Event Planners and Designers

“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 Hundred Most Compelling People, a Top 25 Trendsetter of the Year by Modern Bride, and more. Bryan was on The Wedding Biz in September of 2018. It was a fantastic episode so if you haven’t listened to it, you should.

Bryan shares how the pandemic has impacted the events he had scheduled this spring and summer and how they are getting everyone rescheduled. He speaks about talking to his clients and how he reassures them. Bryan also talks about how he communicates with his team and keeps them motivated.

Listen, as Bryan describes how his days now differ from a few months ago, his advice to people new to the industry who are scared they are going to lose their businesses and what he believes the event industry will look like once the country reopens. Andy and Bryan have a great conversation that is both uplifting and real, so sit back and enjoy.

“Growing is my daily goal, and I live every day to be better.” Listen in as Andy and his guest, Norma Cohen, discuss why she strives to grow daily, how getting rid of negative energy has helped her, some wild challenges she has been through since the last time she was on the show and what she does for fun on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Norma started her company Norma Cohen Productions nearly thirty years ago. She has planned numerous events at New York’s most iconic spaces and Europe’s most luxurious destinations. Norma has never needed to promote herself and has never even had a business card. Her success has always been through word of mouth. 

Listen in as Norma shares how she handles stress when producing elaborate events and how she handles challenges. Norma shares a story about building an event on a beach during hurricane season and how she overcame the challenges. She also describes what having three weddings in the same neighborhood at the same time looks like and how she made it all work.

Norma and Andy speak about how important music and lighting are when doing events and why she likes to use live bands. They also talk about how she finds her creative partners when she is planning and designing destination events. Norma has done it all and keeping each event different and unique is an art she has perfected.

Norma has so much to share in this Part 2 episode. So grab a drink, relax and push play.

“I love fashion, and I appreciate everything beautiful because I love to surround myself in beauty” Listen in as Andy and his guest, Sofia Crokos, discuss personally connecting with clients, her love of fashion, and creating beautiful events. Sofia is a planner/designer based out of New York City. She has also partnered with The Heritage Collection behind four exclusive private properties in Europe.

Sofia discusses her journey from fashion to planning, where she got her love of everything beautiful and the mentor that gave her the knowledge she needed to plan events. Sofia speaks about being a mentor herself and the joy it brings her. She tells us she lives by connection, and without a link to her clients, she wouldn’t be able to plan their weddings.

Listen as Sofia shares her process for opening the lines of communication with her clients, and why she studies the dynamics of the couple when planning a wedding. Sofia shares a story about the wedding she did for Robert Downy and the catastrophe she had to overcome with only four days until the event.

Are you a seeker and curious about life? Listen as Sofia shares her belief that you need to reinvent and keep up with what really speaks to you. Sofia talks about where she sees herself in five years and her being the U.S. Ambassador for The Heritage Collection properties in Europe.

Sofia has learned, through years of running full throttle, that you have to take time for self-care, or you will burn out. Sofia shares what she did in the year she disconnected from her business, and why she is now ready to connect again. This conversation is a joy to listen to and you don’t want to miss it.

This is a bonus episode featuring my conversation with David Stark, a renowned NYC-based event producer and designer whose team creates events  worldwide for weddings, entertainment, fashion, publishing, arts, media, and for consumer product industries.  We discuss his personal response to dealing with the pandemic as well as how he’s handling it with his business. David talks about what he’s learned from the experience as well as how he’s dealt with reducing the number of employees and how he keeps his current team motivated.

David also gives advice to those of us who don’t have the level of experience he has in dealing with an economic challenge. I believe we’ll all get a lot out of this special appearance with David Stark.

“It’s not about producing a New York wedding in Provence; it’s about producing a Provence wedding in Provence with New York standards.” Listen as Andy, and his guests Matthew Robbins and Luis Otoya discuss their process and dig deep into the creative aspect. They also have an exciting conversation about their use of color and a discussion about their pricing philosophy. 

Matthew has a company called Matthew Robbins Design based in New York City, while Luis has a catering company called Evento & Cocina based in Cartagena. Together, they own Robbins Otoya Destinations, a design and event planning firm that designs and produces destination weddings and events all over the world.

Luis shares meeting Matthew for the first time at a convention, their long-distance relationship, and whether there was any sense of competition between them with their individual companies. Listen as they reveal why they started a business together, what it’s like to work together and be a couple, and how they push each other creatively to be the best they can be.

Matthew and Luis open up and share their process for finding locations and planning events, and how they price their events.  They both share that having jobs, they love, going to incredible places, and making people happy is what success means to them. During this crazy uncertain time in the world, it’s nice to hear about something positive, and fun so push play and get ready to smile.