Media

51 Lisa Gooder, Brides Magazine: The Passion of Storytelling

51 Lisa Gooder, Brides Magazine: The Passion of Storytelling

by | Apr 30, 2018 |

Lisa Gooder was always passionate about telling stories. No matter the workplace– from artifact appraisals to digital media, to Lisa, the way a story could connect others and draw interest were obvious. Enter her break into the wedding industry, where the story has been culturally set for decades – that is, until Lisa began to see changes in the demographic and wanted to help tell their honest stories.

Get ready to dive deep with Lisa on how she’s seen the answer to the question, “why get married?” change drastically over the years, why that matters, and what it means for brands in the wedding industry.

42 Equally Wed: Kirsten & Maria’s Revolutionary Online Guide to Planning an LGBTQ+ Wedding

42 Equally Wed: Kirsten & Maria’s Revolutionary Online Guide to Planning an LGBTQ+ Wedding

by | Feb 26, 2018 |

Kirsten Ott Palladino & Maria Palladino are co-founders of Equally Wed, an online wedding magazine celebrating love and weddings in the LGBTQ+ community. It also provides education and resources for same-sex couples and equality-minded wedding professionals. But this is far more than just a business venture.

In 2004, Kirsten and Maria fell in love, getting engaged just before Kirsten’s 30th birthday in Central Park. When Kirsten began searching online and in book stores for wedding planning resources as a same-sex couple, she didn’t see any content out there that reflected her relationship with Maria. Initially disappointed, Kirsten channeled her emotions into a project called Equally Wed — an online journal and national wedding magazine for LGBTQ+ couples. With Maria’s background in graphic design and web development and Kirsten’s experience in writing editorial content, the two created a national wedding magazine and resource guide for people in the LGBTQ+ community and their allies who want to learn, connect, and feel validation that love is love, no matter who you are.

At the time Equally Wed launched, only 6 US states had marriage equality, making Equally Wed not only an online resource for community and wedding resources for the LGBTQ+ community, but also a news and activism site during the movement toward national marriage equality. As the political and social conversation continues to evolve around same-sex marriage, so does the wedding market. Kirsten and Maria continue to push the envelope by developing relevant, thoughtful resources, including the publication of a wedding guide in 2017 specifically for LGBTQ+ couples planning their own weddings.

35 The Knot, Carley Roney & Anja Winikka: Empowering Employees + Building Innovation Into the DNA of Your Business

35 The Knot, Carley Roney & Anja Winikka: Empowering Employees + Building Innovation Into the DNA of Your Business

by | Jan 8, 2018 |

These days, The Knot is largely synonymous with planning a modern wedding. It is often the first resource brides will use to feel empowered during an uncertain time. There’s a reason for that! Founder of The Knot, Carley Roney, and Brand Builder, Anja Winikka, are innovating the wedding business through authentic connection and female empowerment. The Knot is the #1 Mobile Wedding App, and most bride’s first destination after getting engaged. What started as a small company trying to simplify wedding planning has grown to become one of the most innovative and female-focused entrepreneurial endeavors. Innovation and inclusivity were at the heart of Carley Roney’s vision for The Knot when she and her husband started the company in the early 90’s. With the brand mastery of Anja Winnika, The Knot has solidified its identity as the authority on just about every facet of the wedding business, while also empowering brides to create a wedding that is personal and fun.

A lot has changed about the wedding industry since The Knot was founded, but their core community values of trust, style, and inclusivity haven’t. In today’s episode, you will learn all about Carley’s ahead-of-her-time vision for how the Internet could bring unparalleled innovation to the wedding business. You will also learn how The Knot has continued to evolve and grow by listening to users and cultivating resources with a personal touch. The Knot encourages brides, planners, and vendors to connect in the moment. With resources like The Ultimate Wedding Planner and their wealth of information online, brides can trust that The Knot is working to empower them through the wedding process.

Listen this week to learn how The Knot is empowering their employees, building innovation into their DNA, and paving the way for female entrepreneurs within the wedding business.

27 Angela Desveaux: Editor-in-Chief of WedLuxe Media

27 Angela Desveaux: Editor-in-Chief of WedLuxe Media

by | Nov 13, 2017 |

Angela Desveaux is the founder, publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of WedLuxe Media, which includes her print and online magazines, a trendsetting blog, a wedding show, an online boutique, and many other facets. But the path to all this success wasn’t easy, as she shares in this week’s episode. Angela recalls her first few years of building the magazine with her husband Bruce and what it was like to bet it all on the business. It’s a story many entrepreneurs can relate to, and she gives sage advice to anyone looking to strike out on their own in the industry.

In today’s episode, Angela and Andy explore the ever-challenging path to success, and how with enough determination and often sheer willpower, you can achieve what you set out to. The pair also discuss how to find balance professionally and personally, the secret to running a business with a spouse, and what’s on the horizon for WedLuxe Media. It’s a tale of following your gut and setting out to do a difficult but immensely rewarding task. The full interview is available right here.

24 Valerie Romanoff: Personalized Event Entertainment

24 Valerie Romanoff: Personalized Event Entertainment

by | Oct 23, 2017 |

Valerie Romanoff has had music in her veins since she was a little girl of two years old. Her love of melodies, guitar, and learning all kinds of music has propelled her into the world of high-end wedding and event performances with her company Starlight Music. Valerie knows just how important music is at a wedding, and how it acts as the heartbeat of the entire event. Every crowd and event is different, and Valerie creates a musical experience that is catered exclusively to each of her clients.

In this week’s interview on The Wedding Biz, Andy and Valerie share their stories about being on the music side of the professional wedding industry. Valerie tells all about her musical background, what’s changed in the industry for her, and what her process of putting together an event performance looks like. This creatively charged episode is perfect inspiration for those who are looking for a top-tier musical act at their own wedding, and for other musical professionals who want to know what it takes to be at the peak of the field. Listen in now.

18 Shawna Gohel: Maharani Weddings

18 Shawna Gohel: Maharani Weddings

by | Sep 11, 2017 | ,

Shawna Gohel is a pretty big deal in the Indian wedding community. Her site, Maharani Weddings, boasts 800,000 visitors every month. Shawna and her team has published over 10,000 articles on Indian weddings, and an astounding 40% of readers return to the website several times a day for inspiration. Her readers have truly become addicted to the content she shares.

It all started when she herself got engaged. This was in 2008, before the time of Pinterest and Instagram. She rounded up as many bridal magazines as she could get her hands on, and realized that there was a serious lack of information about Indian weddings. Shawna started her own blog as a means to organize her own wedding information, and the rest as they say, is history.

Andy and Shawna chat in depth about her favorite parts of the job as founder of the website, and what’s next for Maharani Weddings. She also discusses what it means to be a mother and a driven entrepreneur, the challenges and successes of working with her husband as a business partner, and how she finds the right balance in life to satisfy all of her passions. Looking forward, Shawna and her team at Maharani Weddings are still growing and evolving the site, and there’s no stopping this force to be reckoned with. You can listen to Shawna’s full interview on The Wedding Biz Show now.

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