business sometimes feels as though it could take over everything! Mindy embraces the life she’s been given and chooses jobs that will both fulfill her creatively and best support her family. Mindy is inspiring in so many ways, and I know she is going to transform the way you’ve always thought about flowers. Expect the unexpected when Mindy is around!
377 SUNNA YASSIN & MOLLIE JONES-HENNES: Staying Relevant in an Everchanging Industry
Andy hopes that you will tune in to this episode of The Wedding Biz as he talks with Sunna Yassin and Mollie Jones-Hennes of Bash Please. Named top planners...
376 REVISIT: THE TRAVEL SIBLINGS – Experiential Destination Travel
When you think of experiencing personalized and experiential destination weddings, you most likely need to be thinking of Harlan and Kara, The Travel Siblings. This duo has been designing private and intimate events and luxury travel experiences around the globe for years through their affiliation with the Elite Division of Travel Leaders – Tzell Travel Group and were recently recognized by Conde Nast as the “Best Agents for Destination Weddings”.
The pair found their love for travel when Harlan was working as a traveling opera singer as a young teen. He would often bring his younger sister Kara on a few getaways in between tours. There, they both fell in love with the art of luxurious travel, fine dining, and unique global experiences. These moments informed and influenced the pair’s business of offering unforgettable luxury travel experiences uniquely catered to their clients whom wish to wed at a magical destinations.
Today, Andy, Harlan, and Kara share a fun and lively talk about how the sibling’s upbringing shaped their passions and careers, and how they manage to work together creatively and professionally. The three also chat about how they create experiences out of each destination, some of their favorite and most wild honeymoon and wedding stories to date, and what the best part of their job really is to them. This luxurious and decadent episode will have you ready to book your own destination wedding with the one and only Harlan and Kara. Listen to their full episode right here.
375 DAVE CALZARETTA: Fighting the Fear of Missing Out and Making Your Own Luck
Listen in to Andy's conversation with Dave Calzaretta, the founder and president of Magnificent Events & Entertainment! Magnificent Events &...
374 REVISIT: MICHELLE RAGO – Weddings Around the Globe
Michelle Rago has always had wanderlust flowing through her veins. It’s what has inspired her to build her massively successful career as a wedding and event destination producer and expert. She’s now one of the most sought-after destination event planners in the world, in large part because of her vision, relationship building skills, and meticulous attention to every possible detail. Her love for travel and experiencing new cultures came from a study abroad trip in Greece when she was just 15. Ever since, she’s been exploring new ways to bring stunning events and weddings to the most inspiring and beautiful locations around the globe.
Today, Andy and Michelle chat about the steps she took to growing her passions and her business, and some of the major epiphanies and milestones she realized along the way. The pair also dive into how she untangles the vastly intricate puzzles of destination weddings, her process of making an event come to fruition, and some of her favorite and most satisfying events to date. This week’s episode taps into the idea that following what your heart desires can truly lead to a career full of personal and professional achievements. Check out the full episode now.
373 JULIE NOVACK: Optimizing Your Digital Footprint
Join Andy in this episode as he chats with Julie Novack, C.E.O. and co-founder of PartySlate, a photo-rich website (that, in fact, just recently hit a million...
372 NSBWEP: The National Society of Black Wedding and Event Professionals
NSBWEP stands for the National Society of Black Wedding and Event Professionals and was created in the summer of 2020. Since the inception of the association, they...
371 REVISIT: CECI JOHNSON – Designing Stationery, Lifestyle and Business
This episode features Ceci Johnson of Ceci New York. We have the privilege to listen to how Ceci built her business from the ground up. Ceci of New York is an artist and designer of not only invitations and stationery but art and branding materials as well. Ceci tells stories of her client’s life in her design of invitations and stationery, and about being in the business of happiness.
370 MERYL SNOW: Selling Strategies and How They’ve Changed Within Today’s Market
Andy's friend Meryl Snow of Snowstorm Solutions returns in this episode of the podcast for a great conversation about selling strategies! Meryl is very well...