The Podcast for Wedding and Events Industry Professionals
Andy’s Latest Episodes:
240 ROBBINS OTOYA: Loving What They Do and Doing it Together
“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.
239 KATIE KRIMITSOS: Benefits of Meditation During the Coronavirus Crisis
This is a bonus episode to help us all through this difficult time. The interview can benefit everyone though Katie Krimitsos is the creator and host of the Women’s Meditation Network, “the home for guided meditations that are created for the very special journey that we women walk throughout this life. While we are all different and unique, there is an underlying connection and shared experience between us that is so beautiful, complex and deep.”
238 DAVID BEAHM: A Personal Response to the Coronavirus
We are all having our own reaction to the current crisis. David shares his way of getting through the myriad of challenges facing not only himself, but all of us.
David Beahm, world-class wedding designer and planner, known for his inventive work and trademark lavish flower creations, has designed countless weddings for society, high profile and discerning clients, including the wedding of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, as well as a host of celebrity and Fortune 500 corporate events.
237 BRETT CULP: Realigning Your Heart & Soul During The Pandemic
Today’s episode is a special one about dealing with the impact of the Coronavirus though it’s timeless in that it can apply to any major challenge or crisis. Brett had a very successful career as a videographer in the lux wedding market, for ten years, until the recession of 2008 forced him to pivot. Now a filmmaker and keynote speaker, Brett Culp films is based out of Tampa FL. He is also an author and produces short films such as “How to stay positive when the world feels negative.”
We urge you to share this with your friends, family, and colleagues in the hope that it gives you inspiration and a sense of peace as we all deal with one of the greatest challenges of the past century.
236 THE NEXT LEVEL: LYNN EASTON discusses JOSE VILLA Part 2 – Wedding Photography At Its Finest
Do you know how digital photos typically look different from pictures taken using film? Listen as Andy and Lynn discuss Jose’s new preset that allows him to use digital but still get the film look plus much more. Lynn Easton of Easton Events is a wonderful planner and designer based out of Charleston and Charlottesville who works worldwide.
Jose Villa is a film photographer known for shooting wedding photos for celebrities and high profile clients. Jose was named one of the top Wedding Photographers in the world by Vogue, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Harper’s Bazaar. Jose has also been recognized as one of the most influential photographers of the decade by PDN.
Listen as Lynn shares what she admires about Jose and his work, and his ability to shoot Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra’s wedding with only a week and a half’s notice. Andy and Lynn discuss Jose’s ability to shoot photos with a lot of emotion and how amazing and organized his team is. They also chat about Jose’s use of social media and how he answers each email, DM, and text himself.
Jose is one of those unique individuals that go above and beyond. So much so that Lynn says when he shoots events with her, he always has images to her by the end of the night or the next morning at the latest. Andy and Lynn can’t say enough great things about Jose, so hit play and enjoy!
235 JOSE VILLA: Wedding Photography At Its Finest
Andy and Jose hopped on the line, Friday March 13th, to discuss the impact of the Coronavirus on the event industry and their businesses as a prelude to the regular interview.
Listen as Andy and Jose discuss many topics, including the celebrity weddings he photographed in 2019. There is so much to learn from Jose, regardless of whether or not you are a photographer.
If you are not familiar with his work, Jose Villa is primarily a film photographer, named one of the top Wedding Photographers in the world by Vogue, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Harper’s Bazaar. Jose has also been recognized as one of the most influential photographers of the decade by PDN.
Listen as Jose shares how the level of the weddings he does has changed and what he feels when shooting celebrity weddings. In 2019, Jose did the photography for Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra’s and Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin’s weddings, two of the most high profile weddings he last last year. Jose also speaks about the cameras and lenses he uses and the presets that are now available that makes digital photos look like film.
Have you ever grabbed one camera, one lens, and just started composing images? Jose speaks about how much he likes to change things up, even after being in the business for the last eighteen years. He shares about those moments he waits a whole wedding to shoot, clients that require a lot of attention and how that pays off, and his strategy with social media.
Jose is very humble and grateful for what he has achieved, and has more he wants to accomplish. Jose shoots about twenty weddings a year now and the intricacies of each event keeps him plenty busy. Listening to Jose is always a pleasure and you don’t want to miss this conversation!
234 Online Crisis Communication And The Coronavirus
Christie Osborne is FEMA-certified in Social Media Crisis Communication and I was fortunate to get some time with her while attending Catersource/The Special Event conference in Las Vegas. She talks about what to consider when communicating policies regarding response to a crisis, including the Coronavirus.
She also tells us about the most frequently asked questions she’s getting while at the conference. This includes, when events get cancelled, how to communicate online regarding the issue of how we decide to handle deposits. Christie also discusses how to respond when clients ask if they should get tested when they’ve attended a venue or event where it’s later discovered that one or more people were infected. She also talks about how to respond when people have yet to attend an event that has not been cancelled and are asking if it’s safe. This includes how to handle the recovery period once we are past the crisis.
233 THE NEXT LEVEL: ANDRE MAIER discusses SONAL SHAH – Planning South Asian Weddings With a Theatrical Flair
If you want your weddings to have theatrical productions, listen as Andy and Andre discuss Sonal Shah and her ability to plan and produce events and the challenges she faces when planning celebrity weddings, interracial weddings, and more, all over the world. Andre Maier is a fantastic photographer based in both New York City and Los Angeles, who works worldwide, and appeared on The Wedding Biz.
Sonal is a premier South Asian event planner based in New York City, working all over the world. Sonal is known for planning the most elaborate over-the-top weddings. She also works with both Hollywood and Bollywood stars, and has a book out called “The Complete Guide to Planning the Perfect South Asian Wedding.”
Andy and Andre share Sonal’s ability to mediate between bridal couples and parents, why she decided to plan South Asian weddings, and the need to trust the creative partners with whom she builds her teams. Additionally, Andre says that Sonal brings purpose and passion together, which is why she is so successful. They chat about how each event she plans has to be different from anything she has done before.
Listen as Andy and Andre dive into some of the more interesting nuggets of Sonal’s interview. The enthusiasm she has for what she does is contagious, and you can feel it, and they discuss this amazing woman.
232 SONAL SHAH – Planning South Asian Weddings With a Theatrical Flair
“I don’t design; I plan events and manage the timelines.” Listen in as Andy and his guest Sonal Shah discuss how she began her career, and why she chose to niche down to South Asian weddings. They also talk about her position with Marriott and how it helped her become the planner she is today and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Sonal is a premier South Asian event planner based in New York City, working all over the world. Sonal is known for planning the most elaborate over-the-top weddings. If her medium-sized wedding has four to five hundred guests, can you imagine what her large weddings are like? She works with both Hollywood and Bollywood stars, and has a book out called “The Complete Guide to Planning the Perfect South Asian Wedding.”
Sonal shares the process she has for putting together a team, how she handles the different personalities of each family, and how she keeps the focus on the bride when opinions make things difficult. Sonal speaks about the need to trust the creative partners she uses who also do something different so that nothing ever looks cookie-cutter. Sonal describes the challenges she faces when planning celebrity weddings, as well as interracial ones.
Sonal is young to have accomplished everything she has, and she has much more she is hoping to achieve. She speaks about what she would like to do in the future, how she finds a balance between work and family, and she gives some details about one of her favorite weddings. You will be on the edge of your seat because everything that she says has an energy to it that you don’t want to miss.